Show OLD TERESE FOOLED HIM Unique Way in Which n Woman Tricked a Old Frontiersman I on Mexican Border I Everybody knew Terese along that border except ine said Marvin the old frontiersman and If l she wasnt the meanest critter the Lord ever let live Im hlowcd She wasnt even good looking look-Ing but she was cuter than a prairie dog and meaner than a hungry klolo Drlscoll and me joined Hlgglnses troop the name week but they split the command I com-mand In two and It was Just our luck to get separate delails him up at OJo Ccllente with tho Captain and me don the river watching a saner oc Greaser poachers Tereso was running a low down hon kalonk up at Callente and the Cap allowed I al-lowed her to run because her dive was always a sure finish for smugglers and outlaws from both aides of the river and If he kept pretty good watch on It he was sure to keep cases on the outlaws out-laws from upstream downstream and both republics Theyd been a goodman good-man killings In the den but the Sheriff looked after them all right and us rangers never bothered about em Twas always n free light or a row over cards but Terese always managed to keep l out o such trouble I was riding the line one day down near Sand Butte when Griffin hailed me He told me that Drlscoll my old bunky was dead up at OJo Callente and that the whole troop a going after af-ter the woman Jt was Tcrcse done It and our squad was all at headquarters for orders before sundown Shed lit out the minute she knew what shed done and It was dead sure shed took to the timber or crossed the river and having nor sixteen hours the start her chance of escaping looked good Of course I was told to nail her but they sent me off alone right back toward Sand Butte the unllkellcst trail of alL Luck was with me though for I found her trail about seven miles below our empty shack where sliced walked out of the shallow water and made for the chaparral on the Mexican shore Of course I went after herwe never paid attention to the international law once we were out of the settlements I was near 1 oelocl In the morning when I came on her doubling back toward Ca llente on a rock plateau that left no footprints I felt lee killing her the minute I seen her pull a gun but I dIUnt I Just fetched her a clip across the wrist with my fortyliver and she laid down and hollered Then It was miles to tho empty shack where wed had our camp and I made her walk It though I felt n little mean thinking that after all she was a woman I locked her up In the west room of the cabin and told her Id kill her the first break she made to getaway get-away Then I staked out my pony and sat down In the moonlight facing the shack and watched all night She hollered hol-lered at me once or twice to fetch her some liquor but I was dead leery about giving her a crack at me In the dark so I Just let her holler herself to sleep About half an hour before sunup and pretty near dead for sleep I kicked at her door and told her to get ready for the road She said all right and I passed her In n flask of whisky I could hear her mumbling to herself while I was making coffee and when I handed In her hunk of bread and can of coffee I could see she was dressed only her long hair was hanging down all around her I locked her In again set my breakfast out front on n soap box and then stepped back in the shack to fetch my rifle When I got back to eat I seen n boy coming along toward the shack with his < hands In his pockets barefoot and pretty muddy and looking chilled up and miserable lie was American all right and said he was going to OJo Ca llente to report more rustling Some Greasers he said had drove off his sheep and crossed the river below the Butte I gave him some coffee and asked him to put the saddle on my horse and ride him down to the river to water The kid done It right handy all right and when he rode over the margin I went In and told Terese to get hooked up quick and come out She never answered and guessing that she was going to sulk on me I ripped out an oath and said Id give her five minutes min-utes to show up and If she didnt Id open her door and drag her out by the hair hairThen Then I went out to get my horse but that darned kid hadnt showed up I waited a few minutes and when he failed to appear I commenced hollering for him to hurry He didnt answer and then I was scared for sure I couldnt leave that house lest Tcrcse d make a break and I blessed by now that ungrateful whelp was hiking out of rango on my bronk There was nothing for It but to rout out the old gal so I told her to get ready I was about to yonk her out anyway She never said a word so I got mad ripped open the door and went In She was gone clean gone r If shed been old Mother Goose and had rode off on a Invisible broomstick The window wan open and the whole room ransacked Iran I-ran out dead determined to shoot her down If she didnt come back but she wasnt In sight The shack was right In the middle of all outdoors you could see for miles up and down the dry bed of the rIver and there wasnt enough timber to light 1 pipe for miles I seen the boy drat him loping away past Sand Butte on my horse but there wasnt n sign of her and the kid was too far gone for a shot I felt a bit I wiggly and creepy about It but I went back Into the shack listening and creeping lie I was In a haunted house In the back room whore Id locked the old witch I found al the floor covered cov-ered with long black hair a lot o wo mans togs skirts waist etcetera and then I come near failing over I dawned on me us sudden as lightning shed cut off her hair got Into some o the old clothes In the room and slipped out the window in them few minutes between the time I gave her the coffee and set up my own grub on the soap box boxNice Nice figuring Well I guess it was Shod even made a puddle out of tho coffee so as to muddy up her feet and legs as If shed been wading then slipped round and handed me that yarn about the sheep r Id known her Just a little If Id ever seen her m daylight I dont think she coulda done it lght she done It all right nnd lift l me to foot It all the way back to OJo Call Ca1 ente to give the alarm And did you ever get her asked Capt McCarty with u wink at Col HulchlnGon Oh well we never brought her in but yes we got her all right al rlGht concluded con-cluded Marvin thit old frln thp ranger with thr ralJl wih a queer glitter In his halfshut eyes Wet a We-t t H 1 r c i i I rounded her and 1 whole gang 0 Mexican Mexi-can rustlers Into n shack across tho river find we lost two men doing It Did you take any prisoners Marvin Mar-vin 1 asked the Colonel softly No no prisoners reflected Marvin cutting off 0 chew We was so mad wo Just finished em all up right there burned their shack and left the rest to the buzzards Never even made a report re-port on It It was an Invasion of Mexico Mex-ico smiled the old chap and we thought It might annoy Cap Illgglnu John H Rafferly In Chicago Rccord Horald I I |