Evening star., 1936-03-13

man we had our guns out ready to
help. We figgered that reefin' a main
sail is more than a one-rnan job, but
you certainly made 'em eat crow"
Joaquin's tragic gaze met their hui
morous one. Some day. my good
friends" he answered, "gringoes like
those will force me to kill-and after
that shall not know happiness. After
that men will cry. Get rope for the
greaSer."
Il suppose so, Joaquin. Well, If me
and Johnny're around they're going
to have some trifln' difficulty pro-
ducin the rope. The hell of it is, Joa-
quin, we amt good shots"
"Once I could not shoot very good,
Bill. but when had my first pistol I
was fortunate. received it with much
ammunition, so for one month camp
ed in the desert and made the practice
to shoot straight with much quickness.
Well, If a man has the brains and the
ambition, he will succeed. 1 wish no
fight, but if the fight comes I expect to
win it, His handsome face lighted
with its old whimsical smile. 1T is
my duty" he added gravely. mot to be
foolish and make my sweet Rosita a
widow. Johnny, my boy. you have trou-
BILE in the eyes,"
"Johnny's in love-" his brother
vouchSafed. The mail came in this
mornin' and he didn't get letter from
her
l.. Tok tH
brave fellow. Myself, in his boots, I
would die. Come, Johnny. and you,
Bill. will buy little drink of aqua
diente to settle the nerves-no? You
know what aguadiente means in
Spanish? No2 1t means toothwater."
Over the toothwater he told them.
very simply, how great comfort they
were to him. particularly following an
experience with lesser gringoes. which
information so touched the worthy
pair that Joaquin was moved to make
a sudden leap over the bar to escape
their customary commendatory whack
between the shoulder blades.
Joaqin did not work on Sundays.
Not that there existed in Sawmill Flat
opportunities for him to worship God
according to his faith. but because he
deemed it necessary to have one day
of rest in seven and an obligation to
spend that one with RoSita, his brother
and his old blind mother. Usually,
too. Johnny and Bill came up for din
ner, which afforded Rosita and Jesus
opportunity to improve their English
and opportunity for Joaquin to learn
more sailor chanteys, which delighted
him. Sometimes they shot at a mark
or pitched horseshoes, homely game
at which Bill and Johnny were very
proficient. Joaquin enjoyed these long
Sundays in the Summer of 1851,
lolling in a rawhide- covered chair on
his little porch with his guests or
sprawled in the long, dry grasses out
under the oaks in the yard. He had
the Latin's enjoyment Of dolce farb
niente-sweet doing nothing.
On Sunday morning. as he sprawl
ed abed late, Rosita went down TO a
spring that bubbled out from under a
tree some so feet from the bank of
Sawmill Flat Greek. This was the do
mestic water supply for the establish
ments of both Joaquin and Jesus. AS
Rosita set her wooden bucket down on
the edge of the spring and prepared to
fill it with a dipper, she was aware OF
voices in the creek below and glanced
idly in that direction. Two men VINO
had been gophering around in the
creek bed had observed her arrival
and were now leaning on their shovels.
staring at her and commenting freely
on her in English.
Rositas knowledge of English was
Slight, but-she was woman and she
had read the lust in the eyes OF these
men. And she could understand that.
There were few women in the dig
gings; they were to come later. In
Sawmill Flat there had been Mexican
and half breed Indian girls in the
dance halls, but these had gone to So
nora. And to these lusty. virile, mas
culine men the sight of the slim and
lovely RoSfta caused a readiness as
from strong drink-all the stronger
because Rosita. being Mexican or
Hispano- Californian. was not woman
to be respected as they would have re-
spected one of their own race. For a
moment Rosita glanced impersonally
at them, then turned and commenced
dipping up the water. When she had
the bucket filled and was about to
carry it to the house, she found both
men standing beside her.
Hello, sister," said one.
"Ah, there, sweetheart" said the
other.
"Buenas dias, senores," Rosita mur-
INJURED politely and stopped to pick up
her bucket, whereupon the first
speaker swept her away from it with
his brawny right arm and sought to
grasp her left wrist. Rosita whirled
and with all her might slapped him
across the mouth. He retreated
step or two in surprise and embarrass-
ment. Rosita stopped, picked up a
stone and hurled it at the other man
It struck him in the breast and be-
fore he could recover from his amaze
ment, Rosita had picked up the bucket
and was running toward the house.
The men stared after her, one rub
bing his smarting lips, the other ca
ressing a bruise on his bare breast.
''Ain't she the little wildcat?" this
person declared, almost with pride.
Wilson, if that rock'd hit me on the
forehead, reckon it'd have stove in my
brains
"She burned near stove in my front
teeth with that little hand o hern, Tab
bard" his companion declared, but
with anger. Dang her buttons. She
thinks she's too good for u.s."
well, mebbe she is, at tnat," the
man Wilson laughed. "Likeliest little
piece of calico I've laid eyes on since
left Missoury."
Extra good looking-for greaser,
Tab
Tabbard, gazed after the flying fig
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