Evening star., 1936-03-22

itself in the pommel OF Joaquin
saddle; a second bullet creased the
black horses neck as Joaquin caused
him to rear on his hind legs to pro-
tect his master. Then he commenced
bucking and as he bucked the man IN
the road continued to fire.
Suddenly the horse stopped buck
ing, coincidently with the release
from his shoulder Of Joaquin's huge
rowel. II think, my brave fellow" he
taunted, that counted six shots
and because I made my horse dance
all of them have missed me. What9
You have not another gun?"
He shot the man through the head
helped himself to some so ounces Of
gold in his victims pack and by q
circuitious route rode back to camp
where he carved another notch in his
gun. Then he washed the slight
wound in his horses neck and sewed
it up; he complained to Jack that but
for the fact that the black horse had
been wounded, he would have re-
manned OH that road and paid fur
ther installments on his debt to Jesus.
In the morning the company rode
north, over the hills, thence down into
the Sacramento Valley and north
along its eastern bank. At Nyes Ferry,
on the Yuba River. Joaquin detached
Claudio and two others to ride into
the camp and purchase supplies. In
stead, they robbed the general store,
because they saw miner selling his
gold dust to the proprietor and figured
that, as buyer of gold, the latter
must have quite quantity of it on
hand. So they killed him and robbed
him of thousand ounces and two
mule loads of beans, bacon and flour
and some salt and pepper. In the
midst of their foray they were sur
prised by half dozen miners and
forced to shoot their way out of Nyes
Ferry, with the loss of one mule and
bullet through Claudio's thigh. But
they left three men dead behind them
and received a sound cursing from
Three-fingered Jack for the loss Of the
mule when, eventually. they caught
up with the main body.
The bullet was still in Claudio and
it was beyond the rough skill of Three
fingered Jack to extract 1t, so Joaquin
decided to return to Sacramento and
seek the services Of surgeon. At the
outskirts of the city they separated, to
enter in ones and two's at intervals
and put UP their horses at certain
feed corral. Joaquin rode in with
Claudio and found a surgeon.
How did this happen?" the surgeon
naturally queried.
HE was shot, Senor Medico," Joa-
quin replied softly. "A very impatient
man shot him."
What for2"
"Oh, because he is such a foolish
fellow. He talked too much. He was
always asking questions about the pri-
vate business Of other men"
The doctor looked up. He looked
down again. Crazy as q LOOM" he
soliliquized. He extracted the bullet
and fragment Of Claudio's leather
trousers with 1t, dressed the wound
and said, "That will be $l00." To his
amazement. Joaquin gave him the
money and helped Claudio out Of the
office and onto his horse, waiting In
the street.
The window above him opened and
the doctors head and shoulders were
outthrust.
"Murrieta," he shouted. THAT
Greaser on the black horse Is Joaquin
Murrieta, the bandit and killer. Take
him. Tell the police. Shoot him.
Reward out for him."
MY good medico." Joaquin called
up to him, you are unable. it seems,
to accept a hint. You still talk too
much" And he put bullet through
the head Of that doctor. ALSO, his
charges are very high" he added to
Claudio. THAT is because you are
. Mexican. Ride quickly, now, thou
one, to the feed corral and
I will follow at q distance and lead
them away from you. We meet at
He spurred his horse down the.