The Sunday Oregonian., November 15, 1908, Section Six, Image 57

THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX. PORTLAND. NOVEMBER 15, 1903.
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AT. I ain't o,ne of the kind to go
around makln' a noise like & pickle,
'j'.ist because' I don't happen to have
th name talents that's been handed
out to others. About all I go to show
is a couple of punch distributors that's
more or less educated, and a block
that's set on some solid. Not much to
jtet chesty over: but the combination
has kept me from askln" for benefit
performances, and as a rule I'm sat
isfied.
There's times, though, when I wish
say. don't go giving me the hee-haw
on this when I wish I could sins;.
Ah. I don't mean beln' no grand opera
tenor, with a throat that has to be
kept In cotton battln' and a reputation
tht needs chloride of lime. What
would suit me would be Just a plain,
every day la-la-la outfit of pipes,
that I could turn loose on coon songs
when I was alone or out with a bunch
In the moonlight. I'd like to be able to
come In on a chorus now and then,
without taavln' the rest of the crowd
turn on me and call for the hook.
What music I've got la the lngrowin"
kind. When anybody starts up a real
lively tune I can feel It throbbtn" and
bumpln' away In my head, like a blow
fly In a milk bottle; but If ever I try
unco-kin' one of my warbles, the
people on the next block call In the
children, and the truck drivers begin
huntln' for the dry axle.
Now look at what beln' musical did
for Rusty Quinn. Who's Rusty? Weil,
he ain't much of anybody. I used to
wonder when I'd see him klckln"
around under foot In different places,
how U was he had the nerve to go on
llvln'. Useless! It appeared about as
much good to the world as a pair of
boxln' gloves would be to the armlesa
wonder.
First I saw of Rusty was five or six
years back when he was hangln'
around my tramln" camp. He was a
long, slab-sided. loose-Jointed, freck-led-np
kid then, always wearln" a silly,
good matured grin on his homely face.
About all the good you could say of
Rusty was that he could play the
mouth organ and be good natured. no
matter how hard he was up against It.
If there was anything else he could
do well, no one ever found it out,
though he tried plenty of things. And
he always bad some great scheme rat
tlln" round in his nut, something that
was goin" to win htm the big stake.
But It was a new scheme every other
day. and. outside of grlnnln' and
playtn' the mouth organ, all I ever no
ticed specially brilliant about him was
the way he used cigarettes as a substi
tute for food. Long's he had a bag
of fact'ry sweepln's and a book of rice
papers he didn't mind how many meals
he mined, and them long fingers of
his was so well trained they could roll
dope sticks while he slept.
Well, It had been a year or so since
I'd run across him last, and If I'd
thought about him at all, which I
didn't. It would have been to guess
what fln'lly finished him: when this
rS. I did promise to tell you how
I got this wound." replied Captain
Dtckson. when I recalled his men
tion, in a former reminiscence, of the
ugly sx-ar on the back of his neck.
"'It happened when I was young In the
service, and. it was due to my ambition
and foolhardlness. a combination that la
dangerous in any one's system. The ad
venture cam near costing me my life.
I have always connected that affair with
a Panama hat. A Panama hat got me
into trouble and got me out again. In the
end savtrctr my life."
"The Chinese exclusion set has given
a. lot of trouble to the Government In
Wmm-FIMM PA
one way and another, but the conse
quence I am most fs miliar with la the
snuggling of cooltas Into this country
through Mexico and Canada. Coolie la
bor is cheap, and tt Is a profitable Job to
slip a bevy of them across the frontier.
"There Is a vast stretch of territory
down on the Texas line that Is almost In
a state of nature. It is a country where
you may travel for a week and never
meet a soul, except It bo a bandit, smug
gler, cattle-thief, herder, or a Texas
ranger. The territory extends generally
from the Gulg coast to El Paso. It is
much the same except where the rail
roads cross the Bio Grande and where
small, dirty villages have sprung up.
"This Is a fertile field tor the coolie
smugglers, and thousands of them have
been brought Into the United States
through this wild section and farther to
the west, through Arizona. The Gov
ernment generally keeps a few Secret
Service men down on the border, and I
was assigned to this duty soon after I
entered the service.
"The assignment was not a desirable
one. but new men were generally tried
out on It and I had to serve my appren
ticeship. I Imagined that there would be
little to do but to loll about a stuffy custom-house
under a burning sun. This
latter idea i correct In part, for the
custom-house was an abominable frame
shack and the sun was as hot as a fur
nace. I found plenty to do besides loll
ing about the house, however.
"Things began to take a lively turn as
soon as I reached Presidio, my head
quarters, a village of mud huts and
rambling shanties on the Rio Grande. I
left the Southern Pacific at Nopal and
rode many weary miles across country.
Over the river. In Mexico, was the dirty
v'.llage of Presidio del Norte. It Is Im
possible to imagine a more forsaken
looking place. The Rio Conchos. a river
of uncertain habits, flowed into the Rio
Grande here. It was by means of this
river that coolies were brought to Pre
sidio del Norte.
