The Washington herald., 1921-04-03
An @. Henry Story
, the united states cnd Of an
AM AFTERNOON MIRACLE

little 'dobe hut, keeping a fairly
faithful espionage upon the tagging
trail of passengers Prom the Mexi-
can side,
Bud Dawson. proprietor of the
Top Notch Saloon, had, on the even
ing previous. violently elected from
his premises one Leandro Garcia,
for alleged violation of the Top
Notch code of behavior. Garcia had.
twenty-four hours as a
limit, by. which time he would call
and collect a. plentiful indemnity for
satisfaction.
This Mexican, although.a "A tremen-
dous braggart. was. thoroughly
courageous, and each side of the
river respected him for one of these
attributes. He and a following of
similar bravoes were addicted to the
pastime of retrieving towns from
stagnation.
The day designated by Garcia for
retribution was to be further sig
nalized on the American, side by a
cattlemen's convention. a bull fight,
and an old settlers barbecue and
picnic knowing the avenger to be
a man of his word. and believing
II prudent to court peace while,
three such gently social relaxations
were In progress. Captain McNuity,
OF the ranger company stationed
there. detailed his lieutenant and
three men for duty at the end of the
bridge. Their instructions were to
prevent the invasion of Garcia,
either alone or attended by his
gang.
Travel was slight that sultry
afternoon, and the rangers swore
gently, and mopped their brows in
their convenient but close quarters
For an hour no one had crossed save
an old woman enveloped In brown
wrapper and black mantilla. driv-
ing before her a burro loaded with
wood tied in small bundles
for peddling. Then three shots
were fired down the street, the
sound coming clear and snappy
through the still air.
The four rangers quickened from
sprawling. symbolic figures of indo-
lence to alert life, but only one rose
to his feet. Three turned their eyes
beseechingly but hopelessly upon
the fourth, who had gotten nimbly
up and was buckling his cartridge
belt around him. The three knew
that Lieut.. Bob Buckley, in COM
mand, would allow no man of them
the privilege of Investigating a row
when he himself might 60.
The agile, broad-chested lieuten-
ant, without a change of expression
in his smooth, yellow-brown. melan-
choly face, shot the belt strap
through the guard of the buckle.
hefted his skies in their holsters
hnlI nrf,r - All =.
to her toilette, caught up his Win
chester. and dived for the door.
There he paused long enough to
their watch upon the bridge. and
way.
The three relapsed into resigned
inertia and plaintive comment.
I've heard of fellows" grumbled
Broncho Leathers, what was we'd
ded to danger, but IL Bob Buckley
amt committed bigamy with
trouble. I'm a son of a gun"
"Peculiarness of Bob is," inserted
the Nueces Kid, ''he amt had
proper trainin'. He never learned
how to git skeered. Now, a man
ought to be skeered enough when
he tackles a fuss to banker after
readin' his name on the list of sur
vivors, anyway"
Buckley" commented Ranger No
3. who was a misguided Eastern
man. burdened with an education,
scraps in such a solemn manner
that / have been led to doubt Its
spontaneity. I'm not quite onto hi:
system, but he fights, like Tybalt
by the book of arithmetic"
"'T t. never heard" mentioned
Broncho, about any Of Dibble'.
ways Of mixin' scrappin' and cipher
in"
"Triggernometry?" suggested tn.
Nueces infant.
That's rather better than
hoped from you" nodded the East
erner, approvingly. The othel
meaning Is that Buckley never goe:
into a fight without giving ava!
weight. He seems to dread taking
the slightest advantage. That
quite close to foolhardiness whei
you are dealing with horse thieves
and fence cutters who would am
bush you any night, and shoot yo,
in the back IL they could. Buckley
too full of sand. He'll play Horatiu
and hold the bridge once too oftel
some day.
I'm on there" drawled the Kid
'T mind that bridge gang in tn,
reader. Me, go instructed for tn,
other chap-Spurious Somebody
the one that fought and pulled hi
freight. to fight 'em on some othe
date"
| Anyway" summed up Bronchc
''Bob's about the gamest man I eve
see along the Rio Bravo. Great Sar
Houstonl II she ever gets any hottie
she'll sizzlew Broncho whacked a
a scorpion with his four-poun
Stetson felt and the three watcher
relapsed into comfortless silence.
How we'll Bob Buckley had KEEP
his secret, since these men, for tw
years his side comrades in counties
border raids and dangers, thu
spake Of him, not knowing that h
was the most arrant physical COW
ard In all that Rio Bravo country
Neither his friends nor his enemie
had suspected him of aught els
than the finest courage. 1t wa
purely a physical cowardice, an
only by an extreme. grim effort o
will had he forced his craven bod
to do the bravest deeds. Scourgin
himself always. as a monk whips hi
besetting sin, Buckley threw him
self with apparent recklessness int
every danger. with the hope o
some day Kidding himself of tn
despised affliction. But each success
sive test brought no relief. and tn
rangers face. by nature adapted t
cheerfulness and good humor. be
came set to the guise of gloom
melancholy. Thus. while the frontie
admired his deeds. and his proves
was celebrated in print and by wor