The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-03
THE NAVAJO'S RING.


81 tell you, Miss Nell, it's not safe
for you to ride over the range so much
all alone That Navajo's plumb crazy
about you now. and he's liable to do
you some mischief.
The speaker, handsome, blue eyed
young fellow, clad in the rough garb Of
a cow boy, with broad sombrero, heavy
leather leggings, or chaparejos. his
buckskin gloves thrust through his car
fridge belt. stood leaning against the
doorpost of a typical Arizona ranch
house In one hand he held the end of
a 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
carbine. for between white and red
thieves the cowboys had to be ready
for all sorts of emergencies. and, be-
sides. the big gray wolves were begin
ming to show up on the range. and a
wolf scalp was worth $40 at the coun-
ty seat
The person to whom these remarks
were addressed stood idly switching her
riding habit with her ''quirt, y a hand
some piece of cowboy work. over which
one of her many admirers had spent
hours by the light of a campfire in
plating and decorating it with Turks
heads and other fancy knots known
to cowboy quirtmakers She was all
ready for "a ride and waiting only for
her pony to be brought up from the
corral, where Juan. the Mexican. was
saddling him.
There was a pleading, pathetic tone
in the man s voice that spoke the lover.
even had his eyes shown no sign OF pas
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 I'm perfectly
able to take care of myself. Please re-
turn me my ring-that is. If you have
finished examining it.
A hot. red wave swept over Cameron s
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 little finger of his own large, sun
Drowned hand. 1t was splendid sreci-
men of the Navajo silversmith' art
Now. the Navajo Indians blankets
have made them famous. but they de-
serve quite as much fame for their cum
ming as workers in silver
This ring was indeed gem 1t was
wide as most of their rings are, was
cut in two ON the inner side so that it
could be made larger or smaller by
springing it to fit any finger and in the
top was set turquoise as blue as d
summer sky "a stone precious to the
Navajoes-that among the tribe would
have bought 90 Ponies. hundred SHEEP
and squaws galore. Around the ring
ran the most delicate and intricate
carving, and the whole effect was al
once unique and barbaric.
The girls hand was outstretched fol
the ring, and almost mechanically the
man turned and dropped it into the up
turned nal1p. saving as he did g"
Nv ell. MISS Nell. We warned you. ano
I'm sure if Mr.. Hull were here that he q
feel just as l do. l can't go with you
today, for I've got to 60 over the Other
side of the mountain to see if l can
find those lost horses. and won't be
back till dark.
The girl. scarcely needing his words.
took the ring. and in a mock heroic
sort of way kissed and slipped it on te
her engagement finger. with CLEAN
of mischief in her eyes, at which Cam.
eron. stung almost to madness. smoth
cred a groan and strobe across the
porch. his spurs clanking on the floor
gathering up his hair rope as he went
until, reaching his pony. with one HAND
on the pommel of the saddle and the
other on the pony's name, he. in true
cowboy style, leaped lightly into hi
seat without aid of stirrup and, bring
ing the coil of rope down on the ami
mails flank. went off down the line Of
wire fence on a dead run and soo1
turned out of sight around a low hill
in the valley.
The girl watched him in silence un
til he was lost to view, when, with {
gay laugh, she turned into the room
saying: Poor Caml What fun it is tx
tease him.
A moment later, Juan appearing a
the door with her horse, she pulled OF
her pretty buckskin gloves. and, saying
"Goodby. Mary, I'll be home by noon
to the heavy faced cook. who stood
watching her from the door of the los
kitchen, she rode off almost as fast al
Cameron. but in a different direction
=
Three months before these incidents
took place George Hull had gone dow1
to the little railroad station. some 81
miles from the ranch. to meet his wife!
only sister. who was coming to speni
the summer with them in Arizona. ant
from her first day she had taken to thu
life like duck to water She was
fearless horsewoman and never so hap
py as when out on the range ridins
with the cowboys. if they were there
or alone. if they were not Nell Steel'
was a warm hearted. impulsive girl
but she could no more help making
SAdNc Va every HAL she met IMAM S0
could stop breathing. 1t was an cas-,
task for her, too. and it mattered no
whether it was some high bred, educat
| ed gentleman or rough Texa
''puncher" who had never in all hi
life spoken a dozen words to woman
Of her class. And naturally, with sucl
surroundings, with men unused to VIC
mans wiles, she soon had the who'll
country at her feet.
Of them all, however, young Gamer
on had by far the worst case OF it, an
the girl, while in her heart greatl
pleased with his attentions, seemed t
delight in keeping him in state of ah
solute misery by alternately raisin
him to the very highest pinnacle Q
happiness and anon dropping him dow,
into the bottomless pit of despair. Dee
down in her heart she knew he was he
ideal, but she could not resist the temp
tation to coquette with and tease him.
Cameron had come west for his healt
some years before Too hard applica
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