Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-07-05
q. S.CANFHELD.

4A@A@A&N
the Hon. L. Louis Godwyn. the Hon.
George Il. Peyton, the Hon. William
Fontaine and Mr.. John Royal DeverauX.
al lof whom formed part of this council,
did not believe that the note was in good
faith. 1t was preposterous, they said,
that Mexican fellow whose business it
was to punch cows could so quickly be-
come member of such band and asccr-
tain the intentions of its leader. Juan
CARA, they declared, was somewhere
dead in the chaparral and the handwrit'
ing was Vavara's own, designed to mis-
lead and betray.
However" said Mr.. Deveraux, voicinS
thereby the sentiments of his companions,
Its blimed dull around here, with moth
ing better TO shoot than black tailed
deer. We have not had even a cougar in
two years. If the Mexican fellow is af-
ter cattle we'll catch him, and if he wants
fight he can have it. | say, chaps, let's
go out and shoot Vavara."
So said they all of them. a merry
crowd it was, fresh-cheeked and alive
with the Joy of living.
A half-hour later a rider. with instruc-
tons to ride hard, dashed from the rancho
and headed 10 the northeastward. His
destination was Fort Clark, twenty miles
away. Hills bare, hills swathed to their
tops in tangles of mesquite, huisache, cat
claw and cacti stretches of level, hard
prairie, stretches of deep sand, arroyas
with only blue and brown pebbles on
their dry beds, arroyas with sparkling
water girth-deep to the horse lay be-
tween him and his goal, yet he was light
of weight, he sat his steed as If they
were one and the same animal, he rode
from the knees up and crouched forward
so that his pounds should not press up
on the back Of the horse and he knew
that two hours at furthest would see
him in the little frontier town of Brack-
EFT, hard by the fort-Brackett with its
dance hall, its saloon, it's Mexican girls
and, above all, its monte tables. As he
rode he swung the quirt which dangled
from his right wrist by thong and
his white teeth cleaned between parted
lips as he carolled his Mexican rounde-
lay: "Querida. Querida! Stella de mi
vida.'
This rider. in leathern pouch attach
ed to the saddle, bore letter. 1t was
addressed to Captain Robert Harding,
U. S. A, Fort Clark" and signed
"Glynn." 1t said merely:
my Dear HardiHg-I have information
in which l place reliance that Vavara
will cross the river day after tomorrow
night. He wants cattle. l don't know
how many men he will have. The cross
ing will be made at a newly discovered
ford few miles below here. Wouldn't
- l. L.
be? Can you send some men, or, better
still, can you bring some men here by
tomorrow evening? We will go with you
and we ought to get the Black Fox this
time. If there are any rangers near,
you can exercise your discretion about
letting them know. May | count on
you?''
When Robert Harding read this note
he smiled. Then he glanced at his spurs
on the table in his quarters and at his
pistols in their holsters on the wall. Then
he turned to the Mexican messenger and
said:
"No monte for you tonight. my son;
no mescal; no aguadiente; no fat Mexican
gals; no cachuca; no nothing but sweat
and work. Back your cayuse, Don Juan
Antonio Jesus Maria San Miguel de Bus
tamente de Palacios Caramba, and head
him southwestward. Make him pick up
four feet where he puts down two Find
your boss; just tell him that you saw me
and he will know the rest"
The Mexican, not a shade of disappoint
ment on his face, turned to remount
then paused and said tentatively:
"One liz drink p
Sure" said the captain, much sympa
thy showing in his gray eyes. Here
Try this"'
He extracted a decanter from the bot
tom section of a pine sideboard, and
handed it to the rider with a goblet
The goblet was filed two-thrds full and
tossed off without the CULVER of an eye
lash. Five minutes later broncho and
vaquero had disappeared, going at the
tireless gallop with which they had come.