They were brought to Chihuahua by
affair out on Long Island was pulled
off. The swells that owns country
places along the south shore has a
horse show about this time every year.
As a rule they gets along without me
beln' there to superintend; but last
week I happens to be down that way,
payin' a little call on Mr. Jarvis, an
old reg'Iar of mine, and In the after
noon he wants to know If T don't
want to climb up on the coach with the
rest of the gang and drive over to
see the sport.
Now I ain't so much stuck on this
four-in-hand business. It's Jolty kind
of rldln'. anyway, and If the thing up
sets you've got a long ways to fall;
but I always likes takln' a look at a
lot of good horses, so I plants my
self up behind, alongside the gent that
does the tara-tara-ta act on the cop
per funnel, and off we goes.
It ain't any of these common fair
grounds horse shows, such as any one
can buy a badge to. This Is held on
the private trottin' track at Windy
mere you. know, that big estate that's
been leased by the Twonbley-Cranes
since they started makln' their splurge.
' And say, they know bow to do things
In shape, them folka There's a big
green and white striped tent set up for
the Judges at the home plate, and banked
around that on either side was the
traps and carts and bubbles of some
of the crlspest crackerjacka on Mrs.
Astor's list. Course, there was a lot
of people I knew: so as soon as our
coach Is backed Into position I shine
down from the perch and starts in to do
the glad hand walk around.
That's what fetches me onto one of
the side paths leadln' up towards the
big house. I was takln' a short cut
across the grass, when I sees a little
procession comln' down through the
shrubbery. First off It looks like some
one was beln" helped into their coat,
but then I notices that the husky chap
behind was actln' more vigorous than
polite. He has the other guy by the
collar, and was givin" him the knee good
and plenty, first shovln' him on a step
or two. and then Jerkin' him bsck solid.
Loomln up in the rear was a gent I
spots right off for Mr. Twombley-Crane
himself, and by the way he follows I
takes It he's bossln" the job.
"Gee!" says I to myself, "here's some
one gettln' the rough chuck-out for fair."
And then I has a glimpse of a freckly
face and the silly grin. The party get
tln' the run was Rusty Quinn. He's
lookln' Just as seedy as ever, being cos
tumed In a faded blue Jersey, an old
pair of yellow rldln" pants, and leggina
that don't match. The bouncer Is a
great, ham-fisted, ruddy-necked British
er, a man twice the weight of Rusty,
with a face shaped like a punkln. As
be sees me slow up he snorts out some
thin" ugly and gives Quinn an extra
hard bang la the back with his knee.
And that starts my temperature to risin"
right off.
"Why don't you hit him with a maul,
you bloomln' altch eater?'" says L "Hey,
Rusty! what you been up to now?"
"Your friend's been happre-ended
or m SECRET SEWCE
-OPERA
DrDYWldBACOti
a route we never discovered, and here
they took the C. & P. railroad to Nogal.
where they left the railroad and Jour
neyed across the mountains to a little vil
lage on the Rio Conchos. Boats brought
them down to Presidio del Norte, and
they were then slipped across the border
at night, to scatter like a covey of quail
through the chaparral.
"It was next to Impossible to track
them down, once they had entered the
brush. They would make their way to
the railroad at various points, traveling
in twos and threes and all armed with
the naturalization papers of Celestials
who had Ions been residents of our great
republic, which is so free with Its citizen
ship. "The Conchos River was at a stage of
water which permitted boating when I
reached Presidio, and this indicated that
we might make preparations to reoelve a
large consignment of coolies. We haj in
formation that hundreds of them were
at Nogal and Chihuahua awaiting the
rising of the river. Bo we put everything
in readiness for their arrtvaL
"I had arrived In Presidio wearing a
heavy Scotch hat. It had teen cool when
I left Washington, and this was my first
trip to the Texas border. I saw at once
that my hat was a hack-number. Jarral,
the customs officer, suggested that 1 get
a Panama, telling ma that I could secure
a smuggled one at a reasonable price
from a dealer In the village. -
"He said he knew they were smuggled,
but that there was no remedy for it. as
the government didnt think it of suffi
cient importance to put its agents on the
case, and be was powerless without them.
I took his advice and bought a Panama,
the largest and whitest and most con
spicuous one I could find. The dealer
had two of them, and he didn't want to
sell me one. He said they had been or
dered for special customers. I had to
vow that I was the customer for whom
the hat was ordered before he would let
me have it. Ha then told me something
in Spanish, but as I didn't understand
the language and feared he would find
out that I was not the man he had or
dered the hat for. if I let him know
this. I kept wise and nodded my head as
if I was taking In every word he said.
