The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-06-27

THINGS undoubtedly looked squal-
ly for Jim. He realized it, as he
naced. up and down the narrow cell
in the Mesquite Jail. The seedy-look-
ing young lawyer the court had ap-
pointed to defend him on the charge
OF murder also told him SO, and in
lieu of clearing him on the charge Of
fered to write his will for him free.
Jim mournfully declined.
II amt got nothin' to will away" he
said. "All I had was stole from me
thatnight when the trouble happened"
swell, reckon you had better pray
some, for you're about as good as a
gene goslin'. Shall send the priest
to you?" --s--.
"Naw, darn the prayin'. Is Inez
bound to swear against me?"
y "Sdre. You see, when you shot Rafe
Mendoza you shot her feller. She was
goin' to marry him, and naturally she
don't feelfkindly to you. He was the
best-fxed greaser in this whole coun-
try. And you know how these greasers
are, anyway. They just naturally hate
white man. They will make big
fiesta of the day when you are hung,
and eat tamales and drink pulque, and
enjoy themselves hugely"
II don't mind entertainin' folks gen.
orally, but i swear hate to do so at
The end Of a rope. Wish I'd left that
girl alone.'' .....
1T would have been better for you.
That girl is the only witness against
you, and her testimony will hang you
sure. If she wasn't greaser, might
be able to persuade her to skip out,
but nowhere amt bit of a chance"
Il don't see why she's SO bent on
havin' me hanged. I've been nice to
her, and she liked me. That's the
reason l had to kill Rafe Mendoza-he
was jealous as he could be, and tried
70 slip knife in my ribs that night
when came to see her.
But Jim, Inez says she didn't see
him with any knife, and when they
picked him up, after you had gone out,
those greasers say he didn't even have
pocketknife. What do you make of
that? Inez says the first thing she
saw was you drawing your gun, and
that you proceeded to pump him full
Ad lead without any warning.
y Il know it looks bad, colonel, but
that greaser did certainly try to knife
me. saw it in his hand, and it looked
Is big as sword. Those friends of
M MS made way with the knife when
Iney came to pick him up
Well, I'll see you tomorrow In
I court. Your case will come the first
I on the docket, and it won't take long
% hear the evidence against you. I
I'm sorry. but I can't make testimony.
ana what that girl will swear will hang
you, surely. Good-by." The young
.awyer left the dreary little jail think
ing deeply. ~
'lm went to the small window and
I looked out across the waste Of SHIN
mering sand and buffalo grass, re-
+ ! Heved as here and there by a few stunted
: mesquite bushes. The heat radiated
y Wasy zig-zags, and seemed to stife
ain IN his cell. He longed to be on
ms broncho. loping across the range
sI.er the cattle, and it panied him to
mink that such pleasure would never
sgain be his. He knew that he had
se'eo foolishiy in going about Inez
,sonaies-he had been warned that he
ouio nave trouble with Rafe Men
eoza II he did. Mendoza was a well-to-
uo ranchero, and the favorite with
me parents of the girl. They were
.sihg her to marry him, but she had
oeea putting him off as long as she
V'u GONZALES, an evil-looking Mex
Han with one eye, regarded Jim with
.A sunct disfavor. So did his wife. They
uieo In every way to show him that
As presence was unwelcome. Jim
NV their game, but was unruffled bv
:. y. he was as polite as he knew how to
Se' ana even tried to be friendly with
na1e Mendoza. But one night after
ue was leaving the adobe of the Con-
80 ees, winchester cracked from he
.lhu = ciump of mesquite bushes, and
Il oali clipped piece out of his hat.
-aen ne knew that henceforth it was
r between him and Mendoza,
meg was the prettiest girl in the
oaa.ry. She was small, and had fig-
- uthe and graceful as that Of q