The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1916-03-30

Rio Grande border.
1t happened I'm old Justo yaldos
gambling house. There was q 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 ovel
20 small a matter as pair of queens
and when the smoke had cleared away
lt was found that the Kid had com
mitted an indiscretion and his ad.
versary had been guilty Of blunder
Tor the unfortunate combatant, instead
or being 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 q
sixteenth of an inch when he pulled
his gun did not lessen the indiscretion
of the better marksman.
Afd, nGt>being equipped with a
retinue nor bountifully supplied with
| personal admirers and supporters
\ account of rather outrageous repu-
\tation, even for the border-considered
vt not incompatible with his indisputa-
bile gameness to perform that judicious
fractional act known as pulling his
freight"
Quickly the avengers gathered and
sought him. Three Of them overlook
him within 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 1t 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. 1t had
been purely chance row. born of the
cards AMI certain epithets impossible
for 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 OF In the first pride OF manhood
And now he wanted no more blood.
he wanted 70 get away and have a
Eood long sleep somewhere in the sun
on the mesqNt grass, with his hand
kerch1cf over his face. Even n Mexi-
can might haSe crossed his path In
safety While I'D was In this mood.
The Nid openly boarded the north
pound passenger train that departed
Hve minutes LATER. But at Webb, a
ieW hiIes out, where It was tagged to
t'ke on Il traVelef. he abandoned that
manner OF escape There were telc.
graph stations aheAd and the Kid look.
Ell aSKahce at electricity and steam.
Saddle and spur We're his rocks of
safety.
me man whom hS had shot was
stranger to him. Bit the Kid know,
that he was Of the Cot talitos outfit from
ii'"iS" 'lhu thit th9 punchcrs from
that ranch were mora relentless nn1
vengeful than KentuckS feudists who,
wrong or harm was done to one of
them. So. with the wiedom that bos
characterized many greah fighters rho
Kid decided to pile up as\many leagues
as possible o. chaparral hnd peor be
wv wen n,aiseil ana the 1ftaliation of
the Coralitos bunch.
Near the station was a store and
near the store. scattered nmong tho
mesquits and elms. stood the saddled
horses or the customers. Most OF Them
waited, balf asleep, with sagging limbs
and drooping heads. But one q long
legged roam with curved neck
snorted and paved the turf. Him the
kid mounted, grpped with his knees
and slapped gently with the owners
own quirt
IL the Staying of the temerar,ous
card player had cast cloud over tho
KIDS standing as good and true citi.
zen this last act Of his yelled his fip.
ure In the darkest shadows of dispute
on the Rio Grande border if you take
q mans life you sometimes take traysb
nut II you take his horse you take a
tnlng the loss OF which renders him
poor, indeed. and which enriches ydu
not-f you are caught. For the Kid
there was no turning back now.
With the sDrnging roam under HIM
he felt little care or unensiness. After
five mile gallop he drew I'm to the
piainsman's jogging trot and rode
northeastward toward the Nueces riv-
er bottoms. He knew the country well
lis most tortuous and obscure trails
through the great wilderness of brush
and pear and its camps and lonesome
ranches where one might find safe en-.
tertainment Always he lore to the
east. for the Kid had never seen the
ocean, and he had fancy to lay his
hand upon the name of the great Gulf.
the gamesome colt Of the greater wa.
6rs.
So after three days he stood on the
shore at Corpus Christi and looked ont
across the gentle ripples OF a quiet sea. |
Captain Boone Of the schooner Fly.
away stood near his skiff, which one
OF bis crew was guarding I'm the surf |
When ready to sail he had discovered |
that one Of the necessaries of life, In |
the parallelogrammatic shape Of plug |
tobacco, had been forgotten. A sailor
had been dispatched for the missing |
cargo. Meanwhile the captain paced |
the sands, chewing profanely at his |
pocket store.
slim, wiry youth In high heeled
boots came down IN tho water's edpe