Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-26

LII years TIC WOulO IIOO AldNG
risked the adventure, since nobody
knew better than he that a dispute
over water and grass in the country Is
always tantamount to an adventure.
But his own range had been graZed
over; 1t had been dry year in his
part of the country, he had the sheep
on his hands, they were not ready for
market, nor was he ready to accept the
market price for unmarketable
in his dilemma he turned quite
naturally to one of the earliest laws
of human nature, to wit. that
desperate man is justified in taking
desperate measures.
He was familiar with the law OF
trespaSs. If the owner of fee lands
did not fence them, he could not pro-
secute successfully the owner of loose
live stock that wandered thereonl And
Don Jaime HigueneS could not afford
to fence the small acreage around springs
and water holes and the narrow 40.
acre strips along watercourseS, some OF
which went dry in the Summer. If he
did his own live stock could not get
in for waterl OF course, as Antrim
knew, Don Jaime might have counter
attacked by scattering quantities OF
Saltpeter on the grass of his fee lands
They were his lands and he could put
peter will not hurt cattle, but kills sheep
However, when Antrim figured the area
upon which his antagonist would have
to scatter sufficient Saltpeter to be a
menace, he knew Don Jaime would
never resort to this expedienU.
It would require too much saltpetel
and too great labor bill to scatter II
and maintain it in sufficient quantities
to do its work.
Therefore, Antrim reasoned, he ran
but one risk, and that was a battle tc
keep his sheep, not from trespassing on
unfenced lands, but from drinking Don
james water. However, there were
many water holes and many water
courses to guard, and perhaps Don
Jaime would not guard them all; per-
hapS if Antrim appeared with a strong
armed guard OF herders Don Jaime
would not force the issue. under Cf1e
| circumstances Tom Antrim decided tG
accept the risks because the stakes
if he won, were high. He was an ar
rogant man and because of Don james
Castilian blood (Antrim referred to II
as Mexican blood, which predicates a
mixture of Indian) he had a contempt
for the fighting qualities Of the
Higuenes family. He had declared,
often in public, that Don Jaime was too
yellow to buck a white man.
AL IAlCoC GA11446o 4OAA On1AAtO 4AASACAASa
considered as he gazed over the country
that, by hook and crook had been
sacred to four generations of his people
He had but one real advantage, one
legal right. His fee lands were I'M
fenced and hence a suit for trespass
could not lie, but he did have the
right to drive trespassing live stock of
his fee lands before they should have
an opportunity to drink. If held OIL
fhou mould Werlich nj
thirst, and If while driving them off he
| and his men we're attacked by the
owners of the trespassing live stock
they would be clearly within their legal
rights if they defended themselves.
Don Jaime smiled. Thrice doubly
armed is he whose cause is just" he
soliloquized. "Well, Senior Antrim has
the surprise of his life coming tc him
this evening. He's staked everything
the trick with trump deuce"
He decided to bear off to the right
and give the sheep and their herders
| a wide berth, for he had no intention
of coming to grips with the enemy
anywhere except on his own lands and
| In defense of his inalienable rights. So
he rode along the hogback at a walk
| for half mile and then turned down
long draw to the valley below,
Algodones wound off into the haze. AT
the mouth of the draw he paused and
dismounted, for the long trip downhill
had revealed the fact that his saddle
| cinch was loose; it had slipped out
| over the horses withers.
Don .aime removed saddle and
blanket, saw that there wore no
wrinkles in the blanket, and adjusted
| it again to the horses back. He was in
the act of swinging the heavy stock
saddle up onto the animal when some
thing ripped across his breast. He felt
| gentle plucking of his shirt, ex-
| perienced feeling that he had been
burned. Then the crashing sound of
rifle echoed through the draw.
The thought flashed through Dor
james agile brain. Tom Antrim had
another trump. He's playing it."
With savage wrench he jerked Ke1
dropped the saddle and leapel
for the brush with the alacriti
of a frightened rabbit. A fusillade d
| bullets followed him; before he could
gain the shelter of the reverse slope Of
the left of the two spurs which formed
the draw, he had been hit three times,
the last wound dropping him headlong
on his face.
The paralysis was but momentary,
however. He rolled q couple Of times,
half rose, lurched forward and rolled
again. When he reached dead" ground
he rested few seconds, then on his
hands and knees crawled around the
toe of the spur; presently he got to his
feet and limped slowly and painfully
up the hill so yards, got down on his
hands and knees, and with his body az
close to the earth as possible crawled
back through the low sage over the spur
toward the draw. When he could look
down into the draw again he stretched
out and brought his rifle to the ready.
He waited.
Presently, up the hillside across the
draw he saw a bush move slightly.
There was not breath Of wind, so Don
Jaime concentrated his attention on
that bush. 1t moved again. but Don
Jaime could see nothing. So, deciding
to feel for what was there while yet
sufficient strength remained to him, he
sighted carefully on the center Of that
bush and fired. Something thrashed in
the brush, so Don jaime continued to
shoot until the thrashing ceased.
With the feeling that he had better
be sure than sorry he had put 20 bull
lets into the heart of that bush.
Presently, from far up the draw to-
ward the summit voice floated family:
Don Jaime! It's Ken Hobartl"
Come down, but be careful" Don
Jaime shouted back with all his lungs.
Ken Hobart came down that long
draw at a mad gallop and when the
thud of hoofs indicated his near pres
ence, Don Jaime managed to stand
erect and hail him. The ranger rode
into the brush to Don Jaime, who
leaned against his horse and chung to
the saddle.
Hurt, my friend2"
"Shot, but not fatally" Don Jaime
informed him with a dry smile. TOP
Of the left shoulder, left biceps and calf
Of the right hind leg. Also brand
across nv Ghost