Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-19

vicious teeth, but never had she beer
the mustang which formed the whole
equine stock of the SHADES.
The desire of her heart for the last si1
months of her life was to ride a horse be
longing to the Garrys and having a RECORD
of n man killed, three broken legs ant
a fractured skull, which last he had achiev
ed for his rider by boiling with hin
through a low barn door. Minta longed
fiercely to try her hand ON this animal, c
huge blue gray with a white rolling eye,
and in the end she did ride him and KEPT
her seat, slipping off only when he crouch
ed to roll over on her, and swinging her
self up by the pommel of the huge Mexi
can saddle as he recovered and started to
run George Garry, the eldest son of the
man who had offered to horsewhip Minta
stood In the road and npplauded.
"But mind" he said sharply as she
finally got off, flushed with joy and
thanked him, "don't let this get to my ia.
theirs ears"
This, however, is exactly what happened
impossible to say just how. Garry heard
that ''that Slade girl" had ridden his
horse, squirting him till the blood came,
and he grew wild with rage. After a vio-
lent scene with George he went out to vent
his temper ON the Mexican hands, for, as
1t CHANGED, his oranges were to be served
with water that evening. He drank u
glass Of whisky before he left the house
and carried a flat bottle in his pocket to
counterfeit the chill of the water. The men
said afterward that he was half out Of his
senses with drink and anger, and, in fact,
he admitted later that he had been drink
ing through the day.
As usual, he was Choking for trouble %
n of them said, from the SHADES. When
the water was running full head, and he
had exhausted his vocabulary of abuse up
Oh his %neighbors, nothing would convince
him that they were not at that moment
stealing but a personal inspection of their
water gate and ditch.
He went stealing along in the shadow
of the trees, out of the red, Pickering flare
Of the lanterns reflected In the shallow
Hood. A moment later the men whom he
had left behind heard a pistol shot, and a
hoarse cry from Garry. They dropped their
tools, caught up their lanterns and ran.
He was standing by the SHADES water gate,
the smoking pistol in his hand, looking
stupidity into the ditch, where something
Hoped about in the few inches of stolen
water.
"Look here, boys, I swear l didn't know
it was anybody down there!" he cried. II
saw the gate was slid up a little-durn
'em, knew they were up to it-and then
l saw something move, and I thought
maybe it was-well, l shot before l had
time to think, that's fact. never aimed
to hit anybody, I swear-only to brighten
'em."
Some of the men drew out a limp, quiv-
ering, wet figure and laid it on the bank
in the light Of the lanterns. 1t was Minta,
draggled with mud and breathing hard
through her open mouth. Her right hand
fell at her side and clutched feebly the
handle of a knife.
"Hey, what's thisp" shouted a voice
from over the ditch. The zanchero gave
his horse the spur and leaped, with a jung
ling Of silver chains. The superb black
brute landed four feet from the body of
Minta and stood, glittering in his silver
mounted housings, while his master put
a series of quick questions.
Don't you be hard on me, senor,"
pleaueu Iarry snaklly. LIN 2oln 10 give
myself up straight. But look there, she'd
broken the zanja, and the waters been
running in here-you can see. And then,
look-she had a knife! Look there, she's
got 1t in her hand. You know what these
people are"
The Mexicans stood silent, with hardly
a glance at n another. The zanchero,
after O short pause, said slowly:
"Well, of course, you'll have to take
your chances. Still, Mr.. Garry, there are
certainly some circumstances-provoca-
tion-which will probably tell in your ia
And, as you say, the girl has a knife
yes, freshly s~harpened, too-certainly
looking!'-New. York Com
mercial Advertiser.