The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-16

an they got 'enl. Are you fellers
.sCome here! Hear ne? p commanded
the foreman again. Look here. young
man. (" he continued as Spider came re-
luctantly forward ''It amt good busi-
ness lettin your mad get up so bad yoc
lose yer head. net for nc one what
works roun horses an cattle. You had
orders too. Nobody what won't obey
orders works in my gang. Their wasn't
no shootin called for. Besides, " he add
ed as an afterthougEt, you a-knowed
if YOU d had any senso that you could
not hit nothin at that range Spider
glanced at the foreman. and bis face
fell.
! 'sThat's right. los my head clean.
I know did. won't do it again an.
say. m awful sorry. he said penitent-
/ ly. Carefully lowering the hammer, ne
placed the rifle. apparently as sort Of
token of surrender, in the foreman
hands. Then, without another look at
the men who were still capering about
on the ridge. he went away to saddle
horse.
'The boys got the bes' eyes Of any
! body in the outfit, all right enough,
said the foreman, setting down the
rife. 81 alwus knowed that, but yet l
don't believe he en- tell who those men
are, rot so FAR away as that.
It certainly seemed impossible that
Spider could distinguish any cne at so
great distance ran into the tent tc
get pair of feldglasses, but waen /
returned the men had disappeared.
'sJus' give one yell an then walloped
off benin the ridge thar as you went
in" said the foreman. ''They was lef'
benin by the res er ther gang SOS ter
watch US, reckon. an see what we're
a-gonter do.
..Well, they won't watch nothin.
commented Lee, who had strolled up to
us. They're drunk an they'll get
drunker, specially if Hollis is there.
He's ben sober so long now that he
won't stop soon once he gets started. %
'.Meekness an sobriety an the rest OF
it amt his style enough ter hurt,
agreed the foreman. s'But maybe Hol-
lis wasn't there Look here. you kid,
he called as Spider rode up on the big
gest and, next to his own, the ugliest
horse lad brought from the ranch. l
forgo, = tell ycu before that you're
likely ter steer up agains' heap er
trouble one er these times if you go
shootin at men what you don't know.
specially when they're so fur off you
can't hit 'em. It amt perlite.
So earnest was Spider that be failed
for the moment to see that the foreman
was joking.
..I did know 'em-two of 'em-Hol-
lis an that there greaser. he cried.
ST saw 'em. Deed I did. Honest.
"So?" replied the foreman. with as
! sumed gravity .'Well, if that's the
case, jus you climb down. often that
ther horse an go an get yer supper fore
you start. .
Don't need ter. Got some grub here
in my cerones (saddlebags). The Bally
Girl give it to me jus now. Mayn't l
go?' The foreman waved his hand and
smiled With an answering grin Spider
galloped away
In view of the distance that must be
travelled we hardly expected to see
Spider again before daylight Making
allowance for delays. we hoped to get
away On the following evening To me
the wait cf 24 hours seemed a fatal
waste of time The cattle would prob
ably be we'll into Mexico before that
"Prawb'ly they Will : agreed the
foreman. ..Then ali we got ter do is ter
get EN- outer Mexico again. that's
all. This was delightfully."- simple in
theory The practice. 1 feared, would
be somewhat difficult. 1t was obviously
impossible for rs to move. as we were
then situated Until cur reinforcement
should come we could Go nothing but
wait
Much sooner than was expected. how
ever. these re-enfcrcements came. The
men were just finishing their supper. In
order to guard against possible though
unlikely attempt at surprise, one OF
their number, posted in a position from
which he could watch both the mesa
and the river fat. was acting as sentl-
mel. Suddenly he hailed the camp.
others a gang er men an horses COM
in up the river" he cried. In an in
slant every man was on his feet, had
caught up his rifle and was running to
the edge of the cliff, sheltering himself
behind the rocks that fringed it. Some
Of the men were ordered to fall back in
order to guard US against surprise from
the rear. They went, and then for mo-
ment there was silence cn the top of the
cliff. A buzz of conversation from the
men below could be plainly heard.
Then fellers amt greasers. any
how. whispered the foreman.
How do you know?' asked.
.'Why. greasers talks high up in their
heads. like women, er kids. These men
talks low in ther chests. like US. Lis
ten.
uuo1lo thn camnl'' hailed some one