Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-22
Gu RIY
A TALE OF THE ARIZONA DESERT.
BY ROGER PococK.
Author Of "A Frontiersman," etc.
Copyright. 1905. by Little. Brown & Oo.)

| the skyline; then he came sailing back, and
rolled up to the chief, all snortng.
| There's the dust of an army on the
| Fronteras trail"
Them rival armies" McCaImont drawled,
VIII talk theyrselves into fits, and the
| rival governments will talk themselves
| into fiti; and all the newspapers will talk
themselves into fits; then they'll agree
| mat La Mortta was raided, and they'll agree
| that 1t was the act of wicked robbers, and
| they'll agree it was me. 'Spose we have our
| coffee"
All through the night Mccalmont had
| been sitting up with Curly, treating her
wound to course of cold wet bandages
once in five minutes to reduce the swelling.
| after breakfast he went back again to her
| SIDE, and his teeth were sure set hard be-
cause he had made up his mind to dig for
IMAM was needful. As for Jim, he squat
last to think. -
HIS affairs had been some hurried and
his parents, his home, his business as mas
| ter OF tribe of cowboys his friends his
prospects, his reputation as an honest man
ana now the whirlwind had dropped him
on the doorstep of a 'dobe shack to think
me matter over quietly and have a look at
| ihmsei1 He was an orphan now. poor as
a1 wolf hunted, desperate, herded with
earn an honest living when the first re-
spectacle person he met would begin the
conversation by shooting him all to pieces
| iASiA iiC MCCalmOnC calling him
Say, can yo' lawdship oblige me with the
loan of a pin?''
His lordship! The poor chap remembered
now mat ne was Vfscount Balshannon,
Baron Biandon, and several different sorts
of baronets
"Yo' lawdshipi"
,uMcCalmont," he howIed you bruter'
Ihen he heard Curly telling her father to
behave himself, and his mind went of graz
ing again over the range of his troubles
Ihere was that Curly, the famous desper-
AGO AGO II, the lighting frontiersman. the man
VINO had saved his Me-and all of a sudden
he had to think of him-of her-as a poor
girl crazy with pain Jim had to face q
tact which had hit his very soul, turned
the world upside down, and left him wrig-
Cling. 1t was no use being hostile or dis
appointed; he couldn't make believe he was
glad Curly didn't feel like a chum or q
partner now; he couldn't imagine her as
any sort of sister or friend She lust filled
his life until there nothing else to care
for on earth, and 1t made his bones ache
Then McCalmont began to work with
some sort Of surgical instruments. probing
her wound for the bullet. He heard her
make little means, whimpers, and stopped
his ears with his fingers. Then she
SCI canned.
jam was shaking all over but with that
SCI cam he knew what had happened to him
self. He had fallen head over ears in love
with that same Curly
After q long time McCalmont came out of
the shack and sat down alongside of Jim.
The robber was white as a ghost he was
trembling and gulping for breath.
Here" he cried. you take this"
Jim took the thing in his hand-a fiat
tened bullet all torn around the edges and
streaked with bleod.
For some time he just sat staring at that
bullet, scared by his own thoughts. Cap
tain, says he at last, 'Curlys not dy-
ing?''
Why, not to any great extent, my son."
yawned. Hes sleeping a whole lot now,
and If your stay around in case he wakes,
III take q few myself; I'm kinder tired
The robber dropped off to sleep, and Jim
the boys off duty in the yard called him
to dinner. but McCalmont slept far into
the afternoon. Then of sudden he started
broad awake, his hand on his gum staring
out at the blazing heat of the desert
That's all right says he; three hours
rest is enough for hawsses and robbers, so
reckon I've Ven took moren my share 1
I'll catch some lunch, then"
Jim watched him ranging about the yard,
bread In one hand, meat In the other,
to work. He kept three young robbers
busy until the camp gear was slowed for
travel, and all the litter was hid away out
Of sight. Then he made them bury the
ashes of the camp fire. and smooth over all
the tracks until the ground looked as
though there had been no visitors for a
week.
After that he brought pencil and note
II want you to write,' he said; "scrawl
yo' worst, and put down all the spellin
ignorant. Write-Dere Bill, I'm GAVIN with
the blackboard for grub. Back this even.'-
B. Brown Yes, that will do
He took the book from Jim, tore out the
leaf, and hung it on the door conspicuous.
''Thars times" he said. when sherifrs
and marshals and posses of virtuous citi-
zens gets out on the warpath in pursuit
of robbers They comes pointing along
mighty suspicious, and reads the tracks
shifts the little smells and In theyr ignor-
ant way draws false conclusions. Mean
while the robbers has adjourned"
JIM face was as long as coffin Cap
tain" says he, I've been thinking"
I'm sorry yore took bad, my SON" The
robber sat down beside him. Let me see
yo' tongue"
Don't laugh at me. viii you mind
Captain McCalmont-if-if l speak of Curly
just this once-as-as a woman?''
Turn yo' wolf loose, my son, I'm hear
ing"
II love her, sir"
Same here, jim"
DO you mind thought"
MY boy, when 1 wanted to marry her
mother jest up an asked her"
I'm not good enough for her.
That's So and yet reckon Curly's been
dead gentle with you-all Why, she sure
sits on all our haids."
I'm afraid she doesn't care for me yet
Il expaict, Jim, that an eye-doctor is
what you need"
And you'll consent?"
If Curly consents, on one condition.
You get her safely out OF this country
you take her to civilized life, whar she can
stay good, away from us-thieves Take
her to the old country"
ITO staryev
'I'll see to that. I've left enough wealth
with Chalkeye to give you a start in life.
He came down yesterday mawning to see
you-all at La Morita-you were out"
DO you suppose" says Jim, getting hot
that Pd take your money!"
IF you take my child, yore not above
taking my money. Lord Balshannonr'
Jim paved his gun-'I take no stolen
money!
'Yo're speaking too Loud" says Mccall
mont, come over by the corral
He walked over to the bars of the corral
Jim following.
and now" McCalmont's voice went
softer than ever. II may allude to the fact
that II any cur insults my daughter or me,
there Is apt to be some unpleasantness"
Don't you think" says Jim his hand on
his gun, that we had better go a little fur
ther off-so that Curly won't be disturbed
when we fret"
why. boy. air you proposin to dispense
yo' gun at me?'
LAS you please! You called me a cur