The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-15

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,ykS<J. Had you lived
~ al EalN1, anywhere within
NSl 50 miles Of Sun.
81 M down ranch you
sc IL NV would have heard
RS2lkS2SS of IT. 1t possess.
H1NNNY) ed . quantity OF
I [SE SSlE Jet black hair, a
AMP D pair of extremely
Z U4HYkN frank, deep brown
eyes and laugh
4 .VoV that rippled across
WU the prairie like
the sound OF a hidden brook. The name
OF 1t was Roslta McMullen; and she
was the daughter OF old man McMul.
len 5of'the Shutdown sheep ranch.
There came riding on red roam
steeds-or, to be more explicit, on q
I paint and a fiea.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
.Frlo Kid, for be had not. earned the
honors Of special nomenclature His
name was simply Johnny Mercy,
1t 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 flocks 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 tho
race. he and Rosita were married one
Christmas day. Armed. hilarious, 70.
ciferous, magnanimous, the cogmen
and the sheehmen. laying aside their
hereditary hatred, Joined forces to
celebrate the occasion. 4 ii5
f. But.while tie wedding feast was at
It's liveliest there descended upon! It
Johnny Mercy. bitten by jealousy,
like one possessed.
I'll give you Christmas present"
he yelled, shrilly, at the door, with his
AS in bis hand. Even then he had
some reputation as ain otfhand shot.
His .Sflrsf bullet cnt a neat undefbit
in Madison Lanes right ear. The bar.
rel offhfs gun moved an inch. Tho
next shot Would have been the brides.
lad not Carson. o sheepman, pos.
sessed mind with triggers some.
what well 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 venlson 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'sF head.
The guests spurned their chairs
and Jumped for their weapons. It
was considered an improper act to
shoot the bride and groom at wed.
ding. In about six seconds there were
twenty or 80 bullets due to be whIz.
zing in the direction Of Mr.. Mercy.
"I'll shoot better next time" yelled
Johnny; "and there'll be next time"
He backed rapidly out the door.
The .cattlemen swept out upon him,
calling for vengeance.
But the sortie failed in It's ven.
geance. Mercy was on his horse and
away, shouting back curses and
threats as he galloped into the con.
cealing chaparral.
| That night was the birthnight OF
1 the Frio Kid. He became the bad
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 the
i shooting Of Carson. he killed two OF
them, and entered upon the life OF an
outlaw. When he was. at last shot
and killed by little one.armed Mex
lean who was nearly dead himself
from fright, the Frlo Kid had the
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 is
well to give each one credit, II It can
be done. for whatever speck Of good
| no may have possessed. II the Frio
Kid ever did a kindly act or felt a
throb OF generosity In his heart 1t was
once at such a time and season. and
this Is the way 1t happened:
One December In the Frio country
rode the FRO Kid and bis Satellite
and co.murderer, Mexican Frank. The
Kid refined in his mustang. and sat In
his saddle, thoughtful and grim, with
dangerously narrowing eyes.
81 don't know what been thinking
about. Mex" he remarked In his usual
| mill flrnwl Hfn hoya fo,ook al ohan.. /.