The Washington herald., 1920-06-13

of his that had been taken away
from him, unlawful. in spite of
his decree of court. But he wasn't
a man you could ask about such
things as he didn't refer to in his
own conversation.
Il reckon he'd put all his emo
tions and ideas into being sher-
IN. I've read in books about men
that was disappointed in these
poetic and fine-haired and high
collared affairs with ladies re-
nouncing truck of that kind and
wrapping themselves up into
some occupation like painting
pictures. or herding sheep, or
science, or teaching school
something to make EN- forget.
Well, / guess that was the way
with Luke But. as he couldn't
paint pictures, he took IL out IN
rounding up horse thieves and in
making Mojada County a safe
place TO sleep in IL you was well
armed and not afraid of requisi-
tions or tarantulas.
"One day there passes through
Bildad a bunch of these money
investors from the East, and they
stopped of there. Bildad being
the dinner station on the I. & G.
n. They was just coming back
from Mexico looking after mines
and such. There was Ave of 'em
-four solid parties. which gold
watch chains. that would grade
up over 200 pounds on the hool.
and one kind about seventeen or
eighteen.
This youngster had on one of
them cowboy suits such as ten
derfoots bring West with EN-:
and you could see he was aching
to wing a couple of Indians or
bag a grizzly or two with the
little pearl-handled gun he had
buckled around his waist.
II walked down to the depot
to keep an eye on the outfit and
see that they didn't locate and
land or scare the COW ponies
hitched in front of Murchison's
store or act otherwise unseemly.
Luke was away after gang of
cattle thieves down on the Frio,
and always looked after the
law and order when he wasn't
there.
After dinner this boy comes
out of the dining room while the
train was waiting and prances
up and down the platform ready
TO shoot all antelope, lions. or
private citizens that might en-
deavor to modest or come too
near him. He was a good-look-
ing kid; only he was like all
didn't Ennw
a law-and-order town when he
saw 1t.
by and by along comes Pedro
Johnson, the proprietor OF the
Crystal Palace chili-con-carne
stand in Bildad. Pedro was a man
who liked to amuse himself; SO he
kind of herd rides his youngster,
laughing at him, tickled to death.
/ was too far away to hear. but
the kid seems to mention some
remarks 20 Pedro, and Pedro goes
up and slaps him about nine feet
away, and laughs harder than
ever. And then the boy gets up
quicker than he fell and jerks out
his little pearl-handle, and-bing,
bing! bing! Pedro gets il three
times IN special and treasured por-
tions of his carcass. ! saw the
dust fy off his clothes every time
the bullets hit. Sometimes those
little .52's cause worry at close
range.
The engine bell was ringing.
and the train starting off slow.
l goes up to the kid and places
him under arrest, and takes away
his gun. But the first thing l
knew that caballard of capitalists
makes a break for the train. One
of 'em hesitates in front OF me
for a second. and kind of smiles
and shoves his hand up against
my chin, and I sort of laid down
on the platform and took a nap.
j never was afraid of guns: but /
don't want any person except
barber to take liberties like that
with my face again. When ] woke
up. the whole outfit-train, boy.
and all-was gone. l asked about
Pedro. and they told me the doc
tor said he would recover. provid-
ed his wounds didn't turn out TO
be fatal.
When Luke got back three days
later, and told him about it, he
was mad all over.
Why'n't you telegraph to San
Antoine he asks, and have the
bunch arrested there"
oh, WELL says l. I always
did admire telegraphy; but as
tronomy was what / had took up
Just then That capitalist sure
knew how to gesticulate with his
hands.
Luke got madder and madder.
He investigates and finds in the
depot a card one of the men had
dropped that gives the address of
some hombre called Scudder in
New York City.
Bud says Luke, I'm going
after that bunch. I'm going there
and get the man or boy, as you
say he was, and bring him back.
I'm sheriff of Mojada County. and
/ shall keep law and order in it's
precincts while I'm able to draw a
gun. And I want you to go with
me. No Eastern Yankee can shoot
up respectable and well-known
citizen OF Bildad, specially with a
thirty-two calibre, and escape the
law. Pedro Johnson says Luke.
is one of our most prominent citi-
zens and business men. I'll ap-
point Sam Rail artipr sheriff