Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-06-16

NA-oitaAt fupCio'
Always the same. little one" said
Tonia. her dark eyes lingering upon
him.
II must go over to Fink's." said the
Kid. rising, for some tobacco.
thought | had another sack in my
coat. Ill be back in a quarter of an
hour"
Hasten" said Tonia. "and tell me
how long shall | call you my own this
time. VIII you be gone again tOmor.
row. leaving me TO grieve, or will you
he longer with your ToniaT''
''Oh. ! might stay two or three days
this trip" said the Kid. yawning "I've
been on the dodge for a month and
I'd like TO rest up"
He was gone half an hour for bis to-
bacco When he returned Tonia was
still lying In the hammock
AT midnight horseman rode into
the rangers camp. blazing his way by
noisy "hallOes" to indicate a pacific
mission SHndridge and one or two
Others turned out to investigate the
row The rider announced himself to
be Domingo Sales from the Lone Wolf
Crossing. He bore letter for Senor
Sandridge Old Luisa. the lavandera.
had persuaded him to bring II, he said
her son Gregorio being too III of
fever to ride
Sandridge lighted the camp lantern
and read the letter. These were its
words:
Dear One-He has come. Hardly had
you ridden away when he came out of the
pear. When he first talked he said he
would stay three days or more. Then as
1t grew later ne was like wolf or fox
and walked about without rest. looking
and listening Soon he said he must leave
before daylight, when II is dark and still
est. and then he seemed to suspect that
l be not true to him. He looked at me so
strange that | am frightened. | swear to
him that 1 love him, his own Tona. Last
of all he said ! must prove to him | am
true He thinks that even now men are
waiting to Kill MIN as he rides from my
house. To escape he says he Will dress in
my clothes. my red skirt and the blue
waist 1 wear and the brown mantilla over
the head. and thus ride away, But before
that he says that | must put on his
hat and ride away on his horse from the
jacal as far as the big road beyond the
crossing and back again. This before he
goes, SO he can tell II | am true and II
men are hidden to shoot him. II is ter
rible thing An hour before daybreak this
is to be Come my dear one. and Kill this
man and take me for your Tonia. Do
not try to take hold OF him alive, but Kill
him quickly. Knowing all. you should do
that. You must come long before the
time and hide yourself in the little shed
near the jacal where the wagon and sad
dies are kept II is dark in there, He
will wear my red skirt and blue waist and
brown mantilla 1 send you a hundred
kisses. Come surely and shoot quickly
and straight. Thine own TONlA.
Sandridge quickly explained to his
men the official part of the missive.
The rangers protested against his go
ing alone.
'1n get him easy enough" said the
lieutenant. The girls got him trap
ped. And don't even think hell get
the drop on me-"
Sandridge saddled bis horse and
rode to the Lone Wolf Crossing. He
tied bis big dun In a clump of brush
on the arroyo. took his Winchester
from its scabbard and carefully ap-
preached the Perez jacal. There was
only the half of high moon drifted
over by ragged. milk white gulf
clouds.
The wagon shed was an excellent
place for ambush, and the ranger got
inside it safely. In the black shadow
of the brush shelter in front of the
| jacal he could see horse tied and
hear him impatiently paving the hard
trodden earth.
He waited almost an hour before
two figures came out Of the jacal.
One in mans clothes quickly mounted
the horse and galloped past the wagon
shed toward the crossing and village,
and then the other figure. in skirt,
waist and mantilla over its head. step.
ped out into the faint moonlight, gaz-
ing after the rider. Sandridge thought
he would take his chance then before
Tonia rode back. He fancied she
might not care to see 1t.
'sThrow up your hands, he ordered
loudly. stepping out of the wagon shed
with his Winchester at his shoulder.
There was a quick turn of the fig
ure. but no movement to obey. so the
ranger pumped in the bullets-one-
two-three-and then twice more. for
you never could be too sure of bring,
ing down the Cisco Kid. There was
no danger of missing at ten PAGES
even in that half moonlight.
The old ancestor. asleep on his blan
ket. was. awakened by the shots. Lis
tening further. he heard great cry
from some man in mortal distress OF
anguish and rose up. grumbling al
the disturbing ways Of moderns.
The tall. red ghost OF man burst
into the jacal. reaching one hand
shaking like tule reed, for the Ian
tern hanging on its nail. The othel
spread letter on the table.
Look at this letter. Perez" criec
the man. who wrote it?"
"Ah. Dios 1t is Senior Sandridge,'
mumbled the old man. approaching
"Pues. senior. that letter was writer
by 'El Chivato.' as he is called by thu
man OF Tonia. They say he is a ba(
man. do not know. While Tonit
slept he wrote the letter and sent 4
by this old hand of mine to Doming'
Sales to be brought to you. Is ther'
anything wrong in the letter? an
very old. and I did not know, Val
game Dios! 1t is very foolish world
and there ia nothing in the house t.
drink-nothing to drink"
Just then all that Sandridge coult
think of to do was to go outside ant
throw himself face downward in tn
dust by the side of his humming bird
of whom not feather tiuttered, II
was not caballero by instinct. ant
hn onuld MT undprcta nd tho nipetip