The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-07-14

morrow, alas, you Will have to go 10
work. Need l tell you that the thought
breaks my heart? 1t is humiliation
disgrace-death. Don't you think. my
son, that if you were to try some other
locality you could do better with the
cards?"
Il have been given away for a hun
dred miles around was the reply.
'Then you will become a Cowboy"
Never
But you will not load carts with
Dirt"
"A Castilian never yet handled spade
or pick"
True, my son, but
There was no more to be said. Next
day Jocasta was left an orphan, as it
We're. His remaining behind was some
thing of a surprise. He dressed him
self with unusual care and paraded
through the camp to show himself off.
Never had his small feet and Shapely
calves shown to greater advantage;
never had he held his backbone sitter
or his chin higher. When through
with his prOmenade-and he did not
seek to cut it short-he Sauntered back
to his shanty and sat down on a nail
keg in the sun as his ancestors had sat
on their baronial doorsteps. He knew
that he was looked upon as lOblolly
and a guy, but he forgave the men
their ignorance. He knew that a crisis
had arrived when he must either fish
or cut bait, but he was meeting it as
became a man of CASTLE.
The rOadbed had reached the foot
hills, where there was cover for the
Indians who had taken a scalp when
ever there was opportunity. On this
day a dozen of them, mounted on their
war ponies, had been lying in ambush
to pick up any Straggler from the
lines. There were twenty men scat
tered along the two miles of track as
guards, but as noon came and every
thing seemed quiet they gathered
around the rude campfres and cook
ing booths to eat their midday meal.
1t was then that Jocasta, busy with
his own thoughts and casting eyes
around him, saw the Indians gather for
a swift gallop to cut off three men who
had gone afar for a stick of timber.
Without haste and without a word to
any one he rose up. A hundred feet
away was a pony saddled and bridled
and standing in the shade, and in his
own belt was the inevitable gun"
though no one could say that he had
ever made use of it except as an Orna-
ment. Hundreds of eyes watched JO-
casta as he Sauntered down to the
pony with that proud and easy gait of
his, and there was neither surprise nor
curiosity until he slowly took his seat
in the saddle. Then men rose up to
wonder if he was going to try horse
stealing in broad daylight.
AS the right hand gathered up the
reins the left lifted the sombrero in
digniied salute, and then Jocasta set
tied down in the saddle and rode
straight away. There was grand
yell behind him, and out came a hun
dred firearms, but before a bullet had
been sent whiZzing after him the In
dams broke cover. Then his plan was
grasped, and he was cheered. Straight
ahead, posing in his saddle as he had
posed on foot, rode Jocasta. the reinS
now in his left hand and the revolver
in his right, and the Indians caught
sight of him too late to check up or
gear off. He struck them with a crash
and set his gun to work, and there
was haste to REINFORCE him. When a
score Of mounted men pulled up and
dismounted they found the Jim Dandy
lying dead on the ground with three
bullets in his body, and lying around
him within reach of his hand were four
war painted bucks whose souls, if they
had any, had gone over the great di-
vide in company with his. Men looked
and rubbed their eyes to look again.
There was JOcasta and there We're his
dead. He had done what he had done
1t was the poser's first and last pose
for glory