The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1920-06-10
BY
O HENRY

Fiio county a safe place 10 sleep IN II you was
well armed and not afraid of acquisitions on
tarantulas.
"One day there passes through Pearsall a
bunch of these money investors from the east
and they stopped of there, Pearsall then be-
ing the dinner station on the l. G.. y. They
was just coming back from Mexico looking
after mines and such. There was five of en-
four solid parties, with gold watch chains, that
would grade up over two hundred pounds on
the hoof and one kid about seventeen or
eighteen.
"Ths youngstcr had on one Of them cowboy
suits such as tenderfoots bring west with EN- ;
and you could see he was aching 10 wing a
couple of Indians or bag a grizzly or two with
the little pearl-handled gun he had buckled
around his waist.
Il walked down TO the depot to keep an eye
on the outfit and see that they didn't locate any
land or scare the COW ponies hitched in front OF
Murchison's store or act otherwise unseemly.
Luke was away after a gang Of cattle thieves
down on the Nueces, and ! always looked after
The law and order when he wasn't there
After dinner this boy comes out Of the din
ing room while the train was waiting, and
pranccs up and down the platform ready to
shoot all antelope, lions or private citizens that
might endeavOr to modest or come too near HIM.
He was a good looking kid, only he was like
all them tenderfoots-he didn't know a law
and-order town when he saw t.
"By and by along comes Pedro Johnson, the
proprietor Of the Crystal Palace chili-con-carne
stand in Pearsal Pedro was a man who liked
TO amuse himself; so he kind of herd rides this
y0uugster laughing at him, tickled TO death. |
was too far away TO hear, but the kid seems 10
mention some remarks to Pedro, and Pedro
goes up and saps him about nine feet away,
and laughs harder than ever. And then the
0Oy gets up quicker than he fell and jerks out
his little pearl-handled gun and-bing blng
b.ng. Pedro gets 10 three times IN special and
treasured portions Of his carcass. | saw the
dust Us of his clothes every time the bullets
HIT Sometimes them little thirty-twos cause
worry az close range.
THE engine bell was ringing, and the train
starting OH slow. / goes up b the Kid and
places him under arrest. and takes away his
gun. But the first thing 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 ms chin, and | sort Of laid down on the
platform and took nap | meyer want any
persons except a barber 20 take liberties Ike
that with my face again. When ] woke up. the
whole 0utit-train, boy and al-was gone. !
asked about Pedro. and they told me the doctor
said he would recover provided his wounds
didn't turn out 20 be fatal.
When Luke got back three days later, and
told him about il, he was mad all over.
Why didn't you telegraph 20 San Antoine
he asks, and have the bunch arrested there
Oh, we'll says |, 4 always did admire
telegraphy; but astronomy was what had took
up just then That capitalist sure knew how
70 gesticulate with his hands.
Luke got madden and madden He nves-
tigates and finds in the depot card one Of
the men had dropped that gives the address OF
some hombre called Scudder in New York
City
Bud says Luke, Pm 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 Fro county and shall keep law
and order in It's precincts while I'm able to
draw a gun. And ! want you 10 20 with me.
10 eastern Yankee can shoot up a respectable
and well-known citizen Of Pearsall, specially
with a thirty-two caliber, and escape the law.
Pedro Johnson says Luke, is one Of our most
prominent citizens and business men. III APP
point Sam Bell acting sheriff with penitentiary
powers while I'm away, and you and me will
take the six forty-ive northbound tomorrow
evening and follow up this trail
I'm your company, says !. / never see
this New York, but I'd like TO- But, Luke
says /. don't you have 70 have dspensaton
or habeas corpus or something from the state
when you reach out that far for rich men and
malefactorsY
Did have requsition,' says Luke, when
| went over into the Brazos bottoms and
brought back Bill Grimes and two more for
holding up the international? Did me and you
have a search warrant or a posse comitatus
when we rounded up them six Mexican COW
thieves down in Hidalgo? It's my business to
keep order in Frio county
And it's my business rs office deputy
says !, TO see that business is carried on ac-
cording 10 law. Between us both we ought TO
keep things pretty well cleaned up
so, the next day. Luke packs a blanket and
some collars and his mileage book in a haver-
81 Il a. -.