Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20

youngster.
Well. Jim was younger than me, so
there's some excuse for him. He was
rough on Curly-hostile and contemptuous
when the little partner acted feminine. He
owned up afterward he'd behaved like
brute to that poor wounded, helpless crit
ter. loving him all the while. but acting
coarse; that humbled Curly, who weakened
under his tongue lash, cried at times. and
lay for hours sucking the wound on his
arm, dumb like a dying animal Both
youngsters were surely miserable on the
second and third days they lay together in
prison. 1t was on the second morning
that l. sent down doctor from Bisiey 10
fix up Curly's wound.
Late that evening, toward midnight,
crowbar dropped down through the win
dow gap in the wall. and Jim began to Ia
Dor out a hole for their escape. He dug
out bricks of 'dobe one by one. and while
he worked he made poor Curly sing hour
after hour, to hide UP the sound of the
crowbar. Shall tell you one of the songs?
It's a cowboy tune for smoothing the feel
ings of driven cattle while they bed them
selves down for night.
''Soh. Bessie sob.
The waters handy neah.
The grass is plenty heab,
An all the stars a-sparkle
Bekase we drive no mo-
We drive no mo-.
''The long trail ends today,
The long trail ends today.
The punchers go to play,
And all you weary cattle
May sleep in peace for sure
Sleep, sleep TO sure.
The moon caynt bite you henh,
Nor punchers fright you hesh.
And you-all win be beef befo'
We need you any mo-
We need you NOR
When morning broke Jim piled hay on
the burrow he'd made in the foot Of the
wall, and lay on top dead weary to get
some sleep. AT 10 o'clock the doctor from
Bisley found Curly still singing, light
headed, talking nonsense. The patient said
he was a bear, so the doctor gave sleep
medicine and sat beside him. At noon he
fed the boys their dinner and went away.
but they didn't wake again until supper
time when the man on guard came in.
What's for SUPPER says Curly.
"Tortllas. frijoles, coffee - same as
usual"
Eat it, says Curly, "'cause I'm only a
bear holed up for winter. We don't eat in
winter anyways"
Bears have their coffee" says jim.
"Oh, yes of course" and Curly fed coffee
to the winter bear That cleared his head,
and he sat up watching Jim at work on
the little round dishes. The food was fri
joles. the same being beans and tOrtillas,
which is a thin corn cake, pretty much the
same as brown fly papers. warm and
damp, but sort OF undressing TO taste.
The coffee was in brown earthen pot,
fresh from the fire and mighty encour-
aging. Those three things make the proper
iced for MeXicans, the same being simple.
uninstructed people, knowing no better.
NneN lney least lUcS make Il stew OF T6u
pepper and take a little meat with it: but
that dish is luxury and hot enough to
burn a hole through a brick.
When Jim had eaten everything IN sight
he started cigarettes, listening to a banjo
in the guard room, a growing hum Of talk
and the click of cups, for some Holy Cross
riders were there with a jar of cactus
spirit, deck of cards and other induce
ments sent in by Capt. McCalmont. Jim
heard them talking war because they'd
never been paid off at Holy Cross and had
Six months wages coming. They allowed
that ell Chico, their young patrone, ought
to hang, and the guards agreed that such
was probable. Tomorrow the prisoners
were going to be collected by the United
States authorities for trial Jim looked at
his partner for comfort, but saw big tears
rolling down Curly's face.
You ought to be ashamed Of that" says
he.
ut cayn't be helped" Curly swept his
arm across his face. You Jim, we got to
part tonight"
''You wild ass OF the desert! What's the
matter now?"
You're goin' through that hole to find
yo' liberty but I stay here"
stay, and be hanged to you"
81 got to. How should 1 be with this
wound out there on the ranger?
I'm see to that, youngster:, It's only a
as being hanged"
II cayn't travel. We're due to be caught
and killed. You go alone, Jim
I'VE go together and live, or we stay to-
gether and die. Take your choice, Curly
"Oh, cayn't bear it-you don't under
stand!'
81 understand you're a little coward
That's no dream"
You own to being a coward?"
YES. All these years I've tried to play
the game. to be boy, to live boys life,
but now-Pd rather die, and get it fin
ished."
"Why?"
"I've been off my haid last night and all
today. This pain has stampeded me, and
I'm goin' crazy. Tonight the pain is worse.
I'll be making fool talk, giving myself
away. and you'll find me out. It's better
to own up than to be found out
ITO own up what?'
''oh, don't e hard on me, Jim! I tried so
hard! was born for boy, had to be 4
boy. Don't. you see, girls was plumb i'm
possible in gang of robbers!"
Have you gone mad?"
"Oh, you cayn't understand, and it's SO
hard to say" Curly lay face downwards,
hiding a shamed face. MY mother must
have made mistake-I wasn't bawn for
Good graciousr'
II had to be raised for a boy-it had to
be done; What else was possible at the
Robbers Roost2'
And you're not boy!'
God help me; I'm only girl
"oh, don't be hard on melt ain't my
fault. tried so hard to be man-but l m
crazy with pain--and / wisht was daid!
but I can't belieye-it can't be true.
Why. I've seen you ride-the first horse
man in Arizona. scout. cowboy. desperado.
wanted for robbery and murder-you .
grip
Have pity! Don't! Don't talk like that
I'm not so bad as you think never rob
you hil:ed men to save my life. oh.