Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-07-01
A DEFERRED AFFAIR.

carpeted trail with drOCped head and
thoughtful brow. His short carbine see.
sawed across his left leg, which hung
tlouchily over tho horn Of his big Next
can saddle. His whole attitude was ouo
Of relaxation. His eyes were half closed
and his thoughts were wandering
dreamily back to the days before a spirit
Of deviltry had induced him TO leave
his old homo in the blue grass region Of
Tennessee to seek excitement aud ad-
venture on the Texas prairies. The sun
blazed down in vertical rays and tremu-
lous heat wave rose from the powders
scattered here and there.
Suddenly Stanhope came to his senses
and jerked at his Bride so violently
that his horse reared on his bind legs
and Enorted. Stauhope didn't know
what caused him to stop. He felt vague
ly that something was wrong, but lie
had no idea what. He looked about.
Wonder where them fellows are?"
no mutterod. Reckon they stopped
back up the trail a bit" Stanhcpe
turned his broncho's head and rode back
60 where o clump Of scrub oak and
chaparral hid tho winding trail from
view. Rising IN his stirrups, he looked
about. There was not a living thing in
sight. The undulating prairie, brown
and hot, dotted with an occasional bit
OF timber, stretched away in every di-
r%ection.
"Well, I'll be id" exclaimed
Stanhope half aloud, "ef this don't beat
me. Where kin them fellers be-"
He rode TO tho top of the highest
knoll in the vicinity and, shading his
eyes with his hands, again looked care
fully about. He had taken unnecessary
trouble. No one was in sight.
You'd "a thought Bill Childress
would "a rad more sensel" Stanhope
said, addressing his pony. The pony
was accustomed to being talked to by
Gtanhope when they were alone togeth-
cr. Ho may not have understood what
his master said, but no know that he
was being talked to, and he worked his
intelligent ears onergetically by way of
reply.
"As for that young cub that como
down from San Antoine" Stanhope
went ON, II never did think he was top
heavy with sense. Maybe they stopped
ut that 'royo we crossed two mile back
to look for some water"
Tho .broncho's ears worked again, so
Stanhopo rode back down to tho trail,
%unsaddled and tethered his horse and
lay down under tho shade of IL scrub oak
with a saddle for a pillow to wait for
his companions to catch up.
1t did not occur to him that anything
might have happened to Chi!dress aud
tne cub, who was IA young man recently
come from the States impelled by the
same thirst for adventure that bad
brought Stanhcpe to Texas. There were
no Mexican cattle litter that he knew
If in 100 miles, ard Colonel Tiptou's
read agents had, he thought, been
wiped out by some of Captain Hays
rangers a fortnight before.
At least q report to that effect hat
reached San Antonio a few days before.
The Matamoras stage driver told him
about it that morning when the stage
passed him and his two companions, &c
miles or more back up the trail. He
aId Childress and the tenderfoot-Wal-
lace was the tendorfoot's name-wore
o. their way to join Hays camp at the
Iiedbank ranch.
Stanhope, as be lay under the oak,
watched his pony rosing about for a
green tuft of grass until his eyelids
gradually dropped, and no sank into q
pleasant sleep. He had scarcely closed
his eyes, he thought, when he suddenly
Eat up. The sun was sinking red behind
feathery, crimson clouds over the west
orn hills, and the purple tinge Of even
ing was gradually creeping across the
sky. A cool wind swept up from the
gulf, 200 miles away.
Opposite Stanhope sat a swarthy,
muscular man, with shaggy hair and a
shaggier beard, looking quizzically at
him. A rife rested across his knees. A
blood stained piece of cloth was bound
tightly about his left hand.
"Tipton, by the Lordl" yelled Stan.
hope, in~stinctively reaching for his rife.
The shaggy man %grinned. Needn't
trouble TO look fer your gum" hC
drawled. 1--WE moved it.
Stanhope boiled with rage and cha.
grin. ne tfIeu TO say something, DuJ us
tongue refused to perform It's functions
Upton saw the effort and smiled again
You're a fool, Stanhope, Z" he OBJ
served briefly.
You're right there" snapped the
other. Pm the biggest fool out Of hell,
or the buzzards would "a had your man
gy carcass picked clean before this"
"Yaas. 1 know, " replied the shaggy
man, with exasperating deliberation
"You did overlook a bit when you for
got to scrag me that night on tn
Nueces. You know I'm a purity slip
perry cuss. Better be prompt the mex
time-that is, if there's goin to be an,
next time"
Stanhope bad cooled down considera
bly,. He looked steadily at the shagg.
man and then grinned. There was some
thing infectious in Tipton's good nature
"Well. you've got me, haven't your
he said.
"You alters was a young man o
powerful discsrnment, replied Upton
"but this time it amt a question 0
what I'm goin to do to you. I'm no
A.. H.. l.. At. -, u.s.a mh,wote ,th