The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-04-06
A DEFERRED AFFAIR.

John StanhOpe, ranger, on his shaggy
broncho. cantered lazily down the dust
thoughtful brow. His short earbine sec.
sawed across his left leg, which hung
slouchily over the horn of his big Mexi-
can saddle His whole attitude was one
Of relaxation. His eyes were half closed
and his thoughts were wandering
dreanily back TO tho days before spirit
of deviltry had induced him to leave
his old home in the blue grass region Of
Tennessee To seek excitement and adj.
venture on the Texas prairies. The sun
blazed down in vertical rays and tremu
lous heat waves rose from the bowlders
scattered hero aud there.
Suddenly Stanhope camo to his senscs
and jerked ut his bride so violently
that his horse reared on his hind legs
and snorted Stanhupe didn't know
what caused him to stop. lie folt vague
ly that something WAS wrong but he
had no idea what. lie looked about
wonder where them follows nro:''
he muttorod. Reckon they stopped
back up the trail bit. Stanhopc
turned his lruuchu'a head and rode back
to where clump of scrub oak and
ohaparral hid the winding trail from
view. Rising in his stirrups, he looked
about, There WAS not living thing in
sight, The undulating prairie. brown
and hot, dotted with an occasional bit
of timber, stretched away in every Iii
rection.
"Well. I'll ho id, " exclaimed
Stanhope half aloud, "cf this don't beat
me. Where kin them fellers be-"
He rode To tho top of the highest
knoll i'll the vicinity and, shading his
eyes with his hands again looked care
fully about He Ind taken unnecessary
trouble. No one WAS III sight
You'd "a Thought Bill Chidrcss
would n had more sensal" Stunhopt
said, addressing his pony. Tho pony
was accustomed to hcing talked to by
Stanhope when they We're alone tageth-
or. lie may not have understood what
his master sad, but he knew that he
was being talked TO- and he worked his
intelligent ears cnergotically hy way of
reply.
As fer that young cub that eome
down from san Antoine. Stnhepe
went on, Il never did think he was top
heavy with sense Maybe they stopped
at that 'royo we crossed two milo back
to look for Some water.
The hroncho'S ears worked again, so
Stanhopo rode back down To tho trail,
unsaddled and tethered his horse and
lay down under the shade Of II scrub oak
with saddle tor y pillow "a wait tor
his companions To catch up
1t did not occur to him that anything
might have happened to ChildreSs and
the cub, who WAS IA young man recently
come from the States impelled by the
same thirst for adventure that had
brought Stanhopo to Texas. Thoro were
no Mexican cattle litter that no knew
of i'll 100 miles and Colonel Upton
road agents had. ho thought, been
wiped out by some of Captain Hays
rangers u fortnight before
AT least report to that effect had
reached san Antonio few days before.
The MatamoraS stage driver told him
about it that morning when the stage
passed him and his two companions, 20
miles On more back up the trail. He
and Childress and the tendortoot-Wal
lace was the tenderfoot's name-wero
ON their way To join Hays camp at the
Redbank ranch
Stanhope, as he lay under the oak.
watched his pony nosing about for
green tuft of grass until his eyelids
gradually dropped, and lie sank into a
pleasant sleep. He had scarcely closed
his eyes, he thought, when he suddenly
sat up The sun was sinking red behind
feathery, crimson clouds over the west
ern hills, and the purple lingo of even.
ing was gradually creeping across the
sky. y cool wind swept up from the
gulf, 200 miles away.
Opposite Stanhope sat u swarthy.
muscular man, with shaggy hair and a
shaggier beard, looking quizzically at
him. \ rifle rested across his knees. \
blood stained piece Of cloth was bound
tightly about his left hand.
"Tipton, by the Lordln yelled Stan.
hope, instinctively reaching for his rifle.
The shaggy man grlnned. Needn't
trouble To look fer your gun" he
drawled. I've moved it. =
Stanhope boiled with rage and cha
grin. He tried to say something. but his
tongue refused TO perform its functions.
Upton saw the effort and smiled again.
You're fool. Stanhope, = he ob.
served briefly.
You're right there, snapped the
other I'm the biggest fool out of hell.