| OCR Text |
Show mcii un. j.Soutliit''1'"''""1 "a1" D"' . rronv op tm5!utio!I Attn muk- mL-TII niv or A HAND- NaEANnuraxmivsATK iiov. BDJ Ventura .'. ukrt , ,ir Texas December 110.-1 M Sin. rai Rt UM ,l", mC.p nci1 n Bo,,lh"n ?? M- J.otlMl country, Hno o,n Tlle. TaJdrx". '" "y IwllereU hoi. i,.t clothed wlU rich im-an.ulto urn K.T..IO... "til. wed. that lM J7,lej nd l,uttned by Iow.coiiImI, fhlli. Thetoln,tim. were only f iSii ironi them toward lliwu ,hli 1.1 le, with Ihn cverlMtlng inltoTtr all lh InnUM!.' fare, Sella, tho .', tl..lteJ that .wit ''jChiuae-a hit ami eomforUMo n. f! "ihU lnot -yrJl tro.lcal mIoii if tenia and two or thrwru,)nieJ bu JL-iiLwaafdll auJ iuiidIuk orer.niid MSTdiwii joiui. fellow- worn JotH InTlllll. hollo ! I-Ji the ...tlltraeeeUellgliiriil. fairly in.r tin, S?aJlecllMurl.: mtedajr follow..! itf"""m, .tl,'b,llll..,, the air 5ir.crl5piul lraclnic, llkulhe.trltht-JitnltUtofOclelxrwialhcrln llkulhe.trltht-JitnltUtofOclelxrwialhcrln the K'". 'i"1 l'nl "! lonjen the Shi, -alien we arrhr.1. rlnlii.rlii.e, making Iweannd r rlnKMufora grabd toiiriuine.it ea tVihlioM et.; ererjIioUy win UrrJ, anil by muluiil content we went So W oily to bo ready for the neit Whttltlllr. hlieu Uie cmli-aUnte nil rode up wJ talulcd, my eyo wai at onie auilitlytoollnuret that mine from I lent a little rt from tint gei-aral ampin lliedraw. Una iu a blit Hmon hlonile, al fret l.o or three, lochia III lielnht, will, lib Mrtkln luriil toaaunlfcrmdark reil, from whh h llr of Hue, honett ei . a laoktd out with tarllliw Wiiiium. ilia tolurw were of n ilnirularly larKo and rrtuhrmouU, wllhathrontanl chin MUaullfdl, a moulli no limey jet cor, ml, ami a uo-c. w l.l.ll cliin tbo r jr. that It cam lilm a allitlitly I "colic li,k, nkafnUaut Awllo. Ilhiiro-ortloMwiroruorollmi Ilhiiro-ortloMwiroruorollmi and Jutthnn yi would ollin WV In m bic a man; lie carried hU hetid and eliouldnre matt-r-IOoently, an 1 lil Iturlnjfrip Uio raj dlewuMitcrlUileni, llwiJe him roilo a boy. of about tacntjr. He ae of ordinary Har, lightly lilt itrongly built, had alnle, elite Un, Krejt black iW mid cliltt-irlo(,dirkl.alr. cliltt-irlo(,dirkl.alr. It waa a face that KMchoiraaled to jou. AltlioiiKh full now of life and elrlt, It lil a munition of ktui mtkIUvi--nnt, of hIJJi ii cajiaclty for aufferlaK. Jlewatonan uncommonly lino and l Irlted black onyJ hli avJdlo waa of tuierb ami ornate Mexican workman, tiip, and a Llit while aoinhrero, eII-tenliijc eII-tenliijc with allver, ahaded the aplen-dljfi-a. While tliey imiaed In trout ofualtawlilmlook amonit the aneo. Utr aa tbouKh erUlnp tnnieone,Oien an clectrio autlle jtoMed over bta fact. JlaralKdlhe big hat and touched a knotofrcd ribbon on the aldeoflt. I looked up and aaw l,oule, l'i rUty Ferriitcen-yfar-okl duughtir of the hoiiv llualiliis and bowing, and 1 anillnl to nyrelf. "Who are they?" I aaked Mr. Tllnt, andtherrl'lledaair 1 litil llldcatcf thcra, "O, IltTldaud " "llollath," llotrrnillrd. '.No, fmlrrd, Uartil an Jonathan The tail one la Paul Melton, u young hern Mtn over on Mve Dak, auij.t.he toy u bla Inaeiurable, naort u(iry(ym tu.l a rtucr, I bellow, i) jiiimll Vtay " rf ,ilt "Matkuwd to drink and gamble, I thltik,aiid)ouiig Molten Kt hoM of him. tlralithtru.riilm nrv it.nl l.aa kid on In lilntAiter alnce. TlieyUre alwai UnteUir; joti never aeoouo wlllieutUit other." Miirtcl don't believe I ever knew M otlu r name carried off the n.oat ru.ua and rode