Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-07-11

- rom time 10 time men came strag-
Cling In in knots of four or five or
sometimes more. None of them had
seen Spider. Iasked them all
Tha night was wearing on. The moon
Eoea showing the forms of the sleeping
men and making the glow Of our dying
fire seem redder than ever in contrast
70 the silver light The Ballet Girl had
nearly finished his preparations, and
the camp became more and more silent.
One after another our scouts re-
turned, each one reporting thar he had
seen the trails Of not one, but several
herds Of cattle, all Of them heading in
one direction with the evident purpose
Of meeting at some point farther on.
They were bound eastward, toe, and
not toward the south. where lay the
Mexican line ma We expected they
would. Ifeared that this change Of d.
rection might hive some dangerous sig
nificance, and. as usual, asked the fore
man about It.
80 fur as setlfn tho cattle goes ther
wasn't no use in cnttin across the line
right here. " said he. '.They'd "a had
ter pull down ter pnlomas anyhow
Palomas Is the neares' town in OIL Mex
ico-an the way they're goin is the
shortes' way. It means they think
they re strong enough to hor US back II
we meet up with EN-; that's oil. But
don't reckon they think Wen meet up
with EN- I'm a-gonter turn In. Won
der where that hid has got ter2''
"There he comes now." replied the
cook Where on top er the worp do
you reckon he got them horses7 An
an. say. what In blazes IA that thing
what he's got on his saddle in front Of
him? I been lookin at him fer FIVE
minutes, but can't make 1t out"
"Looks like he'd cut a man In eve
an was bringin half of him home" OBJ.
served Lee. 1t did look something Nike
that. Spider was cantering toward us
leading three horses by their neck ropes.
| Astride Of his saddle there hung an OBJ.
3ect that seemed to be pair OF short
knobby legs terminating In pair d
large boots that banged the horses
withers at every step From the tops %
tho legs something was sticking out.
''Thcm's his chaps-the kids chaps, -
said Lee. "He's stopped up tho bottom.
er the legs with them boots, held In BY
the foot straps, an he's got 'cm stuffed
full er sunthin. Them things what
stickin out are rifles"
AS he caught sight Of us 6pide
waved his hand and forced his horse t,
faster gait. which made the legs kicl
wildly.
"There," heeSciaimed as he rode NJ
to the cook wagon. Thought wasn'
never gonter get back. Them horses
they held back oil the way. Couldn'
tie ZEN to the horn cause the lin
pinched my ley, SO had ter lead EN-
They most pulled my arms out by th,
roots" He dismounted while speaking
and with great deliberation proceeded
to tie the horses to wheel of the cool
wagon. Then I saw that, besides thu
boots which decorated the bottoms O!
his chaps, Spider had tied three othel
pairs to the back of his saddle,
Some Of the men who had not beer
asleep or who were walked by the stil
left their blankets and gathered about
ua.
''What's that yon got in your chaps
there, lid, an where'd you get then
bootss" inquired Lee. :.pider answered
never word, Going to his horse, hi
unslung with some difficulty the chap4
that hung over the saddle First be
pulled forth four riflea that stuck ou'
and laid them carefully on the ground
Then, taking the boots In his hands, b
turned the chaps upside down. Ton
pistols tu1nbled out of the one leg
From theother there came three pistol
and a knife.
"say, where'd You get them guns o.
boots an things9" queried the Bale
Girl impatiently. "Answer when you
spoke to, can't your Qnick. now. els
ther'u be kid somew' ers roun her
what gets a lickin What you bee,
a-doin, eh9'
| Spider arranged the pistols and knit
in an orderly row beside the rifles, tbel
got the boots and added them to th
| collection.
"Them thtngs," he said, Iool,in
around at his auditors with q trium
plant grin-''them things belongs
that Is, they did belong-to Hollis o,
that greaser what was cavortin rou
here yestiddy nn to two other men wha
I don know. They're my prisoners, al
Of 'em, an they're back here ways O
the desert now waitin for some one te
| o,,,,,, Co.. low,