Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-26
CHAPTER XIII.
A House Of Refuge.


good, and yet 1 got all the blame. or
course, I ought to nave shot old man Ryan,
just as an early precaution. 30 it's best to
own up that I was all in the wrong for
dallying. But after that, there was the
massacre Of the leading Grave City felons;
got the blame. Next came the hunting
and escape of Curly and jim; 1 got the
blame. Furthermore, there was the flight
OF Curly and Jim from La Morita prison,
followed by business transactions with the
Frontier Guards; 1 got the blame. And,
moreover, there was the sliding out OF
Curly, Jim and the robbers from Cocky
Browns ranch at La SoIedad, with certain
vain pursuits by a posse of citizens; 1 got
the blame. Lastly, there was the stealing
of all the horses and millionaire out OF
Grave City; got the blame Whatever
happened, I always got the blame. It's
plumb ridiculous.
Now, taking this last case, what ground
Is there for supposing that L helped Nc
Calmont's robbers?'
My movements all that night were inno-
cent and unobtrusive travels When Dog
gone Hawkins went off with his tenderfoot
posse to hunt ghosts. naturally sind out for
nome So l met up with McCalmont, took
charge of Cocky Browns old blackboard,
and delivered Curly at the back door of
my cousins, the Misses Jameson. These la
dies had to hear whole lot which was
pretty near true about poor Curly, and that
consumed some time. Afterward they got
scared all to fits by rushes of horsemen
dynamite explosions, and such diverting in
cidents, ending with the arrival Of Shorty
Breach to have his prickles pulled. Through
this disturbance hid up with Curly in a
cellar, and when there was peace drove on
alone, with my saddled horse tied behind
the blackboard After hours search, l
found the old Occur d'Alene Mine shaft,
and tipped the blackboard in. turning the
n h q
to La Soledad. My duties being all per-
formed, l rode back just before dawn to
my own home pasture at Las Salinas
There is the whole annals Of a virtuous
night, and yet these Grave City idiots de-
famed my character, which it makes me
sick.
There's habit which I caught from the
old patrone at Holy Cross. the same being
to have cold bath Our Arizona water is
mostly too rich for bathing, being made of
mud, cow-dung, alkali and snakes; but at
Las Salinas I owned a little spring, quite
good for washing and such emergencies.
After my bath 1 felt skittish. a whole lot
younger than usual, full of aching mem
cries about getting no supper last night.
and pleased all to pieces to hear the break
fast-howl. These symptoms being observed,
Custer proposed at once that pay up the
overdue wages, and Ute backed his play,
grinning ugly. AS for Monte, he was chip
ped in the face with a recent bullet and
sQuatted heaps thoughtful over his pork
and beans.
80 you-all wants yo payT
They agreed that they did, and Custer
passed me the biggest cup for my coffee.
"All right, you tigers" says l. after this
grubpile we'll cyclone into town and catch
what I've got in the bank.
81 amt no tiger this time, says Ute.
why, yesterday I just rode up. street TO
collect my washing, and the weather was
lot too prevalent"
"Rain?" says I. You shorely didn't have
wall, 1t splashed up the dust all arounl
me, 1t did that" says Ute, but 1 sorter
mlstook it for bullets"
Then those boys allowed that we was get
ting some unpopular in town, but they had
a gnawing awful pain in their pants pock-
cts, and nothing would cure that but wages.
They We're sure good boys, ana 1t mace me
ache inside to see them want.
"You boys" says 1, spose you -coliect
these here wages yo'selves and make yore
own settlement"
face twisting around into strange new
species of grins.
"Why, you-all knows every hawss got,
and has yo' notions of value. Jest you
whrl right in, boys, and take WHAT'S COM
ing to you in hawsses instead OF cash.
Pay yoselves liberal, and I'll sign the
bills
''Shamer' says Monte. Dye think *e'd
take yo' pets?'
ship, the which we did, for those boys
were as good as brothers from the moment
I got into trouble. Monte is my partner
still.
we sat smoking cigarettes around the door
of the cabin, we saw sort of dust-cloud
come rolling along out OF the city.
(Which reminds me-" says Ute, that the
terday to come and hold social gathering
here. Mr.. Davies, they's aiming to hans
you some"
We rolled the rain barrels into the house,
we toted bales Of hay for barricades, ana
led our saddle horses into cover; then put
in the rest of our time filling the water
butts In all we had forty minutes to pre-
pare for our guests, but wanted Whole lot
more.
''You, Chalkeye," says young Monte in his
way, you can talk the mind leg
off a mule. 'Spose you make big war
medicine to these here strangers until We're
ready"
Custer had got joyful, as he always did
when there was trouble coming, making lit
tie yelps of bliss.
Don't talk them off the range" says he,
"or we'll get no fight"
Ute, he lay low, saying nothing, but he
sure grinned volumes while he whirled in
with his ak, cutting twelve loopholes
the dobe walls. I told Custer to
break hole in the roof and get up there
quick because the parapet had rain spouts
most convenient for shooting. Monte was
laying out the ammunition, 1 was spread
Ing wet blankets over the hay barricade IN
the front doorway, and then the vigilance
came slanting down for battle.
Seeing that Grave City was shy of horse
flesh that morning, these people had done
their best with thirty head, using them TO
haul wagons and buckboards full of men.
Only the chairman was in the saddle, he
being old Mutiny Robertson, who wanted to
buy my ranch and not to burn it, 1 ought
to mention that this gentleman was
Cherokee Indian by birth, white man by
nature, and some time a robber himself.
He knew what sort of lightning had struck
Grave City during the night, but his feel
ings did him credit and kept his mouth
shut. AS chief of the vigilantes he had to
go against all his natural instincts, but stilk
he acted hostile and looked dangerous,
leading his men until he came up against
my door.
you Chalkeyev' he shouted.
put up my head behind the barricade in
the doorway.
''Wall." says l. this compliment, gentle
men, throws my tail high with pride. Put
yo' hawsses in the barn while 1 fix the
breakfast
''These barricades," says Mutiny, lis in
tended hawspitable-eh Chalkeye?"
(which" says /. they're raised in cele-
bration of my thirty-third birthday as
token of innocent JOY"
Seems to me- he responds. that this
yere day is apt to be remembered hereaways
as the anniversary of yo' quitting out of
tbiS mortal life