up glowing with victory, vic-tory, to cro n I,oule i.ui u of love and leant , Aa 1 looked a ay from tho tirttly lhlure, I aaw thebloudo giant atauu logiiear In a atiiJIoualy uiioui.ceri.nl a'.uluJr, but with an eiprenlon of n(-frctlonale n(-frctlonale prldo on Ida Rreat.rrank face. After tlila hh had a gem ral dlaplay of liorruuuhlp and n uruat deal of ally, hiking, Thuo lino Hut ralght, In my mind, than u troop of well mounted men; Uirre l iioll.lug arouaia mycnthual, aam nuJ admiration more than' flue riling riilalatrueof a alnglo liorao. rain, and tin. cnthualaam and enjoy went Inirtuio In a geometrical pro-gmilon pro-gmilon Willi ll.u uumbtrof horaeuieii anjagfd. Hire there weretnelve or llfltou, moigllioltrlderal hive everwin, ill luouutid on line and well-trained aorMi. It la very i aay to talk about I liking up l.aiulkerililera nuJ ipiatli ra (roui tho ground, luiplug on nud oir a liorae, or Iiiaiiirlne ononualde of lilm od firing iindcrlila luck, all the n lille golug at lull gallop, but tl.eru uru nut eo many, even among thoroughgo lug cow men, who can jwrrorni llirto fritta, aa la Mip'Kwil. How, ever, tluro wire ivirl In tho loll)' that could perform all three and mviymore to admiration, tluro waa no ir or uven mediocre work. ing Melton'a riding waa on.c thing inagnlllcent; liu rat llko a Jow.r on hit atroiu Iron gruy, an 1 na . came aweeplng down the track the ""iriaalonof force and luuer waalru. lorudoulyoMrwheliiilug-he waa llko an imlwlM thunderbolt, lie lure jion Un two fellow who worn iac. jngi ran Iho rny Iwlwcen them, kr. right mid Jift andweiitnii Willi a ninn In taxli arm while Ihu two iii'MrajiningawoywIlliiinityaaddlia. l.ve rj lly applaudtil loudlyi "Mi Ifa IV'."W wh'le race, llurrah for for M.IIJ" "Wliat M yo leao the lioraei for Meltt" Hut tho 1kijt v. aa a very form for Hie ejetof JoungloMitollugir un. Hie '."re young uiitlh.v. tl.u llihe, aprlng. ".arai. ilie lUht ah rtneMandv Igor, in riarltmneatl HeaeenieU a glow, log IniariiMlou of outli und lovo au I i.i WlielhirliB Untfurn ardor iik,twlto.ldoBB uraiilorut, he eeiii., J ,t ,C( 1,, tliei (.aclillwl every '""eiueiit, ever attitude charmed yi.lrall.llod thuije mm IU irfcc Jinn of iinttiidlctl grace, like the aome-tolngliiiirablaliiiliuaUiil aome-tolngliiiirablaliiiliuaUiil of a nlrd'a J li. Hie turn of Ita loay In id, ur the glancii or lla quick, bright eye. tho big follow rode a lluely aau "un could ride, but there woaaomc, thing mora than borwmr.nil.lp In the boy'a tiding. Ve danced that night to tliocullar ami lautlful Meilcnn niualc A batp, a viol and two vlollni, playeit byM, Kan who wero muilclam all tbo time and ahearcra In the arawn, comiirl'eil our orchMtra. Wo had tboUolondrl, na. In I'olonli and aoft, dreamy waltira with their rlngulir Intirvala, tlerclngawectncM and uneiiecteil and mJcr acconipanlineiiU. Iaiw myboy waltilng with Loulo. They caiiiv .u,t n.e onco mid lolh young facia wern lluahed an I bright with amllra. 