Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-04


UP the steep side of the coolee wall to he
summit. There she stood, silhouetted
against the evening sky, a mark for any one
of those men, all of them like a fash and a
stroke of fate with a gun She did not even
look around, but waved a tiny Handkerchief
to someone beyond their view aud stood
waiting.
The cowboys looked at each other like
lot of schoolboys caught in mischief Re-
vdlvers were slipped back into hip pockets,
and after few words of grumbling admira-
ton the cowboys quickly wheeled about
aud rode of to their camp, which was just
across a small river from the De Mores
ranch, but some distance from the house.
1t was dark when De Mores reached
home His wife was still waiting on the
hill overlooking the camp. Dismouutiug he
kissed her and as they walked to the little
Western home with its three gables and its
pretty furnishings from the Fifth avenue
shops she told him of his escape.
II must go to them at once" he said,
this time without any show of vanity.
She tried to dissuade him. It was certain
death, she said.
Il will have it out with those fellows
once for ALL" he answered, aud swinging
himself into the saddle again he galloped
to the river. Dismounting below the camp
he tied his horse, forded the river and crept
up quietly to the camp where the twenty or
more men were grouped around the camp
fire, still swearing eternal vengeance on the
Young dude"
At an auspiciOus moment he stepped from
his hiding place full into the blaze of the
camp FIRE, quite uuarmed save for his cattle
whip
We'll, here am, men. Now, if any of
you want anything with me this is your
time. Pm ready to have it out"
And they had called him a coward For
a whole minute they we're silent, overcome
with astouishment. Then a voice was
heard:
Hell! Boys he's a brick"
The love of reckless daring inherent in
those wild Western fellows had made its
appeal and a wild cheer went up for De
Mores. The young dandy had to shake
hands all around and then the party started
for the town.
The marquis did the houors and he did
not stint 1t was night of teckless dissi-
patton such as Medora had never seen be-
fore and probably never will see again.
Those rough, childlike cattlemeu never
forgot it, and if the good will of the cow
punchers had been all that was required the
marquis enterprise would have been
brilliant success indeed.
As for the marquise, she was the idol of
every man within ninety miles, the acknowl-
edged queen of the cattle COW country, Abe
it an unwilling one.
For the marquise, who had lived three
years in the lonesome settlement was
homesick Even the comradeship of her
husband could not reconcile her to that
desolate country. There was not a woman
in the place with whom she could associate.
The few women who were there were either
the regular hangers-on of a western camp
or the uncouth wives of the rough cattlemeu.
Her only companion, save her husband,
was the priest at the little chapel, where
she spent much time. Even he, excellent
man that he was was not a substitute for
the womauly counsel and compauionship
that as a girl she had always had in such
generous need and that as a young wife she
needed even more keeuly.
As the months went by she pined and
whteued. The desolate baroness of that
straight cOlee wall, the depressing glimpse
of the black, changeless hills just showing
above the wall, the squalOr of the little
town and the feeling of utter isolation grew
on the young wife's nerves until no sacrifice
seemed too great to enable her to return to
the life to which she was accustomed She
tried to be patient for her husbands sake,
but could not hide her suffering. Il was
very apparent that she could not live long
| if she stayed in Medora.
The young man was at his wits end For
other troubles also we're heaping upon him.
| Disease and depredations we're carrying off
| large numbers of his cattle. It was an early
| spring and an unusually severe winter had
| killed thousands. For some reason the
cattle were not multiplying aud the pros.
| pect was dark. Still De Mores was not
/ ready to give up and he worked incessautly
! The packing was never brought iHto full
operation, the other problems of operation
taking all his time He was not ready for
that yet.
Finally, thoroughly discouraged and
wholly anxious about the condition of his
wife, whose wants seem to have dominated
all other factors in his life, he paid his
debts, threw up the whole enterprise and
left for the east.
] He had spent upward of $1,000, 900 in the
west.
The subsequent important events in the
/ life of the Marquis and Marquise De Mores
are familiar The pair returned to New
York aud then went 20 Paris, where the
marquis became prominent among the anti.
Semites At one time he was arrested for
completely in an Orleanist plot for the over
throw of the republic.
In 1892 he was challenged to duel by
Captain Mayer who resented the marquis
insults to his race. At the second lunge the
marquis ran his sword through the gallant
young captains body below the armpit, iu-
fictiug a mortal wound. The dying man
| gave De Mores his hand.
In the spring of 1896 De Mores was COM
missioned by the French government to
lead an expedition INTO the SOudan in Africa
TO enlist Arab chieftaius in an effort to stop
the eucroachments Of the British. Saying
an affectionate farewell to his pretty Amer.
lean wife he started on his commission with
a promise that he would be back within a
few months. With party Of eight he hur-
ried into Africa. He left Eloutia, Tripod
itau village, on June 3 for Ghadamas with
an escort of Tuaregs and SOEambas. who
J ,vara armed with carbiues In A lonely spoi