Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1917-06-21

aEyhile paying his bIll. he displayed
500 or 500 which he carried In Il
bag. and took no notice OF several
men who had come down the canyon
from some 1'pIaceres" up that gulch
over there, where they had been work
Ing out a little gold all the week.
They stood behind him and whispered
among themselves, making u coldblOOd-
cd plan to murder him in the night and
steal his money. lie was too weak to
proceed on his journey. so decided TO
stay and fight them. The host and
his wife retired early. in that end OF
the house. and what made him sus-
pIclous, they barricaded the door or
their room as they closed it for the
night. Deciding to remain awake, he
examined his slX-shOOtCr and held il In
his hand, with the blanket drawn up
to hide Ii from view. Several hours
pissed, then, at midnight he heard the
door open. There being no windows in
the house, all was as black as Il soul
driven from heaven. He had moved
his bed-an old bench-under this sky
light near us. He felt u presence
perhaps it may have been someone
breathing. He rose on his elbow, his
hand grasplng his cooked six-shooter.
Then the moon, like the eye of the
Buen' DlOs beaming through the sky
light flashed upon descending knife
and revealed to him the would-be as
sassin. With his hand on his pistol,
drop that knife!" he cried out In
Spanish. AS he stepped from his bed
he saw two others at the open door.
"Now, you and your companions go
into that room ut the other end. viii
see that you remain there until l am
gone on my way"
"After he had herded them into the
room. he barricaded the door with his
bed and sat him down with pistol In
hand to wait for the dawn. Nhen IL
became light enough, he saddled MS
horse and galloped away on his Jour-
new to San Bernardino. Now, sonora,
that man and his wife who shut them
selves in knew what would happen.
that the essassins would fight over the
gold, and so they took the precaution
of barricading themselves in. Quien
sabe? Dios only knows. He sent the
moonlight to reveal their sin, do you
not think?"
"Now, that is all in the past, sonora"
said Dona Teresa, with a smile. Now
for the future. You have sat here 80
long on this hard bench that you de-
serve something to eat, and besides,
II is damp. l have "tassajo" of carne
In the carretella. That is the name
the Indians give string of dried beef.
SO I will find some stones and some
little sticks of wood, and we will broil
some meat before we go. There is NO
bread, but It will taste good, | know.
"Now, sonora, come! 1t Is done.
Come, sit under the stars ana eat
Mira! Quiri has forgotten her bath
already and Is trying TO bite the grass
near her. I will turn her loose while
we eat--there Is no fear of her run
ming away--she will not go far from
me-"
Not very large streams of water
were flowing down the slopes of the
arroyos. All the dust swept from the
trees. the dusty roadway of the morn
Ing was now hard-packed gravelly
road, Sweet odors of pine and sage
filed the air. The CHA, washed OFF the
summer dust, shone more red and
brown than ever. The little rabbit
Which had looked in at the door In the
morning now vcntured to return and
find his supper. Every now and then
the cry of quail or the soft call OF
dove fell upon the ear.
"All is us of heaven" Dona Teresa
remarked wiping the remains OF the
ashes from her mouth. "Scpora, L 90
not like this lonely road, SO we VIII
be silent and drive fast, Come p
Laura Enartsen King in Los Angeles
Times.