Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-15

got left. An soon's carbohydrates Bob
Blacklnore 49, who's 1ightin fer his side
heahs his maw's sick an slips off ter kun
an see her, ter houn him like er dog an
try ter kill him. Hits jcs' cause he's bet
tern you air."
The faint winding of a horn down the
road arrests their attention, and hurriedly
mounting their horses they ride off, calling
back to her:
"We've got him, Sissy. That's Tom
Winburn. | tole him ter KUN up Their
| road SOS to head him off an meet we uns
| heah."
The pursuers proceeded down the right
hand road beyond the forks, from whence
| the sound seemed to have come, where the
! road makes a sudden dip into a dry ravine.
Down these IA man lies still in death. his
cheek pressed heavily against the delicate
ferns that grow luxuriantly out Of the cool
shadows. The trees meeting overhead al
most exclude the light, but now and then
a reoreant bough, straying from it's place
through bidding Of the gentle morning
breeze, let's in a feeble ray of sunshine that
VoASA1Co up JIG uCuu udl > lhCc WIFI u
pallid coloring. The nodding ferns caress
his pale cheek in vain. The morning song
sters sing their lays to u%nhearing ears.
The pines and hemlocks, mingling their
foliage with the poplars and bowling
their good mornings to the beeches and
young hickories, sought in vain to arouse
or soothe the sleeper. He will never again
take cognizance Of earthly things nor in
hale the beauty and vitality of his native
mountains-his spirit has gone before the
last tribunal. A round hole in the center
of his forehead shows where the messenger
of death has entered, bringing it's inevi-
table summons. His SLOUGH hat lies where
it had fallen, a few feet away, his right
hand still clutches a pistol, his finger with
in the guard and grasping the trigger.
His garb is the same as they wear who find
him.
He had sought unfairly to take human
life, and with his own had paid the PEN
atty. Coming from farther down the noun
tain to meet his comrades and seeing the
fugitive, he had ridden aside into the ra-
vine, intending to slay him unawares as
he passed. But he had seer the interceptor
and was prepared, and as the other fred at
him going by, he, too, had fired in return
and slew him. It was but a moments
work to exchange his steed for the fresher
one Of the dead man and ride furiously
forward again. The horse deserted, fright
ened at the realization Of something wrong
and scared at sight Of the dead man, gal
Tops back to be met and caught by the girl.
But now, .heartbroken, overwhelmed
and frightened at sight Of the inanimate
body they shortly bring up the road to-
ward her, she fees stricken and crushed,
thinking it to be the other one. And thus
it is for days and long, weary days, until
by chance she learns the truth.
The wars over. Another bright morn
ing. A man rides leisurely up the road.
Where it forks he catches sight of a wom-
ans form sitting on a fallen tree, where
she has evidently stopped to rest.
"Mawnin, Miss Sissy" he says. At the
sound of her name the girl looks up quick
~, and then as quickly down again, q
flush surrounding her usually colorless
cheeks.
"Mawnin, Bob" she quietly responds.
"We lowed up ter our house es how maybe
you uns had forgot us. How's your maw?'
quickly changing the subject.
"Hit did look bad in my not erkummin
ter sec you all afore now," no rejoins, ig-
noring the last question. "But I had ter
kinder straighten up around home a bit
afore l got out much"
81 thaut you wuz killed wunce, Bob"
she ventures by way of further converse
ton. Instantly he dismounts, leaving his
horse standing in the road, and goes up
and sits down beside her.
"Why did you uns think that?' be asks.
II wuz or goin down ter your maw's an
stopped your critter in Their road up thar
that time, an then they brought he un that
wuz killed, an-an''- She could 20 no
further at recollection of her misery.
AN did you keer, Sissy?'' be asks, lean
ing eagerly forward.
"You warn't dead" she protests.
"Well, then, NV Their fact that you thaut
I wuz dead?"
She answers him nothing. A few dry
leaves futter III the autumn air and fall at
their feet. A wild grapevine mods it's ap-
prevail and swings in the breeze and the
branches Of the trees overhead rustic with
the gambols of a young fox squirrel. A
fame crested w%oodpecker flies to a dead
pine and begins plugging unmolestedly
away. ne puts HIS arm AROUND uec II
draws her to him.
"Who writ that thar note, then, Sissy,
that wuz showed under ther door that night
ter warn mep You will tell me that, WON'T
you? An who tuck keer Nv my nanny
when she wuz sick2 Sissy, honey"-the
arm draws tighter-"won't you marry
mes" She hides her face against his
breast.
"You air shore good at akin questions,
Bob" she says, ian I love you. Louis
vile Times.