"Jarrall had a good laugh at my ex
pense when I returned to the custom
house with the hat. It was fully three
feet across and had a crown that was
fearfully and wonderfully made. Jarrall
was a fine fellow, but I didn't like him
at first because he seemed to adopt a
patronizing air toward me. I was puffed
up with my own importance, and felt that
I had the prestige and support of the
greatest government in the world at my
back. I was. In plain language, an egre
gious ass. and I found It out before I got
far out of that country.
"My instructions had been to remain
at Presidio until evidence should be se
cured of the Identity of the smugglers,
and then to ak assistance of the rangers
for their arrest. In my officious conceit I
a-eneak thlevln". that's w"t! growls
out the beat chewer.
"G'wan!" says I. "T wouldn't believe
the llkea of you under oath. Rusty, how
about it?"
Quinn he gives me one of them oatty
grins of his and spreads out his hands.
"Honest. Shorty." says he, "I was only
after a handful of Turkish cigarettes
from the smokln' room. I wouldn't
touched another thing, cross m' heart,
I wouldn't!"
"'Ear -lm!" eays the Britisher. 'And
"im caught prowlin" through the "ouse!"
With that be gives Rusty a shake that
must have loosened his back teeth, and
prods blm on once more.
"'Ah. say," says I, "you ain't got no
call to break his back, even if he was
prowlin'. Cut It out, you big mucker,
or "
Say, I shouldnf have done It, seem
where I was: but the ugly look on his
mug as he lifts his knee again seems
to pull the trigger of my right arm, and
I swings In one on that punkln head
like I was choppin' wood. He drops
Rusty and comes at me with a rush,
windmill fashion, and I'm so happy for
the next two minutes, givin' him what
he needs, that I've mussed up his coun
tenance a lot before I sends In the one
that finds the soft spot on bis Jaw and
lands him on the grass.
"Here, here!" shouts Mr. Twombley
Crane. comln' up Just as his man does
the back shoulder fall. "Why, McCabe,
what does this mean?"
"NothJn' much," says L '"except that
I ain't In love with rour particular way
of SDeedin' the partin" guest."
"Guest!" says he. flushln" up. "The
fellow was caught prowling. Besides, by
what right do you question my method
of getting rid of a sneak thief?"
""Oh, I don't stop for rights In a case
of this kind." saya I. "I Just naturally
butts in. I-happens to know that Rusty
here ain't any more of a thief than I
am. If you've got a charge to make,
though. I'll see that he's in court
when "
"I don't care to bother with the po
lice." says he. "I merely want the fel
low kicked off the place." '
"Sorry to Interfere with your plans,"
says I; "but he's been kicked enough.
I'll lead him off. though, and guarantee
he don't come back, if that'll do?"
We both simmered down after he
agrees to that proposition. The beef
eater picks himself up and limps back
to the house, while I escorts Rusty as
far as the gates, givin' him some good
advice on the way down. Seems he'd
been workln" as stable helper at Windy
mere for a couple of weeks, his latest
dream beln" that he was cut out for a
Jockey; but he'd run out of dope sticks
and knowln' they was scattered around
reckless In the house, he'd Just walked in
lookln' for some.
"Which shows you've lost what little
sense you ever had," says I. "Now,
here's two whole dollars. Rusty. Go off
somewheres and smoke yourself to
death. Nobody'll miss you."
Rusty, he Just grins and moseys down
the road, while I goes back to see the
show, feelin' about as much to home.
0-
had dreams of capturing the smugglers
unaided. I scorned to ask for help of any
one. Jarrall suspected something of this
from the first, and told me in a friendly
way that it would be best to exercise
caution. He said the smugglers were as
fine a bunch of cut-throats as could be
found out of Jail, and that they wouldn't
like anything better than to create a va
cancy In the ranks of the secret service
department, naturally harboring a grudge
against that arm of the government.
"The next morning after my arrival I
crossed over to the Mexican village to
look around a bit and see if I couldn't
pick up some valuable information. I
was wandering about, staring at the
crude hats and the naked babies, when
I encountered an American wearing a
hat that was a duplicate of my own,
only his showed marks of hard usage.
" "Hellor he said, 'when did you get
lnr
"I was on the point of telling him that
he had made a mistake, but something
prompted me to play him along and see
what he was up to. I merely replied:
" "Yesterday."
" "Where is Munson?" he queried, look
ing mo over carefully.
" 'He will be here later.' I replied at a
venture.
This seemed to' satisfy him, for he
asked me to come along, and said he
would steer me up against something that
would wash the alkali dust out of my
pipes.
"I went with him, but did not make
any effort to talk, nor did he. We
walked some distance, winding and twist
ing through the narrow, crooked streets,
finally stopping before a house -with a
broken column beside the door, into
which he let himself with a pass key. I
followed him across a paved court into a
large room at the rear of the house,
which looked out through barred windows
upon a pretty garden. He brought out a
bottle of whisky and. a bottle of seltzer,
and rang for a servant, who came in
shortly with a bowl of cracked ice, a
great- rarity in that country. He mixed
two highