The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-18

eyes and a laugh
N that rippled across
~ ~ the prail ie like
the sound of a hidden brook. The name
of it was Rosita sAlullen; and she
was the daAgb1 d old man McMul-
len of g. Nh sheep ranch.
The S.,riding on red roam
steedSS ii be more explicit, on a
paint. nd a feabitten sorrel-two
wooers. One was madison Lane and
the other was. Hk&rio Kid. But at
that time they'd u call him the
Frio Kid, .y0f hesf M mot earned the
honorS af;$pseis1s Nomenclature. His
name Ves simply Johnny Mercy.
1t muss not be supposed that these
two were the sum Of the agreeable
Rosita's adYtress.s The bronchos of a
dozen othst2 ehsnped their bits at
the long hitching rack Of the Sun
down ranch. Many were the Sleeps
eyes that we're cast in those savannas
that did not belong to the fiocks OF
Dan McMullen. But Of all the cava.
Tiers Madison Lane and Johnny Nc.
Roy galloped far ahead. wherefore
they are to be chronicled.
Madison Lane, young cattleman
from the Nueces country, won the
race. He and ROsita were married one
Christmas day. Armed, hilarious. vo.
ciferous. magnanimous. the cOwmen
and the sheepmen, laying aside their
hereditary hatred, joined forces to
celebrate the occasion.
But while the wedding feast was at
its liveliest there descended upon 1t
Johnny Mercy. bitten by jealousy,
like one possessed.
"Ill give you Christmas present"
he yelled, shrilly. at the door, with his
AS In his hand. Even then he had
some reputation as an offhand shot
His first bullet cut a neat underbit
in Madison Lanes right ear. The bar.
rel OF his gun moved an inch. The
next shot would have been the brides.
had not Carson, a sheepman. pos
sessed a mind with triggers some.
what well oiled and In repair. The
guns of the wedding party had been
hung. In their belts, upon nails In the
wall when they sat at table. as con.
cession to good taste. But Carson,
with great promptness. hurled his
plate Of roast venison and frijoles at
Mercy, spelling his aim. The second
bullet. then. only shattered the white
petals Of q Spanish dagger flower sus-
pended two feet above Rosita's head.
The guests spurned their chairs
and jumped for their weapons. It
was considered an improper act to
shoot the bride and groom at a wed.
ding. In about six seconds there were
twenty or SO bullets due to be whiz.
zing in the direction Of Mr. Mercy.
"l'll shoot better next time" yelled
Johnny; and therell be next time"
He backed rapidly out the door.
The cattlemen swept out upon him,
calling for vengeance.
But the sortie failed In Its ven.
geance. McRoy was on his horse and
away. shouting back curses and
threats as he galloped into the con.
cealing chaparral.
That night was the birthnight OF
the Frio Kid. He became the bad
man" Of that portion Of the state. The
rejection Of his suit by Miss McMul.
len turned him to a dangerous man.
When onicers went after him for the
shooting Of Carson. he killed two OF
them, and entered upon the life Of an
outlaw. When he was. at last shot
and killed by a little one armed Mex
lean who was nearly dead himself
from fright, the Frio Kid had the
deaths of Is men on his head.
Many tales are told along the Dor
der of his impudent courage and
daring. But he was not one of the
breed Of desperadoes who have sea
sons of generosity and even OF soft
ness. They say he never had mercy
on the object of his anger. Yet al
this and every Christmastide II i
well to give each one credit, ii it car
be done, for whatever speck OF good
he may have possessed. If the Eric
Kid ever did kindly act or felt {
throb of generosity in his heart it wa:
once at such a time and season. an(
this is the way it happened:
One December in the Frio countr!
rode the Frio Kid and his Satellit,
and co-murderer. Mexican Frank. Tn,
Kid refined In his mustang. and sat II
his saddle, thoughtful and grim. witt
dangerously narrowing eyes.
Il don't know what I been thinkin,
about, Mex" he remarked In his usua
mild drawl, TO have forgot oil about