Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-01-13

| Some gent full OF liquor, l reckon,
| Clifford remarked.
They watched il indifferently. The
man fell again, got up on his hands
trail. They could see his upturned
| face.
Clifford, it's Shorty" said the 9TH
He started forward. With an oath
the man on horse raised his rifle.
Drop it," snapped the other.
"You let him come-if he kin"
Shorty got to his feet again and
came unsteadily forward, fell, and
once more began crawling on his
knees. He bit his lip until the blood
spurted forth. but he did not feel the
pain. His parched throat was like
! a limekiln. His tongue was black
and swollen. His sombrero was gone,
and the setting sun glowed redly
upon his face as he came to the
man on the horse.
Clifford cooked his rifle, levelling 1t
steadily at the distorted face below
him. Shorty" tried to speak, but the
words came slow and uncertainty, as
if from long disuse.
Little maverick" he said, "out on
desert. Found 'er. Pete-Pete
plumb locoed-scared-ratt snake.
Tried to make it-out thar-in the
land of-dead things"
you hound!" said Clifford; what
did you find?"
"Baby-girl-maverick," came from
the cowboys black lips. Found 'er
downtown in Taylor's Canyon. Lit
tie girl-yellow curls-white clothes"
He raised his arm and swept 1t to the
east. Clifford, can't you go? She's
dyin' out thar"
"Whar did yuh fin her?"-Gifford
was beside him now and forced
whisky between his lips" Shorty
it must be Kate-an' she never went
home"
Shorty" wandered in delirium.
Little maverick" he murmured,
"I'll be back soon. I won't be long.
brought him from his stupor. 9TH
wagon!" he whispered, with a gleam
of Intelligence. "I'll go back to her"
The two men carried him to the
wagon and laid him on the floor.
Clifford lashed the ponies forward.
Men came rushing out Of the school,
house. To them was shouted back
the news that Gifford's 'kid" was ly-
ing somewhere out on the desert.
Shorty" was dying, and he was the
only one who could find the girl.
AS for Shorty" he felt the rush Of
the wagon dimly. He heard Clifford
raging at the horses. but he seemed
very far away. Somewhere there was
a little girl lying under a chaparral.
with a red handkerchief to point her
out. "Shorty's'' throat was burning
up, his head throbbed intolerably, but
he knew he must not faint. The
wheels ground out the same pulsing
refrain. "A red-a red-a red" and
his brain Knocked him with the fam
tastic images Of a thousand red ban
ners floating above the sentinel
cacti.
He raised himself on his arm and
pointed to the right.
red bandanna.
AS they drove up to the bush buz-
zard floated away and circled above
their heads.
The foremost men from Maricopa,
running down the trail, met the re-
turning blackboard, with Clifford
driving the galloping horses. The
men called to him, 'Is tn kid dead
is she dead?"
The schoolhouse came in sight,
with all Maricopa before it. The
man who was with Clifford stood up
on the seat. i
lncY alive. Ile SlloulSu' ohu
the men around him cheered vocifer-
ously.
clifford laughed brokenly when they
told him the child would live. They
trickled cold water into "Shorty's'
mouth, and dashed pailful after pail
full over his quivering body. /
"He lifted his head and looked at
the child.
Little maverick, can't yuh speak |
to me?" he asked, anxiously.
Clifford came over holding out his
hand.
shorty" he said, with misty eyes,
'they say you're sheriff right
The cowboy took Gifford's hand and
they shook heartily.
"An' now, Clifford" he stammered:
cant yuh stop thet
foolish noise out thar? I amt no
Injun massacre,"-World Wide Maga-
zine.