The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1914-01-02

I wire barrier, lost in rapturous enjoy
ment. When the last note had died
away, Slower reused himself reluc-
family.
"It's time we was turnin' in" He
called softly, "Hey, Mex"
! "Si, Senor!"
"Come on, you and Cloudy. vamos!
It's ten o'clock"
He turned his back on the Cent?
pede Ranch that housed the treasure,
and in company with Willie, made his
way to the ponies. Two other figures
Joined them, one humming in a must
cal baritone the strains of the song
just ended.
"Cut that out, Mex! They'll hear
u.s." Slower cautioned.
"Caramba! This ting is brek my
cart" said the Mexican, sadly. "It
seem like the Senorita Mora is sing
| that song to me. Mebbe she knows
| I'm set out ere on cactus an listen
to her. All, l love that Senorita YER
much"
The little man with the glasses be-
gan to swear in his high falsetto. His
ear had caught the photograph opera
tor in another musical mistake.
"That horn-toad let Mrs. Melby die
again tonight" said he. "It's sure
comm to a hunnacaboo between him
and me. If somebody don't kill him
pretty soon, he'll wear out that ma
chine before we git it back"
"Humph! It don't look like we'd
ever get it back" said Slower.
One of the four sighed audibly. then
vaulting into his saddle, went Looping
away without waiting for his compan-
| ions.
"Cloudy's sore because they didn't
play Navajo" said Willie. well,
don't blame 'em none for omittin' that
war-dance. It amt got the class of
them other pieces. While it's devised
to suit the intellect of an Injun. per-
| haps it ain't in the runnin' with The
| Holy City, which tune is the sweetest
and sacredest ever sung"
Carara paused with hand upon the
neck of his cayuse.
''Eet is not so fine as The Baggage
Car in 'front.'" he declared.
tits got it beat mile!" Willie
flashed back, harshly.
Here, you!" exclaimed Slower, mo
arguments. We all have our favorites,
and it amt up to no individual to
| force his likes and dislikes down no
other feller's throat" The other two
men he addressed mounted their bron-
cos stif1y.
'Isrepeat," said Willie: "'The Holy
City as sung by Mrs. Melby, is the
SWEETEST tune that ever hit these
parts"
Carara muttered something in Span
ish which the others could not under
stand.
They're all fine pieces" Slower OBJ
served, placatingly, when fairly out of
hearing of the ranch-houses. "You
boys have each got your preference.
Cloudy, bein' an Injun, has got his,
and 1 rise to state that I like that
monologue, 'Silas on Fifth Avenoo,'
better than all of 'em, which amt
nothin' ag'inst my judgment nor
yours. When Silas says, The girl
opened her valise, took out her purse,
closed her valise, opened her purse,
took out dime, closed her purse,
opened her valise, put in her purse,
closed her valise, give the dime to the
conductor, got nickel in change, then
opened her valise, took out her purse,
closed her valise-" Slower began to
rock in his saddle, then burst into a
loud guffaw, followed by his compan-
ions. Gosh! That's awful funny!"
Isl! SIT" acknowledged Carara, his
white teeth showing through, the
gloom.
"An' it's just like fool woman"
Uttered Willie. That's sure one
| ridiculous line of talk"
Still Bill' wiped his eyes with the
back OF bcny hand. 81 know that
hull monologue by heart, but / can't
never get past that spot to save my
soul. Right there bog down, COM
| plete." Again he burst into wild laugh
ter, followed by his companions. II
don't see how folks can be so dam
funny!" he gasped.
| It's natural to 'em, like warts" said
Willie; they're born with it, the
same as was born to shoot straight
with either hand. and the same as
Mex was born to throw a rope. He
don't know how he does 1t, and neither
do l. Some folks can say funny things,
some can sing, like Missus Melby;
some can run foot-races, like that Gen.
tipede cook"
Carara breathed an eloquent Mex
lean oath.
DO you reckon he fixed that race
with Humpy Joe?" inquired Slower.
Names Skinner" Willie observed.
ut sounds bad"
I'm sorry Humpy left us so sud-
den," said Still Bill WED ought to
have questioned him. If we only had
proof that the race was crooked"
You can so gamble it was crooked .
the little man averred. "Them Cent?
pede fellers never done nothin' on the