Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-16

endorsed the railroad man, the carpenter
disabled the barber and the counter jumper
bolted.
That posse was all demoraized shooting
liberal attracting heaps of attention. SO
another belated outfit of citizens came
whooping down the road, while at the first
sound of battle the crowd was with swung
round at full gallop to share the play. L
knew my youngsters were in foul bad luck.
Yet in a single evening these two had
got to feeling each others thoughts. act
ing together without talk, partners like
the hands of a man. They knew that for
them it was death to show on the skyline,
sure good scouting to jump for the lowest
ground, and keep the dust a-rollng to hide
their movements. They struck gulley and
Jim led over rock and cactus, riding slack
rein, trusting that buckskin mare. After
the first five minutes, looking round, he
saw the belated outfit along the skyline fol-
lowing, and heard the whoops of our crowd
closing in on the left.
II reckon" says Curly, they'll get u.s."
Every awkward" says Jim.
Say, Curly" he called out, there's a
fence here somewhere on Chalkeyes pas
ture. It's broken where it cuts this arroyo,
but Just ware wire! Here! Care Wirep'
The mare took stumble, but cleared the
fallen wire. The black horse just jumped
high. Up on the plain above the pursuit was
going TO be checked by my standing fence.
Were plumb in luck to our lips" says
Curly.
And now the rocky hollow widened out,
the trail was smooth, the pace tremendous.
White our citizens behind were having a
check betwiXt rock and wire, Jim struck
the further gate of my pasture and held it
wide for Curly. Horsemanship had given
the partners q mile of gain, but now, on
level ground where any fool could ride,
our posse gained rapidly, for the young
sters had to go moderate and save their
horses
Down on yo' hawss," says Curly, you
ride too proud" and spatter of blue lead
do hmm 40 he fool How
were right handy for war, when sudden the
winding valley poured out its fan of de-
brfs upon the lower plain toward Mexico.
Here just below the mouth of the arroyo a
railroad track swung right across the trail
on high embankment. On the nigh side of
the emSankment ran a wagon trail climb
ing hill on the left to cross the track, and
that was sure foul luck for Jim and Curly
for now they rode out clear against the
sky IN storm of lead, and began to reckon
they was due at the big front door of
heaven. Jim was all right in moment
for the buckskin mare just rose to the oc-
casion leapt the rails and got to cover down
the bank beyond, but Curly's horse was an
idiot. Al the sight of the cleaning rails
he stopped dead to show himself off, SHE'D,
bucked. paved the full moon, fell in heaps
tumbled all over himself, dug a hole in the
ground with his nose, and timed the whole
exhibition to get Curly shot. The gallopers
were right on to him before he chose to
proceed. with TANKS spurred bloody, down
the further bank
Jim circled back TO the rescue. "Hurt?'
he called.
Curly lay all of heap on the saddle
"Shoot!' he howled, and flashed on across
the plain.
Jim got the gallopers stark against the
sky at point-blank range, and just whirled
In for battle. piling the track with dead
and dying horses, blocking the passage
complete. Then he streaked away to see If
Curly had gone dead on Jones back.
Five minutes after that, Deputy Marshal
Petersen and l came laundering into the
wreckage. He jumped through somehow
leading eighteen men. but l stopped to help
a hurt man, and used his rifle to sI,lint his
broken leg. The fool gallopers were, mostly
wrung out. and gone home or left afoot by
Jim. The good stayers were on ahead, but
weary, maybe it being late for p1easuring
So / proceeded to have an attack of rob-
bers all to myself with the wounded mans
revolver and my own, shooting proiniscous.
pursuers came circling back to find out
what was wrong.
When I had turned back with my idiots
for home. ripple spread along the grass,
an air from the south. then a lifting wind.
full strong. steady as ice allow cold as the
wings of Death Jim fought up wind, bat
Ting at full gailop until he overlook the
little partner, then ranged abreast and
steadied knee to knee, nursing his mare
at trot. The moon slid down f1ame-red
behind the hills. the wind bl&w a gale, the
night went black the sky a sheet of stars.
Jim had quit being tired. for his body was
all gone numb and dead, so he felt nothing
except the throb of hoofs astern. Then he
heard popping of guns faint In the rear,
and on that saw flashes of signal firing
away on the right, besides other gun-f1ames
back below Mule Pass. He held his teeth
from chattering to speak.
Curly, old chap. they've wired for a
posse up from Haco. and the city marshalsH