The Elbert County tribune., 1914-07-10
CHAPTER :.

CHAPTER :.
The slow-roning winters sun rose
coldly, far to the south, riding up
from behind the saw-toothed Sierras
OF Mexico to throw a silvery halo on
Gadsden. the border city. A hundred
miles Of desert lay In its path-a waste
Of broken ridges, dry arroyos, and
sandy plains-and then suddenly, as
II by magic. the city rose cleaning In
the sun
1t was big city, for the West, and
warming with traffic and men. Its
broad main street, lined with brick
buildings and throbbing with automo-
bfles. ran from the railroad straight to
the south until. at line, It stopped
short and was lost In the desert.
That line which marked the sudden
end Of growth and progress was the
border CT the United States; tho desert
was Mexico And the difference was
not In the land. but In the government
As the morning air grew warm and
the hoar frost dripped down from the
roofs the idlers Of the town crept
forth, leaving chill lodgings and stale
saloons for the street corners and the
sun.
Against the dead wall of big store
the Medcans gathered in shivering
groups. their blankets wrapped around
their necks and their brown ankles
bare to the wind On another corner
bunch Of cowboys stood clannishly
aioof. eyins the passing crowd for 9TH
ers Of their kind.
In this dun stream which flowed
under the morning sun there were min
ing men. with high-laced boots and
bulging pockets; graybeards. with the
gossip Of the town in their cheeks;
hoboes. still wearing their eastern
caps and still rustling for a quarter to
eat a; somber-eyed refugees and sol
diers of fortune from Mexico-but
idlers all. and each seeking his class
and kind.
If any women passed that way they
sYalked fast, looking neither to the
right nor to the left; for they, too, be-
ing 80 few, missed their class and
hind.
Gadsden had become a city of men.
huge-limbed and powerful and with a
Questing look in their eyes; a city of
adventurers gathered from the ends of
the world. A common calamity had
driven them from their mines and
ranches anc glutted the town with
men, for the war was on In Mexico
and from the farthermost corners Of
Sonora they still came, hot from some
new scene of murder and pillage, to
odd IN thu ConoruI dtuoonko-k
As the day wore on the crowd on
the bank corner. where the refugees
made their stand. changed its com
plexion, grew big. and stretched far up
the street. Men stood in shifting
groups. talking. arguing, gazing mood
lily at those who passed.
Here were hawk-eyed Texas cattle
men, thinking of their scattered herds
at Mababi or ri Tigre; mining men,
with idle prospects and deserted mines
as far south as the Rio Yaqui; mill
men. ranchers and men of trades; all
driven in from below the line and all
chaflng at the leash. While a hundred
petty chiefs stood out against Madero
and lived by ransom and loot, they
must cool their heels In Gadsden and
wait for the and to come.
Into this seething mass OF the dis
possessed. many of whom had lost
fortune by the war. there came two
more, with their faces still drawn and
red from hard riding through the cold.
They stepped forth from the marble
entrance Of the big hotel and swung
on down the street to see the town.
They walked slowly, gazing into the
strange faces In the vague hope OF
finding some friend; and Gadsden, not
to be outdone. looked them over curl
ously and wondered whence they had
come.
The bunch Of cowboys, still lettering
on the corner. glanced scornfully at
the smaller man, who sported a pair
Of puttees-and then at the big mans
feet Finding them encased in pros
pector's shoes they stared dumbly at
his wind-burned face and muttered
among themselves.
He was tall, and broad across the
shoulders. with fareeeing blue eyee
and mop of light hair; and he walked
on his toes, stiff-legged, swaying from
his hips like a man on horseback. The
rumble Of comment rose up again as
he racked past and then cowboy
voice observed:
'I'll bet ye he's a cow-punchir
The big man looked back ct them
mockingly out OF the corner of his eye
and went on without>a word.