Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23

the figs in my garden picked" he
declared THE birds are gathering for
the feast OF course, the mock-birds
roost in my fig trees and sing sweet
songs to me, but the little rascals are
too greedy"
Don't try to switch the conversation"
the ranger protested From sheep to
figs is a jump from ridiculous to the
sublime. I heard all about the famous
pen to know the old skunk don't take
orders worth a cent. Yet, he knows
you mean business. That's why his men
are all armed. He expects battle and
he knows you'll lead your forces. Now,
If you should get killed in the fracas,
your executor would be the one to pro-
test against his trespassing in the
future. Who might your executor be?"
THE Federal Trust Co. of FL Paso."
tom Antrim owes them lot of
money. In a dry year they might not
be too anxious to discover that Antrim
was invading your range-that is, not
until they had gotten their money out
of the old hog. Now like you, Jimmy,
and don't want to see you get killed.
Besides, If you kick up row and don't
get yourself killed, you make work for
me and my men. Myself, I'm a man of
peace. Consequently it occurred to
me"
You want me to give him another
chance-to appear weak and vacillating
by talking to that Antrim AGAIN." Don
jaime charged instantly.
Thank Heaven, my blood is the cool
blood of an Anglo-Saxon ancestry. If
had your corpuscles, friend Jimmy, I
never would have risen to be captain
in the Texas Rangers. I'd have been
killed as a private. Now, you listen to
me, because have no interest at all in
Antrim. 1 have, however, sympathetic
interest in you and your broad acres.
You plan to go over yonder and start
something. All wrong, old son, all
wrong. ,You take rangers advice and
let the other fellow draw first Then
beat him to the draw. While that
policy is highly dangerous to dull man,
1t is the safest for a man who knows
how to draw in a hurry and shoot
straight. 1t puts the burden of guilt
on the enemy and he and not you
usually gets the flowers. Jimmy, know
ing the impetuouSity of your nature, /
have ridden over here to stop you from
doing something inartistic.'
you are always my good friend"
murmured Don Jaime gratefully.
Now, listen, Jimmy" Ken Hobart
continued. Tomorrow shall make
1t my business to drop in at that sheep
will ride up, alone and unarmed. I'll
report to Antrim that you're bent on
an argument, but not in the smoke:
and he'll go out to talk to you, because
I shall advise 1t strongly. When he
does you give him final warning in
language most becoming to a hidalgo
of your proud ancestry. He'll think
you're weak and afraid and of course
he'll disregard the warning
"WnfI having Worna6 him VolI ride
back home, gather your gang together
and take possession of the water-holes
where Antrim must of necessity water
his sheep tonight Don't let him water
them. He'll fight for the water, rather
than back-track with his flock over
ground that's been eaten over, only
to find your men guarding the water
holes in that direction, too. A sheep
can't stand such hardship, and three
days without water will see his sheep
dying by the thousand.
"You understand me, Jimmy? you
provoke the fight, but he shoots first
Then you clean up and clean up good,
because that's the only way you're ever
going to have peace. Antrim's fate
will be a lesson to any other grass
thief with designs on your range, and
don't think any jury in this county
will convict you of murder, because
Antrim and his men will have been
clearly outside the law, you have
record for patient forbearence in the
past. And I will be your witness to
prove thta you rode up to Antrim's
camp uparmed and talked to him like
gentleman-Sabe listed, amigo? A
captain of rangers testimony carries
weight with jury. Anyhow it just
isn't possible to convict a Hilguenes in
this county. You have never killed