Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1908-07-23

HE LAS / r IP
| OF LII TIE BE TSY
BY HOWARD E. MORTON
(Copyright, BY. shortstory Pub. Coz

( as~.ASA
Get yo'sef long, Miss Fannie. Amt.
no use O. loain'. Go long, Miss Fam
ME. Jes' looka Miss Jennie. She's
| done run clear way an mos pull her
purity neck of. Go long, Miss Fan
ME, 60 long" 4. s I.
An old negro, with white hair that
fell almost to his shoulders, sat on
the high seat Of a heavy mountain
wagon, and after having thus deliv-
cred himself to the off leader of 12-=
mule team, relapsed into silence. Miss
! Fannie seemed to understand the re-
| buke, for she laid back her long ears,
snorted resentfully and trotted along
for some distance at pace that kept
| her chime bells and trace chains
| jingling merrily. The negro smiled
| approvingly and gazed aimlessly up
the hot, dusty road which wound and
undulated among. the foothills. s
Black Jim, for that was the only
name he had known for nearly 40
years, prided himself on his ability
to handle horses and mules Many
time in his young days on the old Cali
fornia ranches, when some wild bron-
| co, fresh from the range, defied every
vaquero in the corral, Black Jim
mounted the animal and brought it
back in half an hour thoroughly
tanned and tractable. His fame was
known through more than one Califor-
MIA county and for years he Travelled
from ranch to ranch earning living
as horse breaker.
On the first day of each month the
quicksilver output of the New Idria
mines was shipped to the metropolis.
The heavy iron TASKS, filled with the
metallic fluid, were loaded into Black
Jims big wagon at the refinery and
then Jim and his mules would clatter
away through the town on hundred
nd-twentyGve-mile drive to Moss
Landing, on Monterey bay. The trip,
down across the San Benito valley
and over the range of low mountains
| that fringes the shore of the Pacific,
| usually occupied five or six days, and
1t was necessary to take food for
| himself and the animals This was
packed in a small, light rig, the tongue
of which was coupled to the heavier
| wagon with stout chain. Jim called
! his smaller vehicle Little Betsy, to dis
tinguish it from Big Betsy, which car
ried the quicksilver, and in it he
slowed his supply Of hay and grain,
blankets and Transfers paraphernalia,
besides enough provisions to suffice
for the journey. At Moss Landing Jim
would deliver, the shipment to the
captain Of little coasting schooner,
who took it up to San Francisco.
1t was on one of these monthly trips
that Black Jim found it necessary to.
rebuke Miss Fannie for tagging be
hiHd, her running mate.
Big Betsy rumbled briskly along
| for some miles and Little Betsy
trailed behind with a merry staccato
rattle. The road wound higher and
higher among the mountains and the
level floor of the San Benito valley
had long since disappeared behind the
foothills. 1t was midsummer, and the
sun beat down at it's fiercest There
was no breeze to stir the air and the
heavy adobe dust kicked up by the
mules hung in thick, choking cloud
about the outfit. Jim amused himself
for time clipping off the tops of
wild flowers with the lash of his long
whip, but as the heat became more
and more oppressive he closed his
eyes and finally drowsed. 7+ r
He was awakened suddenly from
his nap by snort from the leaders,
followed by the crisp command:
| Hands up" ..-..... ~ 5I..
Jim rubbed his eyes stupidity and
stared ahead through the cloud of dust,
| The wheel mules were bumped up in
their breeding, with the rest of the
team backed in against them con
fusedly. The leaders were kicking and
squealing. Again the voice said
! sharply: - y@
| Hands up" And as the dust
cleared away, a man with double
barreled shotgun at his shoulder grad
ually took shape at the side of the
road. .as. I'd \. @ 6Ss 4s55es 5 .5
"Dey's up, dey's up! Put down de
gun, TO- de Lords sake! Dey's up!"
| Two dark brown palms were raised
skyward The man lowered the gun
and looked searchingly into the ebony
| face.
( The man was tall and roughly
dressed and his features were masked
by a thick, matted black beard that
covered the race almost to the points
Of the cheek bones Another man,
shorter than the first, swarthy like an
Indian, and hideous from the loss Of
81 e..1-n. emerged from behind the LEAF
efss b 3ass. ard the two held whis-
ra-ed consultation. Jim sat on the
Ii \ seat with appraised hands watch.
ing them covertly, his small eyes still
[bEinl.ing The men conversed for a
lfew moments and then the one with
tie sun advanced and prppped up his
foot on the spokes Of the forewheel.
Look here you" he said savagely,
his fingers playing with the trigger Of
2 aAH. ~.