Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-26
Gu Y
BY ROGER PococK.
Author OF "A FfonteFsman, etc.
Copyright. 1905. BY Little. Brown Coz

eoration Why for is my neck so much in
need OF stretching
This we're is frivolous argument" says
ne, we-all is here to hang YOU not to
waste time In Debates
You has my sympathy" says L, and 1
shares 20 poignant feelings about not
social without an appropriate victim? Now
thar's young Nose Bowies beside you,
which l don't like the look of his nsck,
the same being much too short for a stand,
of collar. What's the matter with hang
ing Moses Bowles?"
Come out" says Nose, "or wen burn
your den, you horse-thiefr
Befn possessed of genius, Moses you'll
now proceed to set my 'dobe mouse N
names. The glare of yo' fierce eye is
enough to burn brick walls"
bullet whizzed past my ear, and / got
mad.
Ready" yelled Monte, Give the word.
And now" says l.. "you innocent pill
grlms. you We given me heaps of time to ge.
my twelve men ready. You've got three
men in 20 posse who could hit a house from
inside, the rest being as gun-shy as a school
OF girls. I've got bullet-proof fort with
the twelve best shots in Arizona, and if
you don't get absent quick I'll splash yo
blood as high as the clouds. l give you two
minutes to get out of range"
The weaker men began to rabbit, the best
or them saw a whole row of loopholes with
projecting guns. the leaders were holding a
council of war.
one minuter' says I. then turned to
shout TO my garrison. Men on the roof
pick out the leaders to kill when | give the
word! Men on the right, shoot all hawsses
You can, or them reptiles is due to escape!
Men on the left, attend to Mutlnyl Ninety
seconds! NiRety-five seconds!'
Half the Grave City crowd was STAN
peding for the wagons, the rest were scared
of getting left afoot.
One hundred seconds," Mutiny's coun-
sellers were breaking for cover. "One hun
do
Mutiny turned and bolted. "One-two-
tnree-when | give the word-ready-F'ire
we sprinkled the tails of the Strangers
until there was nothing to see but smoke
and dust. Nobody stayed TO get hurt.
My cousins, the two Misses Jameson, adj
init right free and candid that my past life
Is plumb deplorable, that my present ex-
ample would corrupt the morals of a peni-
tertiary, and that my future state is due
to be disagreeable In place too hot to be
mentioned. They remark that my face IS
homely enough to scare cats, that my man
ners and customs are horrid, that my re-
marks are a whole lot inaccurate, and that
most of my property is stolen goods. At
the same time, they say that I'm NICE and
there agree with them. My face may not
amount to being pretty, my virtues haven't
reached the level of bigotry. but l feel In
my bones that I'm sure nice man. Being
nice, l aim to be liked, L hunger for popu-
larlty, and that is just where | blame the
Grave City Strangers. I've been miSun-
derstood, I've not been appreciated, but why
should l be taken out and lynched? It's
plumb ridiculous!
Now l don't claim that / had any mission
to reform the morals of the vigilance COM
mittee-which they have none-or to correct
their views, the same being whole lot
STEPPED in error; neither would 1t be right
for mo to encourage them in the evil work
of stretching my neck on a rope, or to lead
them into the temptation of shooting
any more. When one gets dislked and dis
couraged by the hostile acts of mean peo-
pie one needs to have presence of mind and
plenty absence Of body. Wherefore l did
right In rounding UP all my livestock. and
quitting locality where my peace of mind
was disturbed with ropes, gunfire and other
evil communications. l took my riders and
my herd away north, to where we could
Craze peaceful and virtuouS amid the I'M
troubled solitudes of the Superstitious
Mountains.
There was work to do, a drive of hum
dred and seventy miles with slow moving
stock, then scouting for water and feed on
the new pasture. a permanent camp 10
make and much besides which filled up
four good weeks. Afterward l tracked
mountain sheep up to the bare heights,
where all the rock was glazed with light
ming and the desert lay below me. | sat
on my tail to think, feeling lonesome then,
looking east toward Texas and wondering
Westward the sun was setting. and that
way lay the great Pacific ocean. bigger
than all the plains, where the ships rode
herd upon their drove of whales-I wanted
to see that too. But then | looked south
east, the way l had come, through valleys
OF scrub and cactus there. somewheres be-
yond the hills, was my little rancho, and
all the good pasture away TO Holy cross.
Ny heart was crying inside me, but didn't
know what l wanted until | thought OF
Curly. Sure enough L wanted her most Oh
all.
CTo be continued tomorrow.