The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-11-04
lA1()A
81 u
|0HN BRECKENRIDGE ELLIS
cspyrisht. tsta, BY Ne osbhs- Mssvii
Company.

/ western bank Of what was then known
as Red river, but was really the North
| fork of Red river. "Old Man walker"
who was scarcely past middle age, had
built his corral on the margin Of the
plain which extended to that point In
an unbroken level from a great dis
lance and which, having reached that
point, dropped without warning, a
sheer precipice, TO an extensive lake.
| The young man reached the corral
after a ride Of twelve or thirteen miles.
most of the distance through a coun-
| try of difficult sand. He galloped up
to the rude Enclosure. surrounded by a
, cloud Of dust through which his keen
gray eyes discovered Mizzoo on the
eve Of leaving camp. Mizzoo was one
Of the men whose duty 1t was to ride
the line all night-the line that the
young man had guarded all day-to
keep Walkers cattle from drifting.
"Come on. Mizz." called the young
man as the other swung upon his
broncho; I'm going back with you"
The lean, heather skinned. sandy mus
tached cattleman uttered words not
meet for print. but expressive Of
hearty pleasure. Amt you had enough
Of II, Bill?'' he added. I'D think you'd
want to lay up for tomorrow's work"
"Oh. | amt sleepyr' the young man
declared as they rode away side by
side 81 couldn't close an eye tonight,
and I want to talk"
Mizzoo was so called from his habit
of attributing his most emphatic
aphorisms to ''his aunt. Miss Sue Of
Missouri" lady held by his com
panions to be n purely fictitious char
acter. a convenient Mrs. Harris" to
give weight to sayings worn smooth
from centuries Of use.
"Ill talk my head of" Mizzoo de-
clared, III that'l keep you on the
move with me-"
that little girl you met on the trail
down in Texas seven years ago"
Mizzoo burst out in a hearty laugh.
II reckon 1t suits you better to take
her as a little kid" he cried. his tall
form shaking convulsively. "I'll never
forget how you looked. Bill when we
tried to run a bluff on her daddy last
month. Yep. old Man Walker never
knowed what a proposition he was
handing US when he ordered us to drive
the old mountain lion out Of his lair!
Pity you and me was at the tail end
of the attacking party. Fust thing We
knowed them other four galoots was
falling backwards a-getting out Of that
trap of a cove, and the bullets was
whizzing about our ears
He broke of to shout with laughter.
"And 1t was all done by one old settler
and his gal. them standing out open
and free with their breech leaders, and
us hiking out for camp like whipped
cursv'
he compelled himself to speak calmly.
"As l never got around the spur Of the
mountain before you fellows were in
full retreat, l object to being classed
with the whipped ours. and you'll bear
that in mind. MiEzoo. You saw the
girl all right. didn't your
you. bet did. and as soon as | see
uCT Il hnOWCu IL was tuc buIuc VI t0hhC
across on the trail seven year ago. Her
daddy give II to us plain that II he
ever catched one of us inside his cove
he'd kill us like so many coyotes, and
I reckon he would. Wen. he's got as
much right to his claim as anybody
else. This land don't belong to no
body, and there he's been a-sQuatting
considerable longer than we've laid out
this ranch. He was In the right Of II.
but what I admire was his being able
TO hold his rights. Lots of folks has
rights bu, they amt man enough 30
hold 'em. And II you could have seen
that gal her eyes like two big burning
suns, and her mouth closed like steel
trap. and her hand as steady on that
trigger as the mountain rock behind
her! Lord. Bill. what trembly. knock
kneed, meaching sort of a husband
she's a-going TO fashion TO her hand.
one Of these days! But prettyf None
more so. And a-going all to waste out
here In the desertr'
"And now about that child seven
years ago." the young man said.
why. yes, me and the boys was
bringing about 1900 head up to Abiline
when We come on to this same pard-
ner and another man walking the trail.
with little gal coming behind 'em on
her pony. And Il was this same gal.
I reckon she was seven or eight year
old then. Well. sir. just thought AZ
I looked at her that ! never seen
prettisr sight In this world. and l
reckon I amt. for which | looked at
the same gal the other day the gun
she was holding up to her eye sort OF
dazzled me 80 I couldn't take stock Of
all her good points. We went into
camp that evening. and all Of US got
pretty soft and mellow. what from the
unusualness Of the meeting. and we
asked the old codger II We could all
come over TO his camp and shake
hands with the gal. He'd drawed back
from us about a mile. he was that
skeered TO be sociable. So after con.
adorable haggling and jawing he said
We could. and here we come. just
A. III ls.z.If