Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-05-07
An Avenging Rescue :
: By Bourbon Wilson. :
y 4

TN THOSE good old days when the
Apache was yet lord of the Mexican
Sierra Madre, was commissary clerk
in grading outfit that was engaged in
| building railroad in the state of Chi
huahua. While this position was one
| that gave me constant opportunity for
| the study of mulishness, there having
| been 800 mules in the outfit, it was not
one calculated to make me familiar
with feminine nature, graders camp
being TO place for woman; neverthe-
less, it was while so employed that my
personal observation brought me to the
conclusion that there is no creature
more whimsical than a 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, it is still so, but the
Apaehes are not there now, and
Apaches are-well, there is nothing
with which to compare an Apache-un-
less to the devil, of whose character
istics l have only hearsay knowledge.
The mules of the outfit were plain,
everyday mules, sometimes sensible
and tractable, at other times foolish
and stubborn, but energetic kickers al
ways. Their leader was not one of
their own number, as one would Aatur-
ally expect, but an old gray mare with
vicious temper-who hated them with
all her heart, and who was continually
fighting them, ever keeping them well
Beyond the reach of her heels and teeth
and her they reverenced, if ever
mules can be said to reverence. any
thing, never offering to return her
kicks and bites, and they would have
followed her into the very jaws CT
death. And because of this leadership
the old gray was assigned as mount 10
The man who took the herd out every
night to pasture, for with her under
the control of an experienced man there
vas but little danger of the mules be-
ing stampeded and run off by the
Apaches.
With few exceptions the men of the
outfit were in keeping with their sur
roundings. Wild, rough fellows, whose
only law was the dictate of the. six.
shooter held persuasively at "the
DROP and the few orders by the BOSS
of the outfit. Of these, none was wilder
or rougher than one who was named
Bill Smith. Physically, he was giant,
and he was an ideal laborer, but moral
ly he was a weakling, and his great
strength in connection with extraordi-
nary quickness in drawing his gun, CIV
ing him unlimited confidence in HIM
self, at the same time inspiring his
comrades with fear of him, he became
the bully of the camp, though he was
Among the few who were not of Bills
class was a young Mexican, whose name
appeared on the books as Luis Montez,
but who was known to the men as ''Kid
Cook" this nickname having come of
his position as cooks assistant, and
his smooth, beardless face. He was a
quiet fellow of about 10 years, given to
when roughly spoken to, and
was as shy and timid as girl; natural
" he associated very little with the 9th
ar men, and, disliking him because of
his, they bullied him continually.
Part of Kids duty was to help serve
at table, and one day, while filling Bills
,up with coffee, some one struck his
arm, and some of the hot fluid fell on
The bully's hand. With below of
rage, Bill sprang to his feet and, with
sweeping blow, sent Kid staggering
Town in a corner of the tent, where he
stood over him with drawn revolver,
to kill him in dozen diff
'erent ways if he should so much as bat
lis eye. Nobody offered to intervene,
or all knew that, if left alone. Bill
would do the boy no further harm, but
f interferred with might shoot him in
pirit of savage willfulness, and that, as
he used his gun promiscuously when
nee started, somebody else would get
l"rt. Kid wisely made no protest, but
ay still and quiet, covering his flaming
ace with his hands and, after awhile.