The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-15
The Argonaut.

The Argonaut
In those good old days when the Apache
was yet lord Of the Mexican Sierra
Madre. I was commissary clerk in a
grading outfit that was engaged in build
ing railroad in the State of Chihuahua.
While this place was one that gave me
constant opportunity for the study of
mulishness, there having been three hun
dred mules in the outfit, it was not one
calculated to make me familiar with fem
mime nature, a graders camp being no
place for woman; nevertheless. it was
while so employed that my personal OBJ
servatiOn brought me to the conclusion
that there is no creature more whimsical
than woman, unless it be mule.
chihuahua was a wild bit of country
in those days, an uninhabited desert. of
bare mountains and hills. and waterless
valleys and plains for the greater part;
as for that matter. 1t is still SO. but the
Apaches are not there now and Apaches
are-well. there is nothing with which to
compare an Apache, unless to the devil,
of whose characteristics 1 have only a
hearsay knowledge
The mules Of the outfit were plain.
everyday mules, sometimes sensible and
tractable at other times foolish and stub
born, but energetic kicllers always Their
leader was not one of their own number,
as one would naturally expect. but an
old gray mare with a vicious temper
who hated them with all her heart. and
who was continually lighting them, ever
keeping them well beyond the reach OF
her heels and teeth-and her they rever-
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anything, never Offering to return her
Kicks and bites. and they would have fol-
lowed her into the very jaws of death.
And because of this leadership the old
gray was assigned as mount to the man
who took the herd out every night ia
pasture, for with her under the control
s. of an experienced man there was little
danger of the mules being stampeded and
run off by the Apaches.
With a few exceptions the men Of the
outfit We're in keeping with their sur
roundings. Wild, rough fellows. whose
only law was the dictate of the six-shoot-
er held persuasively at the drop" and
the few orders issued by the boss" OF
the outfit. Of these, none was wilder
or rougher than one who was named
"Bill' Smith. Physically he was a
giant, and he was an ideal laborer, but
morally he was weakling, and his great
strength, in connection with eXtraOrdI-
nary quickness in drawing his gun, gave
him unlimited confidence in himself
at the same time inspiring his comrades
with fear of him, and he became the bully
OF the camp though he was not the cow
ard that most bullies are. Among the
few who were not Of Bnls class was
young Mexican, whose name appeared OF
the books as Luis Montez, but who wa!
known by the men as kid Cook" thi.
nickname having come of his position a.
cooks assistant, and his smooth, beard
less face. He was a quiet fellow o.
about nineteen years, given to blushinl
when roughly spoken to. and was as shy
and timid as a girl; naturally he asso
ciated very little with the other men, and
disliking him because of this, they bulIiec
him continually.
Part of Kids duty was to help serve
at table. and one day, while filing Bills
cup with coffee. some one struck his arm
and some of the hot fluid fell on the bul
ly's hand With a below Of rage, Bill
spranG to his feet. and, with a sweeping
blow, sent Kid staggering down into g
corner Of the tent, where he stood over
him with drawn revolver, threatening tC
kill him in a dozen different ways If h'
should so much as bat his eye. Nobody
offered to interfere, for all knew that
If left alone, Bill would do the boy NJ
further harm, but if interfered with nigh
shoot him in a spirit of savage wilful
ness, and that, as he used his gun pro
miscuOusly when once started, somebody
else would get hurt. Kid wisely made
no protest, but lay still and quiet, cover
ing his flaming face with his hands, ana
after n while, Bill put up his gun anC
went back TO the table.
ANYBODY but a bully would have lei
that ENG the incident. but Bill seemed
unable to forget his scalded hand, ano
never tired of badgering the timid cook
Kid avoided him much as possible
but could not escape him a t meal times
when would pour from him a perfect tor
rent of abuse Watching Kid at these
times L would see that his eyes, usually
soft and shy would fairly blaze with
Venomous hatred, and. knowing some
thing of Mexican nature, and how hardy
they are with q knife. came to the
conclusion that If | were in Bills place
I would do one of two things-apOlogiZe
to Kid and let him alone, or-kill him
/ thought of speaking to Bill about 1t
but meddling in another mans row was
unhealthy business In those days, so
ended by keeping silent.
Kid did not disapDoint me. One night
as / sat reading in my tent there came
from the outside sharp exclamation
that was followed Immediately by the
sounds of a struggle, then piercing
scream, and 1 heard. unmistakably. II
Bills voice: Yer miserable sneakin
little kyote Put er knife in me in tn
dark, Woud yer? Wall. l reckon not! An
now I'll jest give you er taste Of it, my
little snake-in-th'- grass
Grabbing up my gun knowing tha
nothing short Of that would have any
weight with Bill, hurriedly threw oper
my tent. and, the bright light Of my lamT
flashing out, l saw the Kid flat on hi:
back, with Bill kneeling on his chest
one hand gripping the boys throat, anC
the other, grasplng d knife, upraised L
strike. In Kids face there was a Iool
of horror that / will remember as Ions
as I live. The sudden flood of ligh
sank slowly to his side, the knife slipping
from his hand ''Wall, HI jest be al
over d-dt'' he calculated and letting
go of the Kids throat he stood up.
could see nothing to justify such
change in his attitude. and l was amazed
to see him now reach down and take
"Git up up; he said grufiy; 81 amt el
goln' ter hurt yer-never would teche6
yer eff I'd knowed what ] know now, an
I'm sorry l done it, He helped KID tc
Yer tent; l amt agoin ter blow on yer
an | won't bullyrag yer no more-Sabe:
I'll keep the knife though, SOS yel
won't git inter no more mischlef Wltn IT,
Kid made no answer, and / could no
see his face but 1 did see his hands sud
denly clinch as he went away into tn
darkness Having watched him out o
sight Bill walked off without even
glance in my direction. 1 was great!
puzzled by what had occurred and m.
curiosity being reused l determined t
find Bill the next morning and get hin
to tell me what 1t was that had cause'
this sudden change toward Kid but tina
day was Sunday, and ne left camp a
daybreak on an antelope hunt. so 1 di'
not see him. Turning the affair over II
my mind that morning 1 came to tn
conclusion that BilFs heart was too larg
for his judgment. and that Kid would ye
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