The herald., 1911-12-14


the sound of hidden brook. The name
of II was Rosita McMullen; and she
was the daughter of old man McMul-
len Of the Shutdown sheep ranch.
There came riding on red roam
steeds-or, to be more explicit, on
paint and a fea-bitten' sorrel-two
wooers. One was Madison Lane and
the other was the Frio Kid. But at
that time they did not call him the
FRO Kid, for he had not earned the
honors Of special nomenclature. His
name was simply Johnny Mercy.
It must not be supposed that these
two were the sum of the agreeable
Rosita's admirers. The bronchos Of q
dozen others champed their bits at
the long hitching rack Of the Sun
down ranch. Many we're the Sleeps
eyes that were cast in those savannas
that did not belong to the fiocks Of
Dan McMullen. But Of all the cava-
liers Madison Lane and Johnny Nc
Roy galloped far ahead, wherefore
they are to be chronicled.
Madison Lane, a 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 nveliest there descended upon II
Johnny Mercy, bitten by jealousy
like one possessed.
I'll give you q 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 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, sheepman, pos
sessed a mind with triggers some
what well oiled and in repair. The
guns of the wedding party had beer
hung, IN their belts, upon nails In the
wall when they sat at table, as a con
cession to good taste. But Carson
with great promptness, hurled his
plate of roast venison and frijoles al
McRoy, spelling his aim. The second
bullet, then, only shattered the white
petals of Spanish dagger flower sus
pended two feet above Rosita's head
The guests spurned their chair.
and jumped for their weapons. Il
was considered an improper act II
shoot the bride and groom at a wed
ding. In about six seconds there wer,
l twenty or so bullets due to be whiz
4 zing in the direction Of Mr.. Mercy.
I'll shoot better next time" yellet
Johnny; "and therell be a 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. Mercy was on his horse an,
away, shouting back curses an
threats as he galloped into the cor
cealing chaparral.
That night was the birthnight O
the FRO Kid. He became the "ba,
man" of that portion of the state. Tn
rejection of his suit by Miss McMul
len turned him to dangerous man
When officers went after him for tn
shooting of Carson, he killed two o
them, and entered upon the life of al
outlaw. When he was. at last sho
and killed by a little one-armed Mex
lean who was nearly dead himsel
from fright, the Frio Kid had tn,
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 It IL
well to give each one credit, II It can
be done. for whatever speck of good
he may have possessed. II the Frio
Kid oyer did q kindly act or felt .