Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-05-10
The Holdup at
Antelope S Run
BY CURRAN R. GREENLEY

ped to the ground nj Sale ulStance
nnd eased Il cinches to give the black
pony breathing space. A rim OF sill
yer grew and widened along the east.
and as Gerald watched the moon
swung up t..e sky and the south wind
came rushing cool and sweet against
his hot brow. How like to that night
three years ago when they had stood
together meath the palms ut ST. Au-
grstine. In place of the loneliness OF
plain and siy-the Dream City, jewel
crowned. the gray old fort. the shim-
mering moCn silvered sea--and Mar
guret. One night in u mans life, when
she had answered Yes" to the story
he told. on, there on the crumbling
walls of San Marco. He remembered
how they had watched the little blue
clad figure as it toiled up with the
fatcful message. the message that
dashed the sweetness from the orange
scented night, hlished the music of the
Sa. leaving him alive to only the sense
oi ruin-utter ruin,
Three hours later lie was on the way
to New York. leaving only brief note:
Il cannot hold you to your promise.
am Il begg:r." He knew now the
wrong that q, had offered her woman
hood. But then. with the cid man who
had been more comrade than father.
living with bullet hole through his
brain, there seemed no other way. 1t
had been Il maze, commencing with the
pitiful funeral with himself as Il sole
mourncr; then the long days when ev-
cry hour disclosed the wrong that had
been done to women and helpless chill
dren. A very madness of speculation
had possessed his father, and the
worthless paper seemed to grow into
mountains of guilt and shame. Settle
ments. judgments. foreclosures. ana
there came day when\he stood with
barely enough left to take him west
out of sight of his kin.
Five long years. They We're filled
with life and movement and atlash
with burbaric color wrought in strange
pattern OF border warfare, night raids
7
"out." But the Blue Star ranch had
prospercd The cattle had thriven and
grown rrOm scattered lunches into II
great herd, of which Gerald was hal
owner. Tomorrow they would start
on the long trail to the market places.
The black pony shifted the air sus-
piciouSiy ut Il rustic in the dried sage
grass. i shadow came out from
among o. shadows and stood upright.
and us TIE blanket slipped from her
shoulders Gerald saw &lat it was
Juina. tie Mexican wife of Comanche
Jake. He knew the woman. Only
week before lie had come to her
rescue just in time TO save her from
Comanche .iake'S bowie knife. and now
spoke 10 Ter kindly. You, Juana
What is the matter ncwI Is Jake after
you again.:
.Iuaim crept still closer. ''SenOr!
Senor.. IL. the love of Our Lady. call
out your IA cn and ride TO Antelope :
run. They" with twist of her hand
toward the distant tcpee in the mes
uui,c-"thry are over there-half al
dozen like axe. ali mad with the mes
cal-aud they 20 to rob tie AnSuiila
stage when il passes An;c!ope's run.
Senor. they will kill-thry'll kill me
when they find I've told. but Caracas
Johnny c:i'"c in ut nigh.fall from upl
above and told how he got Il mes
sage wli,c 1T .Anguilla in cipher from
Il pal of his in Santa Fe, anI ii said
there was government gold a-cOmin'
through and that there was Il woman.
too. who WAS rich and had money
along with her. They've got it all
planned how to do for the driver and
the guards. and Caracas Johnny is to
have the woman. Senor for the love
of the mother that bore you, get ont
your men and save her or Kill her. ltsl
twenty miles TO Antelope's run. but
Jake and tue boys won't start till mid
night and they'll be drunk with the
mes''ai.'
And how about you:" asked Ger
aid
Juana gathered her blanket closer.
"Senor. if you let Jake come back. he
will know told you. Then God and
Our Lady have mercy" And the squat
figure slipped away into the night
He did not question the truth OF
the woman's statement. There was
work for the Blue Star outfit at Ante
lopc's run. 1t worried him that this
should have come just as they needed
all their best men for the big drive,
but where n woman was ut stake there
could be no question OF cattle.
Ten minutes of hurried gallOping to
and fro and Gerald led off his cattle
force. leaving IL half dozen, out the
gate. As ey shot up the Santa Fe
trail his watch showed II O'Clock by
the moons rays.
The swift ponies lay down to their
work and the earth rolled back be-
Meath their hoofs as they rode in the
quick cavalry trot over miles OF sage
grass ana white sand. past prairie dog
towns. where the alert tenants whisk-
ed out of sight like so many small
ghosts, past the dry arroyas ike white
sears on the face of the plain. On and
on. Here bunch Of mesquite, gnome'
like in the spectral light. clumps OF
prickly pear and weird cOntortons OF
the giant castus-ten miles. hfteen.
and they began the ascent where the
plain rolls up toward the foothills.
They could see the highway. where II
wound like II snake. seeking Its lair
In the shadow of the trees that begin
ut Antelope's run.
Gerald pulled out his watch. The
stage WAS cue ut O'Clock and they
had a little Tess than an hour to wait.
He turned to the men: Boys. we Will
ride on and meet them; then there
will be no chance OF their getting US
mixed with the attacking force"
Yhere WIS us yet no sign OF Co.
manche Jake and his men; but, as
Juana had said. they would be likely
to stay witt, the mescal until the last
inmate. Gerald and his men rode