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

ORLEANS! COUNTY
"sprague Dalton" he said. ut
sounds funny to me to hear It. I'm
called the Llano Kid in the Rio Grande
| country"
| I'm Thacker," said the consul.
'aTake that cane bottom chair. Now,
If you've come to invest you want
somebody to advise you. These din
g1es will cheat you out of the gold In
your teeth If you don't understand
their ways. Try a cigarT'
"Much obliged said the Kid, t'but
If it wasn't for my corn shucks and the
little bag in my back pocket couldn't
| live minute" He took out his ''mak-
ings" and rolled a cigarette.
| 'They speak Spanish here" said the
| consul you'll need an Interpreter.
If there's anything I can do why, I'd
be delighted. If you're buying fruit
lands or looking for concession of
| any sort you'll want somebody who
| knows the ropes to look out for you"
II speak Spanish" said the Kid,
about nine times better than I do
English. Everybody speaks it on the
range where I come from. And I'm
not in the market for anything"
"You speak Spanish?' said Thacke1
thoughtfully. He regarded the Kid
| absorbedly.
"You look like a Spaniard, too," he
continued. "And you're from Texas.
And you can't be more than twenty O,
twenty-one. I wonder If you've got
any nerve"
"You got deal of some kind to put
through?' asked the Texan. with un
expected shrewdness.
Are you open to a proposition?"
| said Thacker.
whats the use to deny itT' said the
Kid. II got into a little gun frolic
down in Laredo and plugged white
man. There wasn't any Mexican
handy. And I come down to yout
parrot and monkey range Just for to
smell the morning glories and mari.
colds. Now, do you sabeT'
Thacker got up and closed the door.
"Let me see your hand" he said.
He took the Kids left hand and ex.
amined the back Of it closely.
81 can do it, he said excitedly,
"Your flesh is as hard as wood and as
healthy as a baby's. 1t will heal in a
| week."
eff it's a fist fight you want to back
me for" said the Kid, don't put your
money up yet. Make it gun work, and
I'll keep you company. But no bare
handed scrapping like ladies at tea
party for me-"
'1t's easier than that" said Thacker
"Just step here, will your
Through the window he pointed to 6
two story white succeed house with
wide galleries rising amid the deeI
green tropical foliage on wooded hill
that sloped gently from the sea.
I'm that house." said Thacker, q
fine old Castilian gentleman and h1'
wife are yearning to gather you int
their arms and fill your pockets will
money. Old Santos Urique lives there
He owns half the gold mines in tn
country"
"You haven't been eating loco weed
have your asked the Kid.
"Sit down again." said Thacker, ''ant
I'll tell you. Twelve years ago the!
lost kid. No, he didn't die, although
most of 'em here do from drinking th'
surface water. He was a wild ittl'
devil, even if he wasn't but eight year.
old. Everybody knows about it
Some Americans who were through
here prospecting for gold had letter
to Senior Unique, and the boy was
favorite with them. They filed hi
head with big stories about the States
and about month after they left tn
kid disappeared too. He was suppos
, ed to have slowed himself away anon
the banana punches on fruit steame
and gone to New Orleans. He wa
seen once afterward in Texas, it wa
thought, but they never heard anything
more Of him. Old Unique has spen
thousands of dollars having him looke
for The madam was broken up wors
Of all. The kid was her life. Sh
wears mourning yet. But they say sh
believes he'll come back to her som
day and never gives up-hope. On tn
back Of the boys left hand was tai
tooed flying eagle carrying a spear i
his claws. That's old Urique's coat Q
arms or something that he inherited i
SPAIN
The Kid raised his left hand sloWl
and gazed at it curiously.
'aThat's it, said Thacker, reach1n
behind the official desk for his bott1
Of smuggled brandy. you're not S
slow. I can do it. What was consr
at Sandakan for? I never knew ii
now. In a week I'll have the eagl
bird with the frog sticker blended
so you'd think you were born with /
I brought set Of needles and ink jus
because I was sure you'd drop in SON
day, Mr.. Dalton"
| ooh r. - sold tho I'D fhnr oh