The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-02-25
THE NAVAJO'S TURQUOISE
:. RING
By Will 9. Barnes

crazy ABOUT you now, ana ne s llaDle 10
do you some mischief"
The speaker, handsome, blue-eyed
young fellow, clad in the rough garb of
cowboy, with broad sombrero, heavy
leathern leggings, or chaparejcs. his
buckskin gloves thust through his cart
ridge belt, stood leaning against the
doorpost of typical Arizona ranch,
house. In one hand he held the end of
q long hair rope, the other end being
fast to his pony, which, all saddled,
stood paving and restless, eager to be
away on the range. Slung on the near
side of the saddle was Winchester car
bine, for, between white and red thieves,
the cowboys had to be ready for all
sorts of emergencies, and, besides, the
big gray wolves were beginning to show
up on the range, and wolf scalp was
worth $50 at the county seat.
The person to whom these remarks
were addressed Stood idly switching her
riding-habit with her ''quirt," a hand
some piece of cowboy work, over which
one of her many admirers had spen.
hours by the light of a campfire in plat
ing and decorating It with Turks
heads" and other fancy knots known to
cowboy quirt makers. She was all ready
for ride, and waiting only for her pony
TO be brought up from the corral, where
Juan, the Mexican, was saddling him.
There. was pleading, pathetic tone
in the mans voice that spoke the lover,
even had his eyes shown no sign ofpas-
sion; but his words seemed to rouse all
the womanly stubbornness in her mind.
Her red lips curled and her brown eyes
snapped as she said: "Oh, pshaw, Mr.
Cameron, you're always worrying about
some imaginary danger. Pm perfectly
able to take care of myself. Please re-
turn me my ring-that is, if you have
finished examining it.
y hot red wave swept over Cameron
face, like the shadow of a cloud across
the prairie on bright day, and he stood
for full minute idly turning the ring
in question upon the very tip of the lit
tie finger of his own large, sun-browneI
hand. 1t was splendid specimen of the
Navajo silversmith's art. Now, the
Navajo Indians blankets have made
them famous, but they deserve quite as
much fame for their cunning as work
ers in silver.
The girls hand was outstretched for
the ring, and almost mechanically the
man turned and dropped it into the
upturned palm. saying as he did So:
well, Miss Nell, I've warned you, and
I'm sure if Mr.. Hull were here that he'd
feel just as do. can't go with you to-
day. for I've got to GO over the other
side OF the mountain to see i'll can't
find those lost horses, and won't be bacl
ill dark"
The girl, scarcely needing his words
took the ring, and in mock heroic sort
of way kissed and slipped it on to he1
engagement finger, with a CLEAN OF
mischief in her eyes, at which action
Cameron, stung almost to madness
smothered a groan, and strobe across
ZIG pOICh, Ills spurs vi thS
floor, gathering up his hair rope as ht
went, until, reaching his pony, with one
hand on the pommel of the saddle anG
the other on the pony's name, he, il
true cowboy style, leaped lightly into
his seat without aid OF stirrup, arc
bringing the coil of rope down on the
animals flank went off down the line
of wire fence on dead run, and soor
turned out of sight around low hill
in the valley.
\ moment later, Juan appearing al
the door with her horse, she pulled III
her pretty buckskin gloves, and say
ing: "Good-by, Mary; I'll be home by
noon,' to the heayy-faced cook, who
stood watching her from the door Of
the log kitchen, she rode off almost as
fast as Cameron, but in different di
rection.
Three months before these incident:
took place, George Hull had gone dowr
to the little railroad station, some 81
miles from the ranch, to meet his wife.
only sister, who. was coming to spent
the summer with them in Arizona, ant
from her first day she had taken to tn,
life, like duck to water. She was
fearless horsewoman, and never Sc
happy as when out on the range riding
with the cowboys, if they were there
or alone, If they were not. Nell Steel,
was warm-hearted, impulsive girl, bu
she could no more help making slav
of every man she met than she coult
stop breathing. 1t was an easy task TO
her, too, and it mattered not whethe
it was some high-bred, educated gen
teman, or rough Texas ''puncher
who had never in all his life spoken
dozen words to woman of her class
And naturally, with such surroundings
with men unused to woman's wiles, sh
soon had the whole country at her feet
Cameron had come west for hi
health some years before. Too har
application at college had seriously i'm
paired his strength, and he had been OF
dered to live in the open air for seveTa
years. Letters of introduction t
George Hull had brought him to thi
ranch in the high mountain countr
of northern Arizona, and he had take
to the cowboy life from the very frs
rofl now he xvac 1nnEnI r1pop nc IN