The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-05

| forty foot off four Usage bucks is settin'
together onaer Il cottonwood piayIn' InjUn
pcker-tne table bein' > RED blanket spread
on the Grass-fcr two bits a corner. These
yere. sports in their blankets an feathers
an rifilin' their greasy deck amt sayin'
| L0thin' to BioCjackct. an he amt sayin'
notEiu' TO them. Which jest the same them
children of nacheT don't like the idee Of
downin' your cd gent none. an its plumb
apparent Bioojacket's already exilel d lot.
As he stands thar roomina:iH'. with the hot
August sun baatin' Own. mcbby thar's IL
atmosphere of sadness 10 20 with this Bloc
jacket But if thar il. yOu-Sll would have
TO guess at IL: his couutenancr Is shorely as
cam as on that murferin' evenin' i'll the
half-breed's restaurant.
"B,ooiscket is stiIl thar. an them sports
onder the cottonwood is still gruntin' over
their poker. when thar comes the patter of
a hronco's hoofs. Thar's a small dust cloud
an up sweeps this yere Caldwell beauty:
which Colonel Sterrett calls her the 'caSUs
belli when ] relates this tale that Wolfville
time. She comes TO a halt in front of BIoo-
Jacket.
THAT savage glances up with a inquirin'
eye, an the glance IS as steady as the hills
about him. Tho Caldwell bsauty-it seems
she disfains mournin'-is robed like n rain
bow. an she au' Blooiacket. him standia'.
she on her bronco. looks on each other plen-
ty intent.
NHlCi1 I'VE minutes gees bN II one goes
by. an thar them two stares into each
others eyes. an never Il word from either.
Them poker bucks keeIS on with their gam
bic that away, over Under the cottonwood,
an no one looks NJ the two or seems like
they heedS their existence. Shore. them
poker savages ia onto every move. tuc
they re iroo TO the Iniun idee of p'litenes3
on won't cut in with even so much as the
treemor of u eyeiash on other folks plays.
.Bloojacket an the Caldwell beauty is
sun gain. At last the Caldwell beaut-
goes back, an then slow an shore, Sic
searches to The front a eisht-inch six
shooter. B!GojaCkei. with his eye still Oh
her. an never 4 flicker of feelin'. don't
speak or move. The Caldwell beauty smiles
IN shows her white teeth. Then cockin' the
six-shCoter. she lays tho bari across her
left arm. an all as solid as a church. Her
runys gone to sleep with his nose between
his knees. an the Caldwell beauty sort o.
settles herself i'll the saddle. SOS to bs
ready for that plunge she knows is comm
when she turns loose the gun. The Caldwell
beauty lays out her game as slow an de-
iib'rate as trees; Bloojacket lookin' on with
onwinkin' eyes, while them red blanket
bucks plays along without q sign of in
terest-
(which this yere pistol o~vershoots a
lot says the Caldwell beauty, as she runs
her eye along the sights. an l must aim
some low or III shore make ragged work.
"Bloojacket, ten feet away, offers no re-
tort, he stands nCvcleSs IS u StaChoO.
Thar's a fash an Il crash an a cloud of
bloc smoke; that aroused bronco makes a.
standin' jump Of twenty feet. The Caldwell
beauty keeps her saddle, an with never a
swerve or curve goes fiashin' down the
brown. sunburnt August trail. When the
smoke drifts aside. Bloojacket lays thar on
his side an face; an tEar's a bullet hole
as squar' between the eyes as you-all could
set your fnger-tip. Which he's ~dead-dead
without a motion. while them poker bucks
plays calmly on"
My venerable friend came to a full stop.
After Il respectful pause, / ventuied al
inquiry.
And the Caldwell beauty?r / said.
TT amt a week when she's ag'in the
star of that Caldwell hurdy-gurdy where
she ropes up Hardrobe first. Her laugh is
as loud an as free. her beauty as pro-
foundry dazZlia' as before: she swings
through twenty quadrilles in a evenin'
from Bow to your partners to All take d
drink at the bar: an If she's preyed on by
them Usage tragedies, you shore can't tel
it for whisky or see 1t Tor powder an'
paint"
Copyright. 1892. by X. II. Russell.