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

of souls in purgatory, and the sombeI
world apart from them seemed full o
the ominous silence.
In the night Shorty" awoke-thirs
ty. The moonlight fell upon the fac,
of the child.
Poor little maverick" he said
softly, ''yuh must be nigh tired out
Then he fell asleep again, in spite
of his thirst, for he was very tired.
At dawn the cowboy started again
The child was awake now, but it neve,
spoke, only stared at him out Of red
frightened eyes. His own felt strange
with pangs, for the western cowboy
spends the better half of his life in
the saddle.
The spire-like peak of a distant
butte caught the first rays of the
sun; it glowed like a fiery needle
Then, with bound. the sun cleared
the hilltops and scared aloft. And
so it became day.
arms, and his own brain swan in the
fierce air. Several hours later he
had to stop under a cactus to ease
the pain in his shoulders. He stayed
there all the afternoon. now and then
giving the precious brandy to the
child, drop by drop. When the
shadows slanted in long rows to the
east he started forward again, look
ing steadily at the blue foothills Of the
Hermosillos.
The child seemed weaker, so "Shor-
ty" thought; and then an odd feeling
struck him that the baby understood
everything he said, and was reproach-
ing him.
It's like this" shorty" explained.
There's a gent over at Maricopa
mean cuss, little maverick, an I says
to him, I'll be thar at the election,
hoofs. an horns and he says, If yuh
do I'll shoot yuh.' said I'll be thar,
an I will. 1t sure was hard luck
fer Pete to run away like that. But
it's only twenty miles now, little
Night came and day dawned once
more. Up over the eastern hills
sprang the sun, shining hotter and
hotter on the San Anita plain.
shorty gave the last of the brandy
to the child and smiled as he did so,
though his own mouth was harsh and
dry. He went on over the arid des-
ert. The dry sand slipped under his
feet. The child in his arms painted
in hoarse, short sobs.
Shorty" dared not stop. He could
see the distant Hermosillos. blue and
inviting in the west, with cool, dark
n III ItS
throat felt caked and his lips split
open. The trail blurred before him;
red dust filled his eyes and lungs.
His arms and back ached with in
tolerable surges of pain from the
weight of the child, but he set his
teeth and kept his eyes on the Her.
mosillos. Somewhere at the foot of
those buttes lay the gray walls of
Maricopa, and at the thought Of this
he set his teeth afresh.
Little maverick" he painted, II got
to do it! I told Clifford I'd be thar.
Today's the big day, an they'll ex-
pect me-"
Then he went forward toward
and the man who would
kill him on sight. He felt a strange
companionship with the child-in-
tangible, yet real.
a-goin' to keep-keep goin' till I git
to Maricopa."
He laid the child gently under a
chaparral bush, then stumbled and
fell beside it,
Half an hour before he had been
taken by a chill, every tremor Of
which added to his exquisite torture.
Now he was aflame with fever.
He looked across the grim desert
down the faint white line Of the trail
back over the route he had come.
He saw not one living thing, not even
1 skulking coyote. He looked up at
the FURNISHED sky and saw a dark
some providential dispensation
casual prowler might be in that di-
rection and hear him. But the min
lengths and the cries of the
nan awakened no response. He Won
lered how long sensation could last
under such conditions, and whether
ne could complete the few miles that
ay between him and Maricopa.
He lifted his arms to the sky and
,ried aloud. He swore, but there was
prayer in the despairing tones. The
child painted heavily; its eyes, un-
as ever, were haunted with
ever.
Shorty" looked wildly in the direc-
ion Of the cool Hermosillos.
Little maverick" he said, II got
% leave yuh, but I'll come back right
soon. Their amt no other way out
If it. You be mighty brave. I'm
nigh tuckered out"
He covered the face of the motion
less child with his sombrero, and,
aking out his red handkerchief, tied
I to tho cha aDarral h1Sh
"Good-by," he called. "I'll sure be
back right soon" Then he started
oward Maricopa, ten miles across the
burning sands; and the buzzard cir
led lower and lower above the
,haparral.
The election for sheriff of Maricopa
county was being held in the school
house, which stood upon the top of a
ow butte in the towns center
The buildings on either side of the
owns principal thoroughfare were
lat-rOofed and coated with plaster.
over the sidewalks extended wooden
Lwnings, beneath which very wide
loors opened into the GOODNESS of
aloOnS. Each Of these places ran
)ar; also games of roulette, faro,
'raps and stud poker.
Outside the schoolhouse a dark
aced man sat heavily upon his pony,
With a Winchester across the pommel
If his Mexican saddle.
A COW puncher came out of the
choolhouse and lounged toward the
'ider.
Doc" he said, better come in an
'ote."
The man on the horse swore.
He was a long-limbed, well-knit
igure of a man. impressive with its
of intense, well-conserved,
atent force. His eyes were gray and
Seen and clear-the eyes of a man
Who has accustomed himself to the
vide. free skies of the open spaces.
I'm a-goin' to stay here till these
POLLS close" he replied Thar amt
10 gent tween here an the Divide kin
lrive me off. How's tn lection
'omin'?'
"Thar's a lot waitin' to see if
Shorty IL come before they vote.
lie told 'em he'd be here afore sun
lown. If he aint, wall. he'll never
De sheriff, believe me. They won't
'ote for no coward, I'll gamble on
hat. Wall. it amt long now" he
concluded, looking judiciously at the
Western sun.
The man on the horse spoke
iercely.
I'll kill i'm if he does come. I'll
show i'm thar amt a-goin' to be no
lnIa sheriff In tbis vara rom rpnDitV |