The Washington herald., 1914-09-27

sounds from the village that showed
the Greaser population was feeling its
oats.
We took one Of the north trails out
1 of the valley, and as. there couldn't
be any pursuing until daylight, we
saved our horses and rode hard the
next day, We knew they'd have all the
Soldiers in Chihuahuz on the trail by
morning, so we didn't daily. Extreme
haste amt. possible IN a, country so
steep that it leans backward, and we
made bout as good time as they could.
The second day out we found the
bells was calling the horses terrible
I've throwed the diamond hitch since
| was nine years old. and there wasn't
man in the outfit that couldn't load
a pack mule with anything from sofy
cushion to ten-stamp mill and make
it real pleasure for the animal, but
those church bells was certainly the
! limit. : ,..s
We tried every way to ease 'em. but
they just ate into the poor brutes till
they laid down. Finally we got two
poles and lashed> The big bells in the
middle, a horse under EACH end, and
went hiking up and down the hills like
bridal psrty-all we lacked was the
wreaths. of orange blossoms. When the
Enonotony palled on US, we'd hang the
gold clappers in and clstter along to the
music of such chimes as amt Of this
earth. - .sa..- :.
1t must have astonished the weary
traveller to be greeted with the sounds
of heavenly bells approaching and then
to round the point of hill into as dirty
and desperate bunch OF cowboys as
Texas coYld slough of, bulging out
with cartridges, while the pride of San
Estancis1 changed out sweet discourse
between four sore-backed eayuses
Wed have made a fine half-tone.
A few days later "Mit-and-a-half'
borrowed sledge from friend of his
who was driving tunnel close to the
trail, and we got those bells beN down
into some kind of shape. i
Here we decided to split up, half take
the east trail for Texas and the others
to hit north into New Mexico. How to
divide the spoils was the question.
The prospector had a pair of still
yards that he weighed beef on, and
after some lightning fggering and four
rspider first fights Se reached settle
rhent. "Mit-and-a-haIf," with three of
the children, headed for the Lone STAR.
taking the bells, now pretty we'll pound
ed out. Mystery" Jim, Coarse Gold"
Kink, and hit the north trail with the
gold clappers and a pony-IoaS of relics
made up into pack to resemble the
one We had our grub in.
We sure did some pious travelling for
about two days, lodging villages and
sidestepping travellers, for the whole
country was ringing with the awfullest
pipe dream about a hundred atrocious
Texans who had sacked the Mission of
the Golden Chimes, violated the
Greaser affairs, and eloped with their
household goddesses.
began to notice that Kink eyed the
treasure-pack sort of mercenary and
full of meditations Knowing him for
a creature of devious methods and te-
nacious designs, wasn't surprised to
see him produce deck of cards one
night and begin amusing hiPself with
game of idiots delight" Likewise,
it wasn't strain on my deductive fac
ulties to see that Mystery" Jim itched
for. the feel of the pasteboards. He
was used to EN-, too. Having dealt
bank on the swing shift in the Eldorado
at Tombstone, he wasn't wasting away
to hold the lookout chair for a game
of solitary" He proposed a few mo-
ments of idle recreation at the national
game. -
/ claim to have. fair general educa-
ton, including the. prominent points of
International law and Jurisprudence,
such as the rule that "Razza Mazaza"
amt played only once in, an evening,
and man caught blufing loses the pot
also a few more of the rudinSnts as
preached by Father Hoyle Therefore,
although l didn't overhezt myself in
any display of unseemiy eagerness, I |
was playing paper-weight on one cor
ner of the horse-bIanket when SMys-
tery" had the cards dealt Moreover, 4
was invested with deep-seated hunch !,
that it was going to be'4jke taking laun- |
dry from a dead Chinamsn.
l feared for KinlS though We'd
been pardners. for years, but I'd never
heard of him setting in. any game more
exciting than dish-wiping tournament.
His fingers was soopie as tent-pegs. and
his shufiing was pitifuI, but he seemed
to have beginners luck from the start.
Mystery" Rooney and 1 played a
clean gentIemsnis game-that is, round
ing up soorpusculsr pot with glad
smiles and separating from mon
strosity with well-bred silence. |