The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-16
"Thcre" he exclaimed. II thought
ardSn't ncrcr gonter get back.


ards7l't ncCcr gonter get back.
selves in their blankets and went to
sleep. Most of our men followed their
example Assisted by Lee and the fore
man the Ballet Girl was breaking pro-
visions and utensils out of the cook
wagon and arranging them in packs
ready to place on the horses The wagon
was to be left where it was for the time
We could not take it with US. It would
never have been able to keep up.
From time to time men came strag-
Cling in in knots of four or FIVE or
sometimes more None of them had
seen Spider asked them all.
The night was wearing on. The moon
rose. showing the ferns Of the sleeping
men and making the glow Of our dying
fire seem reddeT than ever in contrast
to 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 that he had
seen the trails Of not one. but several
herds of cattle all of them heading IN
cne direction with the evident purpose
Of meeting at some point farther on.
They were bound eastward, too. and
not toward the south. where lay the
Mexican line. as we expected they
would. feared that this change of d.
rection might have some dangerous sig
pifcance, and, as usual. asked the fore
man about it.
$50 fur as sellin the cattle goes, ther
WASH no use in cuttin across the line
right here, said he. They'd "a had
ter pull down ter Palomas anyhow
Palomas is the neares town in oil Mex
ico-an the way they're goin is the
snortes' way. 1t means they think
they re strong enough to hol' as back if
we meet up with EN-; that's all. But l
don t reckon they think We'll meet up
with 'em I'm agonter turn in. Won
der where that kid has got ter?''
'.There he comes now. replied the
cook. 'Where on top er the worl' do
you reckon he got them horses? An
an. say. what in blazes is that thing
what he's got On his saddle IN front OF
him? been lookin at him fer five
minutes, but can make it out
"Looks like he'd cut man in two
an was bringin half of him home, OBJ
served Lee. 1t did look something like
that. Spider was ca2terins toward US.
| leading three horses by their nechropes
Astride of his saddle there hung an OH
ject that seemed to be a pair of short.
knobhy legs. terminating in u pair Of
large boots that banged the horse S
withers at every step. From the tops OF
the legs something was sticking out
Them his chaps-the kid 6 chaps.
said Lee. Hes stopped up the, bottoms
er the legs with them boots. held in by
the foot straps. an he's got EN- stuffed
full er sunthin. Them things what's
stickin out are rifles. >
AS he caught sight of us Spider
waved his hand and forced his horse to
a faster gait. which made the legs kick
wildly
..Therel" he exclaimed as he rode up
to the cook wagon. II thought wasn't
never gonter get back. Them horses,
they held back all the way Couldn t
tie 'e1n to the horn cause the line
pinched my leg. so had ter lead 'em-
They most pulled my arms out by the
roots = He dismounted while speaking
and with great deliberation proceeded
to tie the horses to wheel of the cook
wagon Then saw that besides the
boots which decorated the bottoms of
his chaps. Spider had tied three other
pairs to the back of his saddle.
Some of the men who bad not been
ssleep or who were walked by the stir
! left their blankets and gathered about