1'reMUlly tlify .n again, walking, and on Matk'a face waa tho al.adow that aumehow I had f; It a I rctclcnio of from the flrnt. The light waa gone from Ida ejea, the amlle nud color from hla III, ljulo waa chattering gillj and laughing up to him, tut ho looked pat hrr, with a look of fierce palu In the gnat black ej ea, at a young man, n new comer, on the nllier able of the room. "t.'oino and look at tho tol.Ita," whlrml Mm. Kllnt. Wn went out, and In running aliout, helping, nrrnng. ug an I dovlalu, I forgot Hie boy for a time. I'rewi.tly I allp,l nut onto a ride veranda b cool my l.ctted fare n ty ment In tho aoft an I chilly nlr. The full nioun,the great white 'liiaa moon, rode almoat up la ml 1 hiareu, pouring Ita flood of while radiance down through thrllciilnnd crystal alf. It una like dm ruMliuallon, Ihu aiothe. wlaof dayllithl; tho tnauty, lurlroua eflhlgf nee, wStho.it thu hanh ur un lovelyihtalla. Ahuint lniultim-ouly with ray opening the door tnoiuen malml togthr juat In front of mo with knhea In thrlr Inuda, an I the next lntant the towering form of young Melton daihrd nolartculy onto the lurch, lie plucked them nnrlai though they had ten two klltena, hi Id the rtraager In l.la right hand, fairly ahaklng the knife from hla grnap. and iHiahcd .Mark gently, bit ln-tll)', townrd me, agalnft tne, nod through the n n door, "Kon't, Melt, don't," aild tho boy, "one of ua got" "Walt with him till I iome back," aid )oung Milion, an I any he wild, cirri Ing tho other fell, w, like a rat, by the lack of the neck. Marktiiruoloumea look ofngon lr.l,ilaitrallon, a face drawn and blanched and Llickcnrd nlmont lcyuiid renigultloil, all the lieillly nml aortlieea alruck outer It; tho great luilroua oyea blailng, the flue acmitlvo ftaluro nulv-erlng nulv-erlng flcrifly. I allppod my arm through hla and we walked allciitly up and down thu allent liallway. I could hiarhla Inavj, ga Ing breath. I could feel hla heart hap and hla frame tremble, and waa atlll atrlvlnglo think of aomo word to aiy that might (often tho ravage- tbrurt It muit bare livm tint tore hloi no, whin Melton came up and, with a gmpof hla hand and n kindly look from hla bluaiiea, drew Mark nway. "Hullo! Where'a Jako Hhackle. ford," called aoracone, Juat aa the tailr went through tho gale. "(, I rent hum homo with him. IleVI got loo much and waa nolay," I heard .Melton rejoin In a lower key. After they had left tho croa d lhlnd I raw Mellon'agriat armthrowii acroNi the boyl ihoulderr, and waa aure I heard a choking aob. An hour later I raw them at aupper, and I do not think the othira found anything amhr; Initio mo there waa klble n llwlliig but frequent ahadow on tho Iwy'a face, and a 'allhetlo rollf I-tilde I-tilde and eoficerti lu the big friend' manner. The next day, which w aa Chrlat-liiu, Chrlat-liiu, the men wcntbear-huntlnir up a very wild and rocky canyon, whllo rucli of ua women folk aa liked to ride and were fond of rport ret oil' to find a ct rUIn wild cat thathel I forth In a low blull aome rlx or eight miles away acniM the plalui. Mr. Mi I ton waa our guide nn 1 protictor, white Mark waa dragged anay by theUarliunlera. Aa we rode home In the late after noon, full of acratche and glory, with n big rat akin and a tin) , marling uir 'of a kitten aa trophlea, Mr, .Mi lion and I got fir ahead of the othera, and thla hlhurtoryiif Mar'.'i Iroubl. at. ho told It to me. ' "Ilia folka moTi-d out to Jiraii, a cxiuple of mllea above my aheep camp, about four veara ago, Tbe5 wire New l.nglaud people. I'.viry Indy hated tl.u old man on alght. lie waa n mean, cloae dated, toldhloodcd, auakyrortof nfillow. Hla wife waa a wurm.hearll woman, but aho hadu't linicti acuae. Kheratl the liouae, and lilm, too, though, lieu It lamo to the plurh. Olio day the old tila.i, who waa nbualug Mark, waa ao outrageoua and Iniultlug, and callinl lilm audi vl'o ninicr, that the boy went and got down