Year: 1870

1t was nothing unusual for Mr.. hendricks
to fire at rabbits or coyotes from the door
of the barroom, thought nothing OF it.
till saw two Mexicans, some time after,
riding off towards the mountains. When
first saw them thought they might be
| going to take the horses down to the river;
but then, said to myself, the Gila don't
run along by the mountains. All at once
dreadful thought flashed through my
head. and began to tremble so that
could hardly stand on my feet. crept
into the corridor ON tip-toe and went into
the bar-room from the outside. From the
bar-room could look on Mr.. Hendricks
bed. He was lying across the bed, with
his head just under the window want
ed to wake him up, to tell him that the
Mexicans were making off with his horses,
but somehow was afraid to call outside
of the house till got to the window, and
then looked in. Oh, dear! oh, dear!
can't forget the dreadful stony eyes that
glared at me from the bruised and blood
stained face-and after o'clock, turned
and ran as fast as l could. Perhaps |
ought to have gone into the house to see
him, but could not. l ran and ran, al
ways in the direction my husband had
taken in the morning. At one time
thohght heard some one running behind


me, and, when l turned to look, the


slippery sand under my feet gave way,


and fell headlong into bed of cactus.


tearing and scratching my face and hands


and arms; and when l got up again l


thought some one was jumping out from


the verde bushes, but it was only rabbit


running along Before got many sleps


further l slipped again, and something


ratified and wriggled right close by me:


1t was rattlesnake on which had stepped


in my blindness. ran on until could


not get my breath any more. and staggered


at every step; and just when thought l


must fall down and die. saw my htls-


band coming toward me. He was coming


home to see what was keeping the Mexi-


cans so long in bringing the horses down


to the river; and when l could get my
breath I told him what had happened. We
went back together, but would not 60


into the house with him so he hid me in


a thick verde bush, behind some prickly
pears, and went in alone. Directly he came
back to me. He had found the corpse just


as had described it. To all appearances
: Mr.. Hendricks had thrown himself ON the
bed for q short nap, as the morning was
very warm. The Mexicans must have
!, crept in on him, shot him with his own
revolver and then beaten him over the
face with short, heavy club that was


found on the bed beside him, all besmeared


with blood.


Then my husband said to me: Mary,


you've got to stay here till l 60 to Ante


lope Peak and bring up johnson, the sta


ton n-keeper You can't go with me, be-


cause it's full twenty-five miles, it not


more, and you can't walk twenty-five


steps. But those Mexicans are going to


come back while am gone-I know they


are, because they haven't taken any plum
der with them yet. They'll hide the hors-


es in the mountains, most likely, and go


down to the river to look for me; and at


ter that they'll come back here and look
for us high and low


81 knew that what he said was true,
every word of it; and the only thing he


could do was to find me good hiding


place, good ways off from the house. but


still near enough for me to see the house


and the window where the dead man lay.


Well, first | watched David till out Of


sight, and then watched and peered and


looked on every side of me, till my eyes
grew blind from the glaring sun and the


shining sand.


"All at once heard some voices; and
: l almost went into fit when heard foot
l steps crunching nearer and nearer in the
| sand They were the Mexicans sure


enough coming up from the river, and
2 passing within few steps Of my hiding
9 place. Both carried heavy cudgels, which
= they had brought with them from where
: they had been cutting wood in the morn
t ing. When they got near the house they
? stopped talking, and saw them sneak up
I to it, and then vanish around the corner.
as though to visit the kitchen first. few
= minutes later saw them come out of the
/ bar-room, and, oh, heavens! / saw they
, were trying to follow my husbands foot


prints. that led directly to the verde bush,
behind which was hiding; but the wind


had been blowing, and it seemed hard for


them to follow the trail. Still they came


nearer, and the terror and suspense, and


the sickening fear that came over me
when saw them brandishing their clubs,
and bringing them down occasionally on


a clump of verde bushes, we'll nigh took
what little sense and breath l had left
and verify believe l should have scream
, ed out in very horror, and so brought
their murderous clubs on my head at once
, to make an end of my misery, If had had
strength enough left to raise my voice.
, But could neither move nor utter sound !;


l could only strain my eyes to look. After


a while they got tired of searching and


went back to the house where they stood


At the window moment to look in on the


dead man, as though to see ii he had


stirred; then they went in the bar-room,


and came out directly, loaded with plum
der


''One of the men carried both Mr.. Hen
dricks's and my husbands rife. and the
other had buckled on Mr.. Hendricks's re-
volver. They had thrown aside their pom
, chos, and one had on my husbands best
coat, while the other wore Mr.. Hen
y dricks's soldier overcoat. Even the hat of


the dead mans head they had taken, and
I also, as was afterward found. the black
: silk handkerchief he had on his neck when
9 they killed him. Again they took their
, way over toward the mountains, and then


everything around me, was deadly still.
a Oh, wished for living, breathing thing


to speak to then. should not be the poor,
/ half-demented creature that am to-day if
Q only a dog could have looked up at me
with kind, affectionate gaze. But the