The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-12-24
se'as sseSs sses sszess <
AT C.-5Ta0'S RANCH.
BY PAlLIp GERRY.

Foiy Yuma stopped at Cessroa ranch "a
ehange horses and permit such passen-
sers as dared take the chance TO cal
d the Mexican food or imbibe bis vli5
liquors. It was simply a road house Oh
the most wretched type. with dirt and
sQualor on every hand and Castro had
an evil reputation Il was whispered
that he bought quartermaster stores
stolen from the fort harbored outlaws
and went uDon raids with them. lie
mas man OF so. mis-shapen In body,
with the face OF a wolf. and now he
could have won the hand OF the young
and fair looking woman who called
him husband no ono could make out.
Little was seen Of her BY guests and
Castro was man no one liked TO ques-
tlon.
To the east Of the ranch was the road
running down to the Arizona line and
now and then. when the road agents
and cattle stealers became too bold. 4
patrol was sent ont from the fort 10
cover twenty miles of it, II was while
IN charge OF this patrol that young
Lieutenant ForbHsh first met Castro $
wife. Castro was on on-one of his
raids and the woman in charge OF the
place. Forbush was hardly more than
boy: he had just been assigned from
West Point and knew nothing OF the
country or the ways of IFS Inhabitants.
lie made his headquarters at Castro s
and there were reasons why the young
wife smiled on him and made him very
welcome.
Castro knew that he was suspected
by the military authorities and It was
his pan TO hookwink them by a great
show Of aeryiiity and friendship. He
smiled In the face Of the officers while
he cursed them under his BREATH ne
begged them to honor him with their
presence, but would have rather stuck
a knife into their backs. His wife was
acting under orders when She smiled
and iiirted with the boy-oificer ana
played love airs TO him on her guitar,
while old Sergeant Blix was growing
and cursing outside. The sergeant haa
served for almost twenty years. He
knew the lodges oi the outlaws and the
tricks Of the haif-breeds. He saw and
heard enough TO know that the woman
with the zig black eyes was working
some sort OF a game for The beneht OF
her husband but Il was not until a
freightef had been robber OF his outfit
pnd left for dead on the road which the
patrol should have made safe that he
summoned up courage enough to cross
the gulf existing between man and Off
Ger. When he did decide to talk he
decided TO talk plainly.
Lieutenant Fofbush, you may order
me under arrest and martial me
If you Will be began, "bnt I'm bound
70 tell you that female Is wanting 20
Ira nF 0hnfe
under the orders OF old Castro and his
game IS to keep us from doing our duty
while his band OF curthoats are picking
UP plumber
Sergeant, do you know what you are
saying sternly replied the onieer.
Il do. sir and it may mean disgrace
for me. but I've got to speak up. rhat
woman is trying TO bewitch you for a
purpose. We are not carrying out our
orders, and it is all owing to her devil
ment. Ii you'd been cut here couple
Of years you'd know what her smiles
and music mean to an honest soldier. 1t
will not do for me or any other man Of
this patrol to say word at the fort, no
matter what happens but I'm telling
you as man to man that the sonora will
lead you ii h-l If you follow her."
The young officer, with the military
etiquette of West Point before him, was
furious at being SO familiarly and rude
" addressed By an inferior. and his
vanity as man had also received
shock. He was engaged to a girl in the
East, and would marry her as soon as
he had won the bars Of a first lieuten-
ant, but 1t pleased and flattered him to
think that a woman out there beyond
civilization had been caught BY his face
and figure He had not even stopped
to reflect that she was Of another race
and already a wife Not that he meant
anything serious should come Of it, but
that it 1attered the egotism every
young man has fair share Of
II the words OF the blunt old sergeant
angered the officer they also opened his
eyes. and there was less dallying and
more riding. The woman was quick to
see that he had been warned, and she
exerted all her influence as an. offset.
Il ed, she overdid It. Curious as it
may seem, what she meant for a iirta-
ton to blind his eyes turned out to be
case Of love on her part She really
and truly fell in love with the young
officer and suggested an elopement She |
would leave husband-home-a and |
fly with him in any direction. Then it /
was that he began ia realize the ser
iousness Of affairs and the value Of the |
sergeant's advice. lie attempted BY |
cooiness Of demeanor and sensible ar
guments TO bring the woman bal k 10 /
reason. but she was deaf to his words |
and blind to all Derils There were
those hanging about the ranch who /
cent word OF the matter to old Castro
and when the messenger reached him
be swore to be revenged.
The patrol had been detailed for a
month. The officer alone occupied
quarters In the adobe ranch house,
while the mon had their tents outside
and not far away. Three weeks passed.
Castro's wife had fiirted. fallen in love
and been scorned- That is. young For
hush had rejected the idea OF an elope-
nsat and was no longer playing With
nref Fhile Castro was on his way home
so wteeF revenge on his foolish If not
Iaatniess wife. Thus matters stood
one evening when the woman sat down
IL heI ROOM Niih rage and jealousy
sna wing al her heari-the rage because
she nad been scorned-~fealonsv because
me officer had admitted that he had = .
s~eatheart to whom he would be faith
.ai. She knew that her conduct had
oeen open 70 censure and that word had
gone % her husband aud she would IL
held to account She So ~ tt.. ..l.,-