Evening star., 1936-03-20

r1Q1ng up 6aWmu clat
paused at the Warren broth
49, ers'. Seen anything Of our
friend Joaquin Murietta latelyp" he
inquired casually.
Nothing" Bill replied. when he
left this country with his mother he
said good-by for keeps"
II reckon he meant that. He's too
we'll known hereabouts to risk comm
back"
why shouldn't he come back If he
feels like it?"
Harmon cooked one leg over the
pommel. "A feller name o. Joaquin
Murietta has got himself plumb out
side the law followin' shootin' scrape
down at HornitoS. Him and three
other Mexicans shot it out with six
men that was out gunnin' for some O.
Three-Fingered Jacks gang. Reck-
on the Mexicans figgered they'd killed
all six, but seems one of them only got
. furrow ploughed in his skelp. He
come to after the killers had rid on.
He says that when them four Mexi-
cans was first stopped an asked to
give their names an where they was
headed, the leader, who spoke mighty
good English, said his name was Joa-
quin Murietta an give the names Of his
friends. He seemed friendly enough
until he discovered they wasn't peace
officers, but Just volunteerin' as such,
and when the posse told them they was
under arrest, the rukus started. The
feller who said he was Joaquin Muri-
eta emptied three saddles with three
shots. OF course. they stopped in Hor-
nitos. but the authorities couldn't get
anything out of the Mexican popula-
ton there"
How come you got all this news?"
THE sheriff O. Mariposa County
wrote me an asked me to be on the
lookout an to arrest all mounted an
armed Mexicans comm into my juris-
diction."
Did he send description Of Muri-
etta?"
"Yep-an' it tallies pretty well.
Says the feller had a red welt across
his right cheek, like he'd been hit with
O quirt couple O. weeks back"
Harmon rolled a cigarette. He
grinned. Somehow I amt none too
anxious to arrest Joaquin Murietta. I
amt afraid to do my duty, but amt
exactly pinin' to git killed In the dis
charge Of it."
joaquin would never draw q gun
an Friayad vou'ra seFa
THE hell of it is, the friend will
just naturally have to draw q gun on
Joaquin. Boys, got a suspicion that
boys turned bandit an throwed in
with Three-Fingered Jack. They tell
me Jack an his gang took him and
Jesus from the hangtree and disap-
peared with EN-"
well. have to have more than
suspicion to prove that to me-"
Bill thrust his shovel in the gravel
bank and commenced working; John
ny did likewise For them the CONVEX
eation had ended. "Oh, we'll, of course,
you're friends o. his'n," Harmon mur-
INJURED and rode of. To himself he
added: II reckon I'll do well to keep
an eye on your cabin, Bill. Some
night he'll be putin up there. If
what hear is half true, Joaquin has a
heap o. unfinished business In this
county"
When the sheriff had gone Johnny
said to his brother, Its him. all
right"
I'm afraid it is, Johnny. 1t all adds
up. He left here with three o. Three
Fingered Jacks gang, headed for the
San Joaquin Valley to deliver his
mother at a rancho there. Hornitos Is
up in the hills to the east from there,
straight across the San Joaqin Valley.
Murietta did have a half-healed welt
on his right cheek, the good English
sounds like him an the target prac-
tice just about proves the case"
Johnny tipped q few shovelfuls Of
gravel. He was thinking deeply.
Then: "He was polite when that posse
spoke to him. He give his name truth
fully, but when. he found out they
wasn't peace officers, but citizens takin'
the law into their own hands an Or
derin' him to submit to arrest, Joaquin
Just flggered that was one hand he
wasn't goin' to play out according to
Gringo rules. He'd had a bellyful Of
extra-legal and non-legal law: he
wouldn't risk another mob. Not havin'
done anything illegal, he would have
respected summons from a sheriff to
surrender, but when mere citizens
started pullin' guns on him, he re-
membered what he'd been through.
He figgered that, as q Mexican, he'd be
hung on suspicion"
Reckon he figgered about right ut
that, Johnny"