The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-02

danger to boys, and we is goin' the
wrong way, for big money"
| The horses must be put up for the
night, and we must get warm some
! where, Sam
Can you keep awake, Joe. and help
watch 'em-the devilst"
You bet 1 canl And mother gave me
fathers little pistol, tool 1 haven't been
/ shooting at mark for nothing, either.
The horses were put up. The dirty
Mexicans, playing cards around their
battles, on dirty table, gave the boys
place by the. small fireplace. In poor
! Spanish and poorer English they made
known to each other their wants.
"Antone" and Juan" looked keenly
at the handsome lad, recognizing him
as from the big mining camp.
Boy play? Boy drink? ST. 81. bu-
ena" (good).
''Tco cold" shivered ice. as he lay
down close to the fire The night
passed slowly. The boys went out Of
ten to look after the horses and consult
together.
"Joe." whispered Sam, Juan asked
how much tlirero (silver} boy had, and
| they are going to look What shall we
do?"
Sam, they'll soon be dead sleepy
drunk. We must hurry off,
Boy play Boy drink" the half
drunken Mexicans insisted, but Joe
pleaded sleep and cold. From under his
blanket he could see Sam by the door.
Antoine crawled over to him and eau
tiously went through his pockets, but,
finding nothing, went back to his cards.
Their eyes were now turned toward
himself. With mods and winks they
whispered in Spanish: Plenty money:
buy much kill him; no, kill two; no,
get money first
Joe's heart choked him; his hand
clutched the pistol. Should he feign
sleep? MOI AS if inspired a thought
flashed across his confused, terrified,
small brain. He threw off the blanket,
yawned and yawned. Too cold to sleep
on floor" he said, carelessly He sat
down at the table and laughed. as q.
boy would; looked fearlessly and famil-
iarly into Antone's ugly face and
asked: Men come yet? Storm over?'
What men?"
Americana'S guard; wagons with
much ore to city"
The Mexicans looked at the boy with
flashing eyes. then at each other, with
low mutterings.
How many?"
Joe sprang to his feet, held up his
hands and counted his fingers twice
over, tossed UP his head, and with his
small figure erect, marched up and
down before them with the airs and
tramp of a regiment
Come in the night?'
YES" drawled Joe. "Now-many
men; guard to city,
The MeXicanS hesitated, looked out of
the door. 1t was dark, but for the
white snow piled in drifts about the
cabin. They took another bottle, played
another game and by daylight had fall
len into a drunken sleep.
The two boys slipped away to Santa
he. The banker sent them safely back
to camp with an escort, and 300 men
received their full pay. The superin-
tendent was honored and the camp
saved "a strike" The banker said:
Nothing but Joe's Stratagem saved his
lifei Smart little rascal He'll be heard
from later"
Joe is now g. He wears a. naval uni
form. A silver anchor is in the center
OF his shoulder strap, and the regula-
ton half-inch braid on his blue sleeve
marks him as an ensign in our Unit
cd States navy. He has been in Span
ish harbors and served on a great bat
tleship, but he says that the thunder
of shot and shell, the rear and smoke
Of battle failed to make his heart
quake and his breath come in gasps as
1t did ten years ago, when he lay trem-
bling by the open fire in Mexican
cabin and the drunken devils whis-
pered, Kill himi kill him.
That was Joe's first military strata
gem.