The Green Forest tribune., 1910-03-11

None or them so Tar nad proved SuC- cessful, but all of them were serious enough to have proved interesting.
 In spite of such little inconven- fences, however, everything was nov ing along very smoothly. until one day when Jim came home and found no Dolores waiting for him. He was bit surprised, as she usually ran to meet him with the simple pleasure of a child and could always be seen standing in the doorway watching for his to come in sight At first he did not feel uneasy. He was little early that evening and Dolores might not have expected him so soon. She was doubtless inside cooking supper. He went in and walked from the one room to the other, but there was no Dolores to be found. His eye lin- gered upon the stove; there was no meal prepared and the coals were quite dead Then it gradually dawned on him. Dolores had gone since noon.
 Dolores! Dolores!" he called There was no answer. Dolores! Do lores!" and then something caught his eye. It was just in the path of the sunlight and it futtered in the light breeze. It was a small white piece of paper stuck up in sliced stick. It must have been left there purposely He went out to get it.
 He read it hurriedly. Swearing low his orders into his ear Swearing low to himself, he rushed to the office and got his guns. Five minutes later he and his horse vanished in a cloud of dust in the hills to the left.
 game of cards had been arranged for that night at the office. Jim had promised to make up a fourth at whist At 7:30 two of the men had ocome. At eight the third put in an appearance. At 8:30 there was still no sign of Jim. so a boy was sent to hurry him on. In a few minutes the boy returned. Senor superintendente was not at home-there was nobody at home. He had learned from Berna- dino, however, that senor had ridden off in much haste and swear words to hunt skunks. Fl senor had been very angry and had cast many reflections on the ancestry of poor Bernadino.
 The night wore gloomily on Cards were given up. Morning was ap- preaching. Gillespie sat drowsing in a corner. At the table the other two sat talking. Suddenly there was an oath followed by blows. Gillespie awoke with a start and then looked daZedly on, making no attempt to sep arate the two men. It was silent. nasty fight. From time to time their heads or their heels thumped upon the board floor. Oftener there came the sickening thud as fist landed on fact or chest. Still Gillespie sat and looked on as if in torpor; still the men fought without a word being spoken. Then in the midst of the blows, there could be heard far in the distance the chatter of a horse at full gallop. The men stopped fighting. The horse was approaching rapidly. went outside. There in the center of the courtyard stood Jims horse, steaming and riderless.
 For second there was silence more oppressive than before even. Each looked at the other. The damned off to the hills wonder. Are you two in on it with me?"
 For answer the men went to the deer's horn and took down their rifles and revolvers. Someone gave an or der to a stable boy who had come rushing out at the sound of the ap- preaching horse. The boy hurried away In a few minutes he returned with horses saddled and accompanied by tall, well-built Indian. He was Sancho, tracer. There was a brief consultation. Sancho mounted and led the way, all the time looking for tracks. Far down the road with the mass. Spurs were put to the horses and they came up at full gallop. The indistinct mass took shape as they ap- preached. There, lying fiat on his back, was Jim, and bending over him and rocking his lifeless head in her lap was Dolores.
 When spoken to, she did not an- swer. but pointed to a large rock be- side the road. Gillespie and Conroy rode forward. They found two men lying fiat in the sands, each with a single bullet through his heart They were the two greasers.
 Dolores finally told how it hap pened. She explained that the two men had lain in wait for her brave se- nor and fired from under cover. With many sobs she told how they had rid died him with bullets before he even had a chance to retaliate. How the brave senor, very brave senor, oh, most brave senor, had ridden forward with four bullets in his breast, had taken deliberate aim and killed the two bad, bad men.