Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-01-13
Armstrong; Chance
O-

| them at this time of night. There are
certain rules on the frontier, as in the
cities, as to breaking tired mans
sleep unnecessarily. SO Joe decided to
camp near the river and hurry on at
daybreak with his message.
He unsaddled Kitty and turned her
loose to Craze in the river bottom,
knowing that she would remain close
by. Then finding a place where the
brush was thick enough to screen him
from sight Of the road, he broke
through this leafy WALL
A branch used as a broom sufficed
to obliterate the tracks that showed
a ride had ended there, and behind his
screen Of mesquit brush he law down
to sleep, his saddle for a pillow, the
soft earth for a bed. He needed no
covers, for on that high mesa Of the
ella there Is no dew.
A city boy might wonder that he
took pains to hide himself from the
road and to disguise the traces Of his
camp, but to Joe it was as natural as
it Is to the town-bred lad to lock his
bedroom 1oor at q strange hotel.
Joe said his little prayer, taught him
by the mother whose death had left
him to make his way alone two years
before, and closed his eyes. A boy is
not likely to forget his prayers when
the only roof above him is the sky, and
every star seems like a bright eye
seeing clear through him. Joe did not
have to wait for sleep; he was off as
soon as his eyes were shut.
Suddenly he was broad awake again.
The moon was gone, but the stars were
still shining, and by them he knew day
was yet far distant. A moment to col
lect his wits, and Joe was conscious
that somebody was talking on the other
side Of the bushes. The first words
made him all attention.
"Gonzalez' outfit" he heard the voice
say, Twill come as soon as it is light,
and we had better meet him right here
To strike him tonight might make the
bull-driver suspicious and besides, that
boy Joe knows I'm not with the COM
pany any more. 1 want to get the
money without having to hurt any
body"
"But say, Lampson," Joe heard an
other voice, won't the boy be there
just the same in the mornlng?"
"Not a bit of it," said Lampson.
He'll just give Gonzalez his message
and start back. He doesn't know why
he is sent. Nobody but the Lordsburg
agent and the superintendent is sup
posed to know there Is twenty-five
thousand dollars in bills rolled up in a
bale Of blankets. That much comes
every month to pay off the men at the
mines on the first. The company is
afraid to send it by the stage, for the
stage is held up by the rustlers too of
ten. Nobody would ever think Of hunt
ing through the freight for the money.
The freighter himself hasn't an idea
Of what he Is carrying. They have
been doing this for long time and
have never had any trouble, but the
boss can't help feeling little anxious,
the road to make sure where the money
train IS"
Joe's first impulse had been to shout
a greeting, but as the words reached
him he realized in a flash what they
meant. The mystery Of his monthly
mission that had so puzzled him was
mystery no longer.
Il don't see why we should have
bit Of trouble" said Lampson. "I'll
just tell Gonzalez that the company is
in hurry for the blankets for some
prospecting parties. and has sent me
with the blackboard to fetch them on
ahead Of him. He knows me from see
ing me in the office, and will probably
not ask q question"
But" a ked one Of the others, sup
pose the 10y has told him you were
thrown out?"
IF 1 can't convince him that the
boy lied, we will have to make a gun
play Now quit talking. We'd better
all get some sleep"
Soon there was silence. broken only
by the regular breathing of the three
men.