The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-09-22

pirates. until they got about fifty
yards from the Jail. Then they
stopped. puzzled by the quiet. The
front wall Of the Jail ran up above
the roof. leaving about two feet of
breastwork on top, and pretty soon
Johnny's head come a-peeking over
the top. He had a rife in his
hand, and he looked some mad.
What do you wantT he hol-
Tered.
we want your prisoner. Senior
Everson'
Go way said Johnny. Go way
and go home
DE la Cruz then took a hand.
"'Senor EversoR,' he said in
Mexican, which Johnny understood
better'n he did English, resistance
is useless. You'd better give up the
murderer at once and avoid trouble
"Tll give you thunder If ! catch
you looking like you wanted him.
said Johnny.
He looked mighty brave stand
ing up there all alone, and US be-
hind the houses were commencing
to get sore on that gang in the road
trying to bluff him.
"Nondas whispered something TO
De la Cruz and started to ride up
to the Jail, the others standing
still. She had a rifle in her hand.
but Johnny only grinned at her.
Then some of the Mexicans
started of as though to make a
circle of the jail. De la Cruz stood
still with the others. Johnny was
watching them all closely. Nondas
had just reached the jail door when
something happened.
There was a shot, and every one
who was looking saw a pun of
smoke from De la Cruz's saddle
He had fired from his hip.
Johnny yelled and dropped be-
hind his breastwork like he was
shot. Nondas turned Just in time
to see De la Cruz fire, and heard
Johnny boiler. Things commenced
to move so fast then that we didn',
sift out an explanation until 1t was
all over.
THE Americans behind the
houses hadn't figured on there
being any shooting at all. We
thought that Johnny was hit, and
started on a run for the jail. We
heard Nondas shrek, then raise her
rife, and commence cutting loose
at De la Cruz and his mob. I saw
De la Cruz suddenly clap his hands
to his head, yell, and then wheel
his horse and start on on a dead
run, his gang following him so fast
they'd have run over him IL his
horse hadn't been best.
Meantime we were going for the
jail, but Nondas suddenly turned
on US and commenced pumping
lead in our direction. Well, you
can't shoot back at a woman, so we
did the next best thing and ran for
cover Before we got clear old man
Martin got a piece of his hair and
a bit of scalp torn on, but no one
was hurt.
Then the doors of the Jail open
ed, and out comes Johnny, the
alivest thing you ever saw in your
life. Nondas she shows she is still
a woman by Hopping over into his
arms in a faint.
I'VE didn't get it all until we
saw Johnny that night. We was
sore on Nondas for shooting at US.
but Johnny's story smoothed it all
over.
arVo,, ,aas he saws sNTopdas told
De la Cruz that there was to be no
shooting under any circumstances.
She says when she saw me her
scheme went to pieces. She saw
! wasn't going to scare, and she
was riding up to tell me about that
fool bet you all know about and
get me to let them take the
prisoner out just long enough to
save her face. She said she meant
TO make some excuse to return him
right away, but she wanted to show
every one she had me faded. I'd
have let her do it If I'd known.
Then Jose must have got sus-
picious, and thought he'd bump me
of to save any future trouble.
" HCu SIG saw mt NAASA was
only a bluff, Nondas got mad at De
la Cruz, she says, and commenced
shooting at him. Then when your
bunch started rushing in she
thought it was the other part of her
own crowd, and turned loose in
your neighborhood to keep you from
breaking open the jail. After caus-
ing all the trouble, in the first
place, she decided that it was her
business to hold that prisoner for
me. That's all
Son says old man Martin, rub
bling his head. are you-all going to
marry that NOndas?
Sure says Johnny.
We'll, my advice is to keep her
away from shooting hardware.
says Martin"