Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-07-05


at twenty is to blush unseen on the
Rio Grande border.
1t happened In old JustO Valdos' |
gambling house. There was a poker
game at which sat players who were |
not all friends, as happens often where |
men ride In from afar to shoot Folly |
as she gallops. There was a row over |
so small matter as a pair of queens, |
and when the smoke had cleared away |
it was found that the Kid had COM
United an indiscretion and his ad-
Versary had been guilty Of blunder, |
for the unfortunate cOmbatant, instead |
Of being q greaser, was a high blooded |
youth from the cow ranches, Of about |
the Kids own age and possessed Of
friends and champions. His blunder
In missing the Kids right ear only
sixteenth of an inch when he pulled
his gun did not lessen the indiscretion
of the better marksman.
The Kid, not being equipped with a
retinue nor bountifully supplied with
personal admirers and supporters-on
account of a rather outrageous repu-
tation, even for the border-considered
it not incompatible with his indisputa-
BILE gameness to perform that 5udicious
fractional act known as pulling his
freight"
Quickly the avengers gathered and
sought him. Three of them overlook
him within a rod of the station. The
Kid turned and showed his teeth in
that brilliant but mirthless smile that
usually preceded his deeds Of insolence
and violence, and his pursuers fell back
without making it necessary for him
even to reach for his weapon.
But in this affair the Kid had not
felt the grim thirst for encounter that
usually urged him on to battle. It had
been a purely chance row, born Of the
cards and certain epithets impossible
for a gentleman to brook that had
passed between the two. The Kid had
rather liked the slim, naughty, brown
faced young chap whom his bullet had
cut off in the first pride of manhood.
And now he wanted no more blood.
He wanted to get away and have
good long sleep somewhere in the sun
on the mesquit grass, with his hand
kerchief over his face. Even Next
can might have crossed his path in
safety while he was in this mood.
The Kid openly boarded the north
bound passenger train that departed
five minutes later. But at WEBB,
few miles out, where it was tagged to
take on a traveller, he abandoned that
manner Of escape. There were tele-
graph stations ahead and the Kid look
ed askance at electricity and steam
Saddle and spur were his rocks of
safety.
The man whom he had shot was
stranger to him. But the Kid knew
that he was Of the Coralitos outfit from
Hidalgo and that the punchers from
that ranch were more relentless ana
vengeful than Kentucky feudists when
wrong or harm was done to one Of
them. So, with the wisdom that has
characterized many great fighters, the
Kid decided to pile up as many leagues
as possible of chaparral al pear bc
tween himself and the r1taIi:t ton
the COralitos bunch.
Near the station was 4 st0~n an,
near the store, scattered en- tt.s f!
horses of the customers. Most Of them
waited, half asleep, with sagging limbs
and dropping heads. But one, a long
legged roam with curved neck
snorted and paved the turf Him the
Kid mounted, gripped with his knees
and slapped gently with the owners
own quirt
II the Staying of the temerarious
card player had cast cloud over the
Kids standing as good and true citi
zen this last act of his yelled his fig
ure in the darkest shadows of dispute
On the Rio Grande border If you take
mans life you sometimes take trash
but If you take his horse you take
thing the loss Of which renders hin
poor, indeed, and which enriches yol
motif you are caught. For the KiC
there was no turning back now.
With the springing roam under hin
he felt little care or uneasiness. Afte
a five mile gallop he drew in to thu
plainsman's jogging trot and rod
northeastward toward the Nueces riv
er bottoms. He knew the country wei
its most tortuous and obscure trail
through the great wilderness Of brusl
and pear and its camps and LONESOME
ranches where one might find safe en-
tertainment. Always he bore to tn
bast, for the Kid had never seen tn
ocean, and he had a fancy to lay hi
hand upon the name of the great Gull
the gamesome colt of the greater wa
tiers.
So after three days he stood on tn
shore at Corpus Christi and looked on
across the gentle ripples Of quiet sea
Captain Boone Of the schooner Ely
away stood near his skiff, which on
of his crew was guarding in the surf