Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-05-27

foregathered in the thirsty morning.
Al Dry lake. where their routes di-
verged. they refined up for parting
cigarette. Webb offered an addpndum
TO the conversation that had begun ten
miles away.
You remember yourself, Badly,
that there was time when Santa
wasn't quite 80 independent. You re-
member the days when old McAlllster
was keepin' us apart and how she used
to send me the sign that she wanted
to see mel Old man Mac promised to
make me look like colander if ever
come In gupshot of the ranch. You
remember dle sign she used to send,
Baldy-the heart with cross inside"
'MeT' cried Badly, with intoxicated
archness. You old sugar stealth
coyote! Don't remember! Why, you
dadblamed old long horned turtledove,
the boys In camp was all cognosciOus
about them hiroglyphs. The 'gizzard
and crossbones' we used to call it, We
used to see 'em on truck that was sent
out from the ranch. They was mark
ed in charcoal on the sacks of -four
and In lead pencil on the newspapers"
'Santa's father" explained Webb
gently, "got her to promise that she
wouldn't write to me or send me any
word That heart and cross sign was
her scheme Whenever she wanted to
In Shn nnanaunH
put that mark on somethin' at the
ranch that she knew I'd see.
THE last time Santa sent me the
sign" said Webb, was once when she
was sick. noticed it as soon as hit
camp, and | galloped Pinto forty mile
that night. | went to the house Old
McAlliSter met me at the door. Did
you come here to get killedT says he.
I'll disoblige you for once. | just
started u Mexican to bring you. Santa
wants you. Go in that room and see
her and then come out and see me-
Santa was lynn in bed pretty sick.
| But she gives out kind of smile,
and her hand and mine lock horns.
and sets down by the bed-mud and
spurs and chaps and all. I've heard
you ridin' across the grass for hours,
Webb she says. i was sure you'd
come. You saw the sign she wills
pers. The minute hit camp says
, l. Twas marked on the bag Of pota'
toes and onions? They're always 10.
gether,' says she, soft-like-'always to.
gether in life They 90 well togeth,
err says, in stew. i mean hearts
and crosses says Santa. Our sign
to love and to suffer--that's what they
mean There was old Doc Musgrove
amusin' himself with whisky and a
palm leaf fan And by and by Santa
goes to sleep, and Doc feels her fore,
head. and he says TO me: You're not
such bad febrifuge, but you'd better
slide out now, for the diagnosis don't
call for you in regular doses. The
little lady'll be all right when she
wakes up
81 seen old McAllister outside She:
asleep says |. and now you can star
) in with your colander work. TAX,
your time. for left my gun on my
saddle horn
"Old Mac laughs. and he says to me
'Pumpin' lead into the best ranch hos'
in west Texas don't seem to me goo(
business policy. don't know wher,
| could get as good a one. It's tn,
son-in-law idea. Webb. that makes nj
admire for to use you as target
You amt my idea for a member o
the family. But can use you on tn
Nopalito If you'll keep outside of
radius with the ranch house in tn
middle of it."
Badly Woods pulled down his ha
and uncurled his leg from his saddl
horn. Webb shortened his rein, an,
his pony danced, anxious to be of
The two men shook hands with west
ern ceremony.
"Adios. Baby" said Webb ar
glad seen you and had this talk"
At 8 o'clock on the following morr
ing Bud Turner rolled from his saddl
in front of the Nopalito ranch nous
and stumbled with whizzing rowels tC
ward the gallery. Bud was in charg
Of the bunch of beef cattle that was {
strike the trail that morning for Sa
Antonio. Mrs. Yeager was on the ga
| lery watering cluster of hyacinth
growing In red earthenware jar.
| king" McAllister had bequeathed I
| his daughter many of his strong cha
| acteristics - his resolution. his ga
courage, his contumacious self rel
ance. his pride as a reigning monarc
Of boots and horns. Allegro and forti
n simO had been McAllister's tempo an
% tone. In Santa they survived, tran
's posed to the feminine key
10 Webb stood on one edge of the ga
le lery giving orders to two or three sui
,r bosses of various camps and outfit
8 who had ridden in for instructions.
'Mornin'." said Bud briefly. "Whel
ID do you want them beeves to 60
town-to BARRIERS, as usuaIT'
er Now, to answer that had been tt
u prerogative Of the queen. All Il
reins Of misunderstanding, selling an
O. banking-had been held by her cap
7e bic fingers. The handling of the Gait
IN had been intrusted fully TO her hu
band. In the days of king" McAlli
~ ter Santa had been his secretary ar