Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-12
CHAPTER TX.
War Signs.

On Tuesday morning, after headed Jim
for Holy Cross, had to stay over in Lords
burgh finish my horse deal with the Law
son Cattle Company, then get my men back
to Grave City by the evening train. l had
only three cowboys, Monte Custer and Ute;
nice children, too. when they were all
asleep, but fresh that morning, full of dumb
warnings for trouble, and showing plen-
tiful symptoms of being young. AT break
fast time 1 pointed out some items in the
local scenery. doctors shambles, hos
pital, mortuary and an adjacent grave
yard.
"Now, you kids" says I, 'you may be
heap big tigers; but don't you get wild
eating around too numerous, because I
Amt aiming to waste good money yo'
funerals
They said they'd be fearful good, and
might they have ten dollars apiece for the
church offertory? They set off with three
pure hearts, and thirty dollars.
Now l reckon there We're twenty-five
Flying w. riders owning the town that day,
and they began politely by asking my boys
IL Chalkeyes sQuint was contagious, and
whether that accounted for symptoms of
mango in his ponies.
My boys were dead gentle, and softly an
swered that Lawson was the worst horse
thief in Arizona; that Lawsons foreman
was three-parts negro and the rest polecat,
and that Lawson's riders had red streaks
around their poor threats because the hang
rope had failed to do them justice.
The Flying w. inquired If my three riders
was case of trplets, or only an unfor-
tunate mistake. Then my boys produced
their six guns and allowed they'd been
whelped savage raised dangerous and
turned loose hostile-and 1 only arrived
just In time to save them from being
spoiled for further use on earth. 1 chal-
lenged the Flying w. to race their best
pets against my NANCY" ponies, and both
sides agreed to have drink with me, In
stead of wasting mounted funeral pageants
on such one-horse town as little Lords
burgh
SO while I was playing nursemaid. herd
ing all those kids, who should roll up the
street but young Onate of Holy Cross, on
the dead run with letter from Jim. The
more kids, the worse trouble. Well. when
/ had swallowed Jim's letter, I fred off a
batch of kilograms and soon had wire
back from the Albuquerque sheriff. "Will
impound them cattle, says he, pending
advices from Bryant So l sent Onate
streaking after Bryant, and went on play
ing at nursemaid until l was plumb scared
that I'd be sprouting cap of ribbons.
Anyway, | didn't have time to think until
the evening train pulled into Grave City
by that time my three babies were dancing
a fandango upon the roof of the car. When
the train stopped l hauled them down by
the legs, patted them some with my boot
and told them tor go away home. They
went, with a bet between them, which
would be first at my rancho.
Just for the sake of peace and quietness
stayed that night in Grave City, and sat
around next morning smoking long cigars
while I made my poor brain think There
were points in Jims letter, and facts had
picked up casual at Lordsburgh, and words
of gossip dropped in the hotel. but to put
them altogether would have puzzled a
large-sized judge. Still, by all the tracks
the signs. the signals and the little smells
reckoned that Mr.. Ryan was mighty near
reaching a crisis, and apt to break out
sudden as dynamite. First, here was Sheriff
Bryant with two deputies, his wife and
medicine man. camped down at Holy Cross
Now Bryant would scarcely take deputy