The San Francisco call., 1905-01-22

which sheltered the horned toads and
lizards, and where the coyotes mad
howled under the stars. The general
committee went out one night to in
spect the Pi-Ute's endeavors of a fort
night
Water at two bits can" had re-
duced the place to melancholy sun
baked blot through which dozen pale,
slender grass shoots struggled UP.
About each, when the brassy sun
swung above the burned-out world or
granite. a rusty powder can was
placed to break the heat; every night
the Pi-Ute removed these that the tiny
green blades might suck in what dew
the dry land offered.
"Johnson's no great shakes on
grass" commented Doc Hare; 1t amt
no fiowery mead. none, like the Judge
was recitin' of the other night, but you
gamble it's the only grass that ever
grew on this mountain.
Maybe a bird seed lawn wouldn't be
much of a proposition. anyhow, SAID
Mr.. de Young. We'll have to let II
.out casual to her that it's been a hell
fire dry summer at Bully Creek.
You have the idea, suh," approved
the Judge. "Our only course Is to lie
like gentlemen"
The camp was well coached by the
night when virgie Blair swung his
leaders at smart trot to the hotel We
randa. The Judge assisted a slender,
black-gowned woman to the steps.
Mrs. Story was sympathetically near.
Across the street, in front of De Young
& ingalls,, all Bully Creek was gath
cred. 1t looked at Jack Frayne's
mother with silent and respectful Curl
osity. A little woman, with the gentlest
face that the best Of them had ever
dreamed about, smiled up in Judge
Blount's eyes as she took his hand.
The watchers across the narrow street
heard her whisper. The Judge bowed.
with his black soft hat crushed In his
hand
1--WE are hono'ed," he answered,
.'honoed, I assure YOU"
Mrs. Story suddenly put two moth
erly arms about the other woman and
took her in the door of the hotel. Virgil
Blair shifted his hat and reined in his
leaders as he turned the corner to the
stables. The stage driver was again
the center of a listening group at De
Young & ingalls, bar after supper.
Here I set, gentlemen. in the very
seat where l set when killed her son.
and for thirty-five miles that little
woman asked me about Frayne and
thanked me for my kindness to him.
She saw a rip in my vest-same old
rips been there for two years-and
had to husk off and let her mend it.
Guess I felt I was playin pretty low
down to have her set there and mend
my old wammus and ask me If / had
a family and was a Christian!"
Judge Blount strolled in from lone
conversation with the camps guest al
Mrs Story's. Mr.. Blair was still relat-
ing his experiences.
IT am pained, suh," began the Judge
severely, ito discover that you thought
1t necessary to mislead this lady In
the outrageous manneh you did You
told Mrs Frayne, sub, that employed
two doctors ad a trained nurse from
Tucson and paid the funeral ex-
penses 1t put me in an embarrassins
position when / had just explained
that Mr.. de. Young brought physi-
clan at his own expense from Benson
and that Colonel Hare nursed Jack
Frayne with his own hands. suh!"
The Judge was stirring early the next
morning. The guests at Mrs. Story's
moved carefully and spoke low al
breakfast. When Jack Frayne's mother
did awaken and come out to look uDor
the store, the three saloons. the shan
ties and the chickens fighting in the
rhado oF fha corral the Judge was
waiting in the small carry-all. the fin
est rig which the Empire stables had
A row of cayuses squealed by the
hitching bar in{ front Of the store
When the Judge sdrove Jack Frayne's
mother up the rocky King Hill road
the committee on these same broncos
clattered in the dust behind the We
hicle. They could see that the Judge