The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-12-02

! hi- said the night before the duel, 81
Sinii ride forth from the cntronwoods
Over lh"i" Ia meet Guilln as h" comes
out fr;,Ta lrLind the bluffs. and shall
Il" ny best Ia Kill HIM We will not
say :;""GI,y. | hope Ia be here 1T this
same hour tomorrow night
For III" first time since the ducl WAS
talked about the girl was satisfied.
There WIS 10 Dragging. 10 vaporing
but II quiet. grim determination.
Only the cowboys We're to witness
| the coWioy duel. AMI they from points
afar off. Not II word was dropped to
! the stage passengers who stopped for
breakfast ut = o'clock in the morning
after an all night ride.
At Nipla stood i'll the doorway
! ut the ican-to. gazing with eyes, mar
/ rowrG To !; mere slit out out across
| the endless stretch of SagCbruSh. Be
| hind her ran the cottonwood line
which marked the rivers course. and
| beyond. the bluffs. But the Three
Stars men must come from the prairie
road.
suddenly Ei"la started. There WIS
/ =
! the SuYrbrlISh. TIE SpcCk grow and
elongated. Then she realized HAT the
upper part nf III" ti~ur,' SWayCd I'M
| cer;aniy II WAS IA" E!"vcmrnt of Il
cowhny &od;lrn drunk III his saddle.
! Niola'S lips Scr firmly and her cheeks
| blamrhrd. for the pony beneath the
| figure was the calic" cuiorci hroncho
| Of Dave Henderson.
The hronrhn rIntcred uncrringly 10
where the girl Stond. and as il stop
ped. the figure of Dave Henderson
slid Imply from saddle To ground. His
eyes were hluDdShor. his lips torn
where his teeth had shut tight upon
them. Onr arm The right hung us,,'-
less ut his side and tho dull tan OF his
! chaps" was stained with crimson.
Henderson clutchcd at his saddle
ponmrl and missed it. lie swung
around i'll Il half circle and caught ut
the door iaml.
The bunch on the Alameda arroyo
stampr,i"d last night. Mighty-Queer
business .And-l got--thiS" - He
tried To raise the uniniured arm. but
/
Then he lurchcd through the door
way. and lay at her feet. inert.
The .\lampsla arroya. .\nd he has
ridden from there Ia he on timc-with
his arm like that"
Something hard and hot rose i'll the
girls throat. and for :: minute she
could not move. could not even 20 10
tx. aid Of The man she loved. The
;rimpval Instinct ri ln"ihrrhnod was
h"t within her. The light 10y" of the
girl WIS Smlnth"rri 10y the stronger
emotion.
she called In her mother. and they
carried him int" the Girls Own room
and closed the d"or.
, Ten minutes later the Widow HUI
her was work king over the injured cow
boy. hut the Tears rolling down her
checks were nGt fuT the man. for dart
in" toward the grove III cottonWOods
the calico pony of Dave Henderson
carried Il figure that tried Ia sit up us
straight and ,tifi' as IT," hranchoS OWL
pr eyer had.
The cowboys. grouped on The mesa,
watched the calico pony come out or
the grove, and the sturdy litlle gray
broncho Invariably ridden by Guillo
| danced gingerly from behind the bluffs.
The two horsemen circied around each
other with spirited tactics. and then
Guilo raised his pistol and shot in the
air But before the cowhuy$ could
give vent TO their amaZement the fig
IRE on tie calico pony seemed 10 rise
from the saddle. an arm darted forth.
there was Il flash. Il report. and Gulllo
tumbie'l to the ground.
With an angry roar at such diShon-
orable action on the part Of IL member
OF their own band the white cowboys
tore down the incline. while from the
, bluff rushed The stream of Mexican re-
tanners.
The two bands rca'hcd the spot 81
simultaneously. and their leaders stopped
short. Tor The hat pushed back from
the figure on the calico pony showed
the face OF Viola Huber.
emilio raised himself Oh the elbows
'Scnor Henderson, he Snerre'i. was
afraid. The Scnorita would save his
honor. ] do not fight the hucllo with
women"
III" girl 'r"ncd upon the mrn with
l,#Slin- ,!c*..
III" li,. ..'ilh his last breath! Dave
If"ndcr, IA Ms shot before he ever
reached he ,;u"lin% ground. Ask him
about i'r r:idmi.yht assault on -\laineda
arrNy;.'
Without an"thcr glance in iii" direc-
ton OF Iii" dying man size %ibrang into
the saddle. and the rrounS parted to
| let her pass.