Evening star., 1931-06-14


rock hole while his people were being slaugh-
tered He projecked around about six weeks,
got some of the settlers hct up a little, and
then gave up the hunt and went back to Mexico
to die.
Time went ON ike it has way of doing, and
the settlers seemed to have forgot all about old
Benito and the rock he hunting AT least
they lust about quit talking on the subject.
Now, one of the settlers Barton C-eek
was named Kamlin. lie had section OF land
and maze living by not trying to farm 1t, but
bv trading around and hunting. He butchered
cattle and peddled out the meat, for by now
the maverick days Of free meat was over. He
had q way of shooting down animals in the
pasture, taking his wsggin to the carcass cut
ting 1t up and then lighting out on peoo1ng
trip Sometimes he'd barbecue a beef right
where he killed it. I've seen with my own eyes
barbecue pits he put down.
Joining Hamlin WIS settler named Jarper,
and Jarber was all the time try ing to buy him
out One day after q big rain when he was
feeling right optimistic he rode over and struck
Hamlin for a trade Harnlin didn't seem any
more anxious to sell than usual. Sid ne had
to butcher that day and didn't have no time
for trading anyhow.
But that same evening Jarber got surprise.
A little after dusk Hamlin galloped up and be-
fore he was well OF his horse yelled out: Get
your trading dudS or"
well. YOU certainly have changed around
mighty quick" said JaIber. whats got into
you? But sleep in my trading shirt. What
you asking for that go acres Of rocks and cedar
brush?"
"Give me that waggn of yours and the pair
of black mules and the trades closed" came
back Hamlin.
Old Man Jarber said later that he hated to
give up his best pair Of mules, but since ned
been willing to pay twice as much he couldn't
do anything else but let Ha Llin have 'em. The
only trouble he was scared to take up the
offer too quick, for fear H3ml.n would back out
So they hemmed and hawed around consider
able before the terms was settled. Then they
agreed to come down to Austin early next morn
ing to sign the papers.
Well after they'd gone to the court house
and signed the deed, Hamlin said he had a
little business to tend to before he went back.
A few minutes later Jarber happened TO pass
the bank and there he saw Hamln counting
gold over the table. Naturally he didn't say
ANYTHING but he wondered how a hill billy
came by so much cash He figgered out, though,
that maybe Hamlin had saved it up from all
the meat he'd sold. The two drove back up
the river.
When they got to Jarber's place the waggin
and mules were delivered over.
well the place is yours now" said Hamlin,
"but I'd like to stay on it for week or two
why goodness alive. stay as long as you
want to-" Jarber told him. IAN want Is to
begin plowing up that 10-acre field before long.
There's no telling when we will want the house.
Camp there as long you want to-"
THE next day was Sunday, and Jarber walked
over to enjoy his new possessions. He'd
been over the ground a thousand times before,
as he used to tell it, but this morning he was
looking at 1t with different eyes. Down close
to where a gully runs into Barton Greek he
came upon a good sized hole fresh dug. He
lust supposed it was where Hamlin had been
hn~t hnof and he
inside However he did notice that the wag-
gin tracks sunk mighty Deep as If Hamlin had
had terrible load on He passed on up by the
house. but nobody seemed to be at home.
couple of days later he went by the Ham
lin house again. 1t deserted and evidently
nobody had been there since Sunday. He fed
the chickens and by now he begun to get Curl
Gus. The next day he decided to investigate.
The house was not locked and the signs In
side showed plainly that the HamlinS had
pulled their freight for good. They'd taken
couple of springs and mattresses, bedclothes,
cooking outfit, two wagons and all their horse
stock They'd left their furniture, COW and
calf the chickens and few knckknacks From
all appearances they'd pulled out in a hurry
To make long story short, Han1lin never
came back. A week or after he left Jarber
happened to be down close to the gully where
he'd seen the fresh pit. He kinder looked
around for signs of Harnlins kill. There wasn't
any. Something told him to examine the
hole. Well, the first thing he saw was marks
of mstal at the bottom. Then about the time
it dawned on Jarber as to what had happened,
he noticed a stub of rock in cedar tree grow
ing beside the hole. Pitched over
in the grass, he found the rest of
the slab It had this mark on it, y z
1 can take you this minute over to old lady
Jarber's house on Tenth street and show you
that rock. At least she had it a few years ago.
JaIber himself died years back. As for Ham
lin it used to be common talk how he bought
one of the finest tracts of improved land IN