Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-04-25


banks an from boulders in the middl
an before noon he was tucKered OF
an ready to set down under willo'
tree an eat the grub the oil woma
had fixed up for him.
All OF a sudden. comm over tn
raise behind him. he hears the thu
or hoofs. He's read of stampedin
herds. an he shins up that tree lively
When he looks down from his percl
he sees comm hellerty-rarrup dowi
the slope kid a-horseback. He,
bareheaded an he bends so far ovel
his mop of yellow hair most touche.
his little mares black name. Right
behind him, a-yellin' an ridin like
mad, comes man. He's standin III
straight in his stirrups. with the very
devil in his face, an a-swingin' over
his head. a-cuttin' the air like whip
| lash. is wicked lookin' brandin' iron
The kids maxim fur the river, but
the little mare. she stumbies on some
loose stones. an throws the young
ster full length. Somethin' tells Muir
ray the devil on horsebacls'Il brain
the kid IL he gets chance, but before
Murray can let out a yen or maze q
move, there's a sharp report, the pinf
OF bullet, an sir, down goes than
brandin' iron. kerslap. an without
word the man sways and slides OFF his
horse.
While Murrays pullin' himself to
gether. the kids on his feet. swingin
from side to side, like fellow witt
one drink too many. When he STAINS
beside the man he's killed he looks
such mite of n young un to send
fellow straight into the bad lands
without a word of warnin'. BY an
by the little mare comes up out of the
river. an stands shiverin' an whin
neyin. She wants her little master al.
right, but she amt goin' near thai
hody. Then the kid turns 'roun' an
lays his head on the mares back an
sops mt to kill-not sobs like fear o.
sorrow, but Just pent-up misery lei
loose.
AT last he swings onto his mare an
rides away over the hill. Murra,
slips down an hurries to the body
thinkin' somethin' might be done foi
the poor devil. But it's allover-
right through the heart, as pretty |,
hit OF Workmanship as you could ex
pect from boy born an raised OF
the plains. So Mfaxray takes hand
kerchief an spreads it over the mani
face--a face hard in life an horribl,
in death.
Then he hears voices. There's
two men an woman comm over Tho
hilI. The men jabber away in Swede
but ne woman she just sets rockin
an moanin on log close to the
body. Once the men raise the hand
Kerchief. an she takes one long shud
derln' look at the upturned face
Murray he said he could read in thai
look all the horrors of n lifetime o.
degradation an hardship.
AT iast the men rode Off after tho
coroner an sheriff leavin' Murray set
TIN with the woman. Eight milei
them fellows had to ride for the Off
GERS. but before they'd reached Roar
in Branch corner. Murray in his quiet
persuauin' way. had the woman droj
the apron from her face, an she wal
taik.n' in her queer mixture OF Swedt
an Merioan. What she told OF hel
life an her childrcn's with t;e mai
stretched at her feet was sometiiin
Murray never liked to talk about
only he said that for nights afterward.
he couldn't sleep natural.
Anyhow. when the officers an the
hired men came back, with cowboy:
an ranchmen at their heels. Murra.
told them he'd been engaged by the
widow to defend her son, Nels Jensen.
on the charge OF murdeiin' his own
father
Everybody said the case ought Il
have gone to oil Col. Bloomer Hed
been the leadin' lawyer of these parts
for years. an was always On the side
that had the most money. He'd sen,
more men over the road to Canor
CITY while he was district aitorne;
an kept more men from goin' there
when he wasn't than any lawyer ir
San Juan. besides. he'd fought in
the civil war an wore wooden han,
and when the Roarin Branch guards
was formed he headed the subscrip
ton tor uniforms. All San Juan agreed
that OF Col. Bloomer was the only
man that could save Nels Jensen
from the ga.iows or loag term al
Canon.
II wasn't no cinch OF a case. The
Kid was only 10; olc OF them quiet
stubborn natures. common enough
among Swedes. but mighty aegrayat
in to Mericans. His father had
been square enough. paid Lis taxes
reg lar. never auncxin' calves tina,
probably belonged to his ncle nbu-s
and payin' cash at the Roarin' Branch
store. But Murray didn't seem /,
be worryin. He kept on fshin' an
trampin' an gettin' fatter an bette.
tanned every day.
District court set early that year,
with Judge Hyatt. as square Judge
as ever set In Colorado courtroom.
presidin. He'd one OF those Jolly
moon-faces. but a face that could turn
as hard as rock II anybody tried
monkey business In his court He'd