The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-07-17
CHAPTER I.


~~~
CHAPTER !.
mo s)oW~roIllng winters sun 70
eoldly. far TO the south, riding
from behind the saW.toothed Sierr
OF Mexico to throw q silvery halo {
oedsden, the border city. A hundr,
miles OF desert lay in its path-a was
OF broken ridges. dry arroyos. an
sandy plains-and then suddenly. ,
u BY magic. tho city rose cleaning 1
Tho sun.
1t was big city, for tho West. an
warming with trs1nc and men. Il
broad main street, lined with brio
ooildtnss and throbbing with automt
oues' ran from the railroad straixht t
tne south until. at q line, 1t stoppe
mort and was lost in the desert.
Ihat line which marked the sudde,
end OF growth and progress VA. tn,
oosuer OF tho United States: the desar
va MEXICO. And tho difference IA,
not In the land. but In the government
a. the morning air grew warm ant
mo hoar frost dripped down from tht
soo!s tho idle1s Of tho town crep1
tosth, leaving chill lodginxs and staje
salooos for the street corners and the
sun. ' >''s
. Against tho dead wall Of . biz stor.
mo Aextcans gathered In shiverin.
eroaps' their blankets wrapped around
tnelr necks and their brown anklo.
os!e TO the wind. On another corner
punch OF cowboys stood cl.nnishlv
sIoof. eying the passing crowd for oth.
ess OF their kind.
In this dun stream which no~.a
under the morning sun there vere min.
1s NEG: .ise A!shsassd boot. aaa
eossip Of The town IN their chesl,:
poooee. stu wearing, their eastarn
CAPS and stu rustling for 4 quarter 10
eas on; somber-eyed refugees and col.
olees OF fortune from Mextco-hut
'dlers all. and each seeking his class
and kind.
II any women passed that way they
walked fast. looking neither to tho
fight nor to the left: for they. too. be-
Ing 70 few. missed their class and
kind.
oadsdeu had become . city Of mn
huseA mbed and powerful and VIII a
qussdng look In their eyes: . city az
adveoturers gathered from the enda ~
the world. A common calamity had
driven them from their mines ma
ranches and Glutted the town With
men. for the war Wa on In Nsrioo
md hom The farthesmos& corner, ~
Sonora they still came, hot nom eome
oev scene Of murder and pillaee. 10
add to tho general discomfort.
AZ tho day wore on tho crowd on
ehe bank corner, where the refugees
made thsdr stand. changed it, com.
plexion. grew big. and stretched far Nm |
the. street. Non stood In shiftinr
9roups. talking. arguing. sasing mood.
" ct those who passed,
Here wegs hawk-oyod Tex.s c.t4,..
men. thinking OF their scatter.d herd.
Ct Aabah or FL rigre; mining men.
WITH Idle prospects and deserted .minee
- fa1 south - tho Rio Yaqui: min.
men. ranchsrs and men Of tr,dea: ali
driven In from below the line and an
chaans ct tho leash. While Z hundred
petty shisfs stood out against hadero
and lived b. raasom and loot. thev
must cool thelr heels IN gladden. ana
wait Tor ths end to come.
Into this ooothine maaa ~ n. a..
Possessed many q whom had loat a
fortune b. The war. there cana to
moeo. With ther fAoss stll drawn ana
red tron had riding throush the eold
TAsy stspDed tosth from The marhie
eotlsnos q tho blg hotel and svune
o6 down The stzsst 70 go the town.
They WAIVED slowly. gasine into tho
strange 1aces IN The vasve hone az
andtng some friend: and Gladden.. not
70 b outdone. looked them over curt. .
'nsly and wondered whence they had 4
,oue.
The bunch Of eowboy,, eth lottarinr \
N tne corner. glanced scornfully At .
10 smaller maa. who sported 4 pair
4 puttees then 1t the biz mani :,
eee Finding them enoased in proe. =
'eesoes Shoes they stared dumbiy at r
ID whd-burned face and muttered =,
mong themselves. ~... :,
He vas tail, and broad across the n
houlders. with farseeing blue eyes =,
nd mop Of light hatr; and he walked r.
q his toes. stnlagged. swayine from /,
10 hips Ike man on HORSEBACK. The
imble Of comment rose up as,in "A :,
. racked past and then Z COWBOY =,
oice observed: -.
IN bet - he's . eov.punch!" n
The bdg man hooked hack 1t tham n
out q the coenoe q hi ere q,
d went o. without Z word. ~