Year: 1877




of laughter broke from the throats o.
his companions. The laugh was loud
land long, and the girl stood before as
oneinspired with the ferocity of tigress
The prisoner remained unmoved, hi:
arms still pinioned.


! Course the little catamountr muttered
Haskell. Give it to him, and give
plenty-enough to last him to San Pat
rico. We will hang him as soon as we
reach that place. He is Mustang Grey


Mustang Grey" was re-echoed by
those gathered around, as he was known
as the most desperate man that ranged
from the Rio Grand to the Guadalupe
had heard of him as passed through
Texas, and often heard of his daring ex
tploits among Mexicans; and in the town
of Victoria, where had resided month
he had been resident long before he
commenced his wild and lawless career


Mustang Grey stepped upon the broad
stone where the strange child had stood
previously in her statuesque pose, sank
upon one knee, and bowed his head to
receive cooling draught from the round
Igourd in the hands of the brave girl
She stopped forward, and her curls fell
down to his lips. thought heard an
audible whisper; but, when he arose to
his feet.his face was calm and hers wore
the same look ofpassionless quietude.


Now, my little viper, are you salts
fed? fyou thoroughly knew the man,
you would have given him poison in
stead of wafer" growled Haskell, as he
took the goUrd


There was only a spasmodic twitch of
the girls face, and fash of her gray
eyes, and she was again in that impene
trable repose from which she could not
easily be started.


The sun had entirely disappeared
from view, AMI the verge of the western
sky was enameled with mellow tints, and
in the east shadows were gathering,
making sombre and phantom like shapes
heralds of approaching night.


mount, Grey, we must to camp" said
Haskell, as he roughly assisted the bound
man into saddle. stranger" speaking
to me, "win you camp with u.s." The
more the merrier."


gave my assent, as Twas glad of their
company, and rode along with the Tex
ans and their prisoner. One mile from
the old Mission, on the route to Mexico,
we camped in basin like retreat, in the
center of which was small lake of clear
water


Dismounting, our horses we're stripped
of their saddles, brides and saddle blan-
kets, watered and securely staked on the
on the margin of the lake, where the
grass was nutritious and plentiful, then
our arrangements were make for an
evenings repast That through with,
We spread our blankets and prepared for
repose.


Mustang Greys arms and legs were
securely bound, he submitting without
a murmur. His blanket was spread and
his saddle arranged so as to give him a
rude resting place for his head; and he
was left to himself and his gloomy
thoughts until morning should call his
captors to the saddle.


As we gathered around the camp fire
many were the stories told ofthe daring
and outrageous acts of Mustang Gray.
and his numerous escapes from even un-
der the rope. Soon one by one fell asleep
until the Texans were deep in repose and
the camp fire had sunk into white embers
and served as a sentinel to our quiet
camp.


The events of the day had impressed
me strangely, and I pictured TO myself
the kneeling figure of the strong, tall
desperate, and the 1.-the, graceful form
of the strange girl, as she gave him a
cooling draucht to wet hisrparclled lips
and tongue Could there have been
pathos or truer refinement than in this
scene? And as he drank the invigora-
ting liquor that God had given alike to
all who inhabit the earth, he bowed his
knee upon the cross. twas an accident
that he stood upon the cross, and necess-
ity that caused him to bend the knee that
perhaps never bent at command of liv-
ing man. @


The canopy Of heaven was studded
with stars. No light from the moon
paled their liquid gleamings, and the
milky way wherein clustered myriads of
these unseen celestial torches, belted the
torrid and frigid zones in its magical
folds


Could the prisoner, this man ofs:range
deeds, be asleep, while above him were
all these beauties Of nature, the deep
mysteries of which science could not
solve? / looked toward him, and as an





Eember fell from its living pinnacle, light
ing up momentarily the face of Grey, 1
saw that his eyes were not closed. From
that moment I banished sleep, and my
sympathies went with the strange being,
knowing that the Texans, who were his
captors, would execute him without
authority or law.


was so close TO him that by looking
at his reclining form intently for short
space of time, I could almost see the out
lines ofhis face.


The hour of midnight had passed,
and Ursa Major was below the verge
of the northern sky, when saw some
thing that resembled creeping form.
Its movements were slow. and soon it
was almost at the side of the prisoner.
There was a momentary pause; anoth
er ember fell, and recognized the
PROSTATE form of the girl of the stone
mission. She crept closer, when her
bead touched the face of Grey. and
there was souni as if lips touched in
a fervent kiss. Then knife cleaned,
and heard the thongs that bound the
captive snap as the hgaments separa-
ted.


He was as free as air. Another flash
from. the almost dead embers. and
saw two brawny arms twined round
the neck of the strange girl, whose
head was nestled in the desperado's
besom. Only q moment, and be stood
oookliae a belt con tanning pistol and