The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-01-20

where, Sam"
"Can you keep awake, Joe, and help
watch 'em-the devils!' =.
ssYou bet can! And mother gave me
fathers little pistol, too! l haven't
been shooting at mark for nothing,
either!'
The horses were put up. The dirty
Mexicans, playing cards around their
bottles, on their dirty table. gave the
boys place by the small fireplace. In
poor Spanish and poorer English they
Ioade known to each other their wants.
"Antone" and "Juan" looked keen
ly at the handsome lad, recognizing
him as from the big mining camp.
boy play? Boy drink? 81! ST!
buena" (good).
"Too cold!" shivered Joe, as he lay
down close to the fire. The night
passed slowly. The boys went out
often to look after the horses and con-
suit together.
"Joe," whispered Sam, "Juan asked
how much dinera (silver) boy had, and
they are going to look. What shall we
Go?"
'Sam, they'll soon be dead sleepy
drunk We must hurry Off"
"But don't shoot, Joe, if you can help
it. They'd kill us, su-ah."
"Boy play! Boy drink" the half
drunken Mexican insisted; but Joe
pleaded sleep and cold. From under
his blanket he could see Sam by the
door. Antoine crawled over to him and
cautiously 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? No! AS if inspired thought
flashed across his confused, terrified,
small brain. He threw off the blanket,
yawned and yawned. 'Too cold to
sleep on floor" he said, carelessiy. He
sat down at the table and laughed, as
a boy would; looked fearlessly and IA
miliarly 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 regiment.
"Come in the night?"
"Ye-s," drawled Joe. "Now-many
men; guard to city"
The MeXicans hesitated, looked out
of the door. It was dark, but for the
white snow piled in drifts about the
cabin. They took another bottle,
played another game and by daylight
had fallen into drunken sleep.
The two boys slipped away to Santa
Fe. The banker sent them safely back
to camp with an escort, and 800 re-
ceived their full pay. The superintend-
ent was honored and the camp saved
"a strike" The banker said: "Noth-
ing but Joe's stratagem saved his life!
Smart little rascal; he'll be heard from
later!"
Joe is now %. He wears naval uni
form. a silver anchor is in the center
CT his shoulder strap, and the regul a
zion kf inch braid on his blue sleeve
marks him as an ensign in our United
States navy. He has been in Spanish
harbors, and served on great battle
ship, but he says that the thunder of
shot and shell, the roar and smoke of
battle filled to make his heart quake
and lis areath come in gasps as it did
ten yea~s a~o, when he lay trembling
~ the o'7on fire in a Mexican ca bin and
The drrTllen devils whispered: "Kill
him, kill him!"
That was Joe's first military strata
gem.-Commercial Tribune.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT