Oxford Democrat., 1916-02-29

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 row over
SO small matter as pair Of queens,
and when the smoke had cleared away
it was found that the Kid had COM
mitted an indiscretion and his ad-
versary had been guilty Of blunder,
for the unfortunate combatant, instead
Of being a greaser, was 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 a
sixteenth Of an inch when he pulled
his gun did not lessen the indiscreton
Of the better marksman.
The Kid, not being equipped with
retinue nor bountifully supplied with
personal admirers and supporters
account of rather outrageous repu-
tation, even for the border considered
1t 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 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. 1t 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 of in the first pride Of manhood.
And now he wanted no more. blood.
he wanted to get away and have q
good long sleep somewhere In the sun
on the mesquit grass, with his hand
kerchief over his face. Even a Mexi-
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. t~
The man whom he had shot was a
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 and
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 and pear be-
tween himself and the retaliation Of
the Coralitos bunch.
Near the station was store, and
near the store, scattered among the
mesquits and elms, stood the saddled
horses Of the customers. Most Of them
waited. half asleep, with sagging limbs
and dropping heads. But one, long
legged roam with a curved neck,
snorted and paved the turf. Him the
Kid mounted, gripped with his knees
and slapped gently with the owners
own quirt.
If the staying Of the temerarious
card player had cast a cloud over the
Kids standing as a good and true cit-
zen this last act Of his yelled his fg-
ure In the darkest shadows Of dispute.
On the Rio Grande border II you take
mans life you sometimes take trash,
but II you take his horse you take a
thing the loss Of which renders him
poor, indeed, and which enriches you
Motif you are caught. For the Kid
there was no turning back now.
With the sHrihging roam under him
he felt little care or uneasiness. After
five. mile; galiop he drew in to the
plainsman's Jogging tret and rode
northeastward toward the Nueces riv-
or bottoms. He knew the country well
Its 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 bore. to the
east, for the Kid had never seen the
ocean, and he had a fancy. to lay his
hand upon the name Of the great Guif,
the gamesome colt Of the greater wa
ters.
So after three days he stood on the
shore at Corpus Christi and looked out
across the gentle ripples Of quiet sea-,
Captain Boone Of the schooner Fly
away stood near his skin, which one
Of his crew was guarding IN the surf.
When ready to sail be had discovered
that ene 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, Glowing profanely ct HE
pocket store. Z. y Z. ..'Ss'' q
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