Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-10-02

cough and cry at the same time. |
made him understand that il was no
good for us, and then, seeing some
scrawny looking chickens scratching
around among the burros near the
house, ! pointed to them. He got
! down his rifle and with The utmost
| good humor and the most accurate
craftsmanship shot oil the head Of
the most likely pullet We made
pretty fair supper Of that. which we
broiled over the fire, and some tor
tillas. and. while We were eating he
disappeared. returning in about an
hour with a jar, or vase, full Of good
water
Il made pallet of our belongings
spread upon some dusty meal sacks
on the floor. and sat by Urilla till she
fell asleep. but was determined not
10 sleep myself. but | mistrusted the
silent. proving hermit who sat like
a black ghost in the darkness. the fire
of h, incc,,ant cigarette shiningrcd-
| " cut of the gloom like an evil eve.
About II o'clock. having fed the
horse. out Of the feed bag which we
carried. Guadalupe Git seems a sac
religious to call him by his first name)
turned the animal loose among his
little drove Of half-staryed burros.
Then he dragged his own frowsy cot .
of hides and straw alonCsideof Jrilla 7.
and invited me with apish gestures .
and horrible grins, to lie down. He /
was such an ill-favored. low-browcd. +.
tealthv devil that | was almost
afraid to lie down for fear I'd sleep,
but in order 10 humor him stretched |
myself on his bed.
AT intervals I could hear his soft
footfalls-he wore Misunderstanding
on the hard sand around the hovel,
and twice when | turned slowly tosee
if he was at the unglazed window. |
could see his shadow just disappear
ing. / knew then that he was watch
ing me. but try as might | couldn't
catch him at il. l felt very nervous,
but being in absolute darkness de- !
cided to slip off my daughters rings,
small jewelry and watch and hide
them on my own person, so that in
case of an attack the danger would |
be- mine. not hers. Then | looked
after my weapons. and hearing no
further noises. dozed away. II was
broad day when awokc and went 10
the doorway. Guadalupe had a fire
outside and was boiling eggs, which
he unshellcd and put into a skin,
submerging that in his pot Of boiling
water till the eggs were boiled, OF
rather poached. His back was to-
ward me. but he heard ne the IN
slant appeared, and looking upwith .
q scared face came over and said:
~'Cabal,o went-run dead. 81,
senor. horse broke-kill~ He point
I'd toward Uvalde, and. leading the
gay. showed me where my horse had I
fallen into a rocky gorge and lay
quite dead upon the boulders below.
Here now was a pretty mess. 1t was
30 miles 10 the nearest settlement,
- 10 Carizza. Urilla was too deli
,ate 70 walk ten Of the distance, and /
| suppose I'd have died before / could .
DO five. There was nothing for it but
10 send the Mexican with money TO
1uy u a horse. | made him under
stand what | wanted and counted /
1ut a hundred dollars. He we'd the
oil like a hungry buzzard, and when
be had the hundred set out at dog F.
rot across the alkali When he was
gone / began to suspect that he would /
never come back. Then | felt sure
10 meant 10 come back in the dark,
rob u Of everything and perhaps
murder Us both. Urilla was just wax
NJ when / went in, so l told her
nothing except that the horse had
away and that the Mexican
vas gone after it. We spent dread
July dreary, long day till about two
n the afternoon she went to sleep
.~-,s, II -, I -,,1oI-oJ -. ,,,.o -, ]
and at the corner Of a great river
BOULDER and buried all our valuables.
sure that nobody had watched me | Z
az down beside my daughter anG
.lept like log.
Il woke in the middle Of the night,
nd. hearing a clatter about the hut,
grabbed my guns and went to the
lOOr. There were about a dozen