n gnu to ahoot him. Hla mother aireamrd, threw In r anna around lilm and held lilm I reckon ahu waa wild with ti rror, and rhu took Mark oir and told him how rhe waa not hla inothi r. Ilia own mothir waa a ioor, irelty youug rervaut girl rhe had had In the II ret) van of her marriage, aud nhoae iglioraiico and oulli her hunbuud had wronged. The girl had dliil mil alio had raited aud loved Mark aa lit r own, "Now, there wnannko thing for a rlxteon. ear-old boy to hnu to bear. Iluinniudowntoniy cimp thu next morning and loldmeabo.it It. Herat about like aome pN.r dumb irenture Unit' lioru one half killed by a In I rhot. It muatbeao, he mid, for thla ft How, Jake Hhaikilfird, that came out with them and waa afterward dla-i dla-i hargud by l.la father, had told aome otlu r !eo lo. "I wa awfully ruihetl wllh rhear. lug, an I Ik fore I knew It Iho boy waa gone. lleimvirwaehoniKiigalii, 1 lit wt lit up tu lpcrauz and got a 1 laiu lu a lumbir jaril. "Hemade rome awful ladplaja, and nowonder. lie got drunk and got to running with u gang of retly Iniigh mill. Iluttlioold lady ala)a loied lilm; rhu wroto hi lilm, and dually wtrtuptolarauii, Ixiiight him an outllt and rent lilm oor to ent Tixaa toachool. He waa aoy two jeara. He hadn't bttu Uckn inoiilli, keeping keep-ing kookalu lperanm, whin ho raw l,oule I lint, whom Jake rlhacklrford waa crruy In Iom. with. Anybody would I m Out boy; of coumi l.oule ln r rril lilm, ao Kl.ackleford, like Iho liwdlghe la.wint aluut tilling hla talc, and the next 1 hear I of Matk h nnaalllroknup and dilnklnB again. "I went lipaudgotl.hu logo uuwn ti my ranch with me. He'atnenwlth n.eeur rime. 1'ie got a biinih of (ottlonnd hehaacliargeoftlieni. Ho iieviTdrlnlir, norgamb'M, nor evwarr: tin'H got lota of grit and courage, ulld ho'rallllfo and go; I lit thorn'a aome. thing like a woman aliout him that makia lilm moru to mu than any brol her i-oiild le. "Can't be rl le Hie 1 n ltlit on ever raw ? rimt Middle ant eombrero of hla are liolli nruiuluma ho won at roping contraUaiid tolirnaniinta. lie" Wo weruivlthln half a mile of tho houw, with one or two rliea awl dl tutwien It und ourrelvir. Kuddenly a allot rang out on Ihu ttlll air, then another. My companion alarled, beck oned me, rtuck rpura Into l.la hem and launched f.rwnrd llko au aval anche. I followeil aa fot aa I coult. but I waa fully five mlnutia bthlmi him aa I rode over tho Inst rlae. There, In Iho hollow waa a group of men, Handing In tho full glory of n t ralrlo aunaet, tho golden rphndor all aliout and upon lilm. In the rnhht knelt young Mellon bcalde Matk'a motlonliai form. Mark' head waa uiwn hla arm. I rude up and demounted. de-mounted. Tho big toara wero run nlug down Ida faro aa he tried to atnutich tho bleeding of a great wound In tho laiy'alieait. "O, Markl ), Mark!" lie mid. In a moment later tho fathomlera eye umloaed ami gazed long and dimly Into the w,t; then tiirneil rudih nly toward Mellon with a look in thrlr Inmlnit ihpthr, which I can never forget. "Mi It, I'm glil," ho aild artir a one, "I'll Utter." The look of )intlhnr liivonnd trut rloivly fa.lnl from hla eyi-jthcn a inlet clouded t In lr rpleudor, he turned hla chMk upon Mclt'a arm and breathed no more. I'eur men rodo un on atcimtng horrid. "Where la hi?" raid Mellon, lialng and rtruKgliug wllh hla aoU. "He turned and tired on u, aud wo ahothlm,"a.illMr. flint. "Ileum..' bringing hla body In." Atlanta Von- aflfutloa. |
