The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-12-30

Il \CYk II frank, deep brown
eyes and laugh
Wv that rippled across
~ q the prairie like
the sound of hidden brook. The name
of 1t 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 flea-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
Frio 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 a
dozen others champed their bits at
the long hitching rack of the Sun
down ranch Many were the Sleeps
eyes that were cast in those savannas
that did not belong to the f1ocks of
Dan McMullen. But of all the cava-
hers 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
icelebrate the occasion.
But while the wedding feast was at
its iveliest there descended upon it
Johnny Mercy, bitten by Jealousy,
like one possessed.
'rll give you a 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, sheepman, pos
sessed a mind with triggers some
what we'll 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 a 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 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.
''I'll shoot better next time" yelled
Johnny; "and there'll 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 and
away. shouting back curses AM
threats as he galloped into the con
cealing chaparral.
- That night was the birthnight o.
the Frio Kid. He became the "baC
man" of that portion Of the state. The
rejection OF his suit by Miss McMul
len turned him to a dangerous man
When officers went after him for thy
shooting of Carson, he killed two q
them, and entered upon the life Of af
outlaw. When he was. at last sho
and killed by little one-armed Mex
lean who was nearly dead hIMsei
from fright. the FRO Kid had III
deaths OF IS men on his head
Many tales are told along tao Dor
der of his impudent courage AZ.
daring. But he vas not one If I'll,
breed of desperadoes who have sra
sons Of generosity and even = s-t.
ness. They say he never had nero.
on the object OF his anger Ysr a
this and every Christmas-tta It /
well 70 give each one credit. = Il On.
be done. for whatever spech ~ -r.
he may have possessed Il The FL
Kid ever did kindly act or felt
throb OF generosity il his heart il Va
once at such q time and season, aa
this is the way It happened:
One December IL the Frio eoal-u
rode the Frio Kid and his Sate-s-
and co-murderer. Mexican Frank. Ill
Kid refined IN his mustang ana Sal
his saddle. thoughtful aE3 grim. NIL
dangerously narrowing eyes.
u don't know what ! been rh..s5~
about. Mex" he remarked H. his -s.-
mild drawl, to have forgot all a&s-r
Christmas present I sot TT give. II
going 10 ride over touorro" night a-
shoot Madison Lane in his owa ao~~