The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-12-07

1
says"
"In be darned If 1 believe any girl
can be hurt by little sweet talk
1t pleases 'em.
"Chop It," interrupted Belding
Here comes Nell now"
Dicks tingling ears took in the pat
tering of light footsteps. the rush of
someone running.
"Here you are" cried a sweet. hap
py voice. dad. the senorita Is per
rectly lovely. I've been peeping at
her. She sleeps like-like death
She's SO white. Oh. hope she won't
be III. How strange and sad. that
about herl Tell me more. Laddy.
You promised. I'm dying to know.
Didn't you say the senorita had
sweetheartf"
"Shore did"
"Is he the young man who came
with your"
Nope. That fellows the one who
saved the girl from Rojas."
"Ahl Where is he, Laddy?"
"He's in there asleep"
as he-nice. Laddy7"
/ "Shore"
"What is he lfkeT
"Well, I'm not long acquainted,
never saw him by day, but was some
tolerable took with him. An Jim
here, Jim says the young man can
have his gun an his hoss."
wonderful Laddy. what on
! earth did this stranger do to win you
cowboys in just one night7"
"I'll shore have to tell you. Me an
Jim was watchin' game Of cards In
the Del Sol saloon in Casita. That's
across the line. We had acquaint-
ances-four fellows from the Cross
Bar outfit, where we worked while
back. This Del Sol Is a billiard hall,
saloon, restaurant, an the like. An
1t was full of Greasers. Some of
Campo's rebels were there drinkin' an
playin' games. Then pretty soon In
come Rojas with some Of his outfit.
They were paclxin' guns an kept to
themselves or to one side.
"A little while afterward seen a
fellow standin' in the restaurant
door. He was young American
dressed In corduroys an boots. like
prospector. He looked round the sa-
loon, an when he spotted Rojas ne
sorta jerked up. Then he pulled his
SLOUGH hat lopsided an began to stag
ger down, down the steps. First off
made shore he was drunk. But / re-
membered he didn't seem drunk be-
fore. 1t was some queer. So
watched that young man.
"He reeled around the room like a
fellow who was drunker'n a lord.
Nobody but me seemed to notice him.
Then he began to stumble over pool
players an get his feet tangled up In
chairs an bump against tables He
got some pretty hard looks. He came
round our way, an all of sudden he
seen us cowboys. He gave another
start like the one when he first seen
Rojas, then he made for us. tipped
Jim of that somethin' was doin'
Then this queer young man shot some
cool, polite words at me an Jim.
"He was only bluffin' at bein' drunk
he meant to rush Rojas. to start
rough house. The bandit was after
girl. This girl was In the hotel. an
she was the sweetheart of soldier.
the young fellows friend. The hotel
was watched by Rojas' guards, an the
plan was to make fuss an get the
girl away In the excitement. Well,
Jim an me got a hint of our helm
Americans-that cowboys generally
had a name for loyalty to women.
Then this amazin' chap-you cant
imagine how scornful-said for me
an Jim to watch him.
Before I could catch my breath an
figger out what he meant by rush an
rough house he had knocked over
table an crowded some Greaser half
of the map. Then, Quickern can
tell you the young man dove at Ro-
las. Like mad steer on the ram
page he charged Rojas an his men.
The whole outfit went down-smash
i figgered then what rush meant.
The young fellow came up out of the
pile with Rojas. an just like I'd sling
an empty sack along the floor he sent
the bandit But swift as that went
he was on top of Rojas before the
chairs an tables had stopped rollin'.
II woke up then, an made for the
center Of the room. Jim with me.
began to shoot out the lamps. Jim
throwed his guns on the crazy rebels.
an / was afraid there'd be blood
spilled before l could get the room
dark. Rein shore busy, lost sight
Of the young fellow for a second or
so, an when got an eye free for him
I seen . Greaser about to knife him.
Think was considerate Of the
Greaser by only shootin' his arm off.
Then I cracked the last lamp, an in
the hullabaloo me an Jim vamoosed.
1--WE made tracks for our hosses an
packs. an was hittin' the San Felipe
road when we run right plumb into
the young man. Well, he said his
| name was Gale-Dick Gale. The girl
| waa with him safe an well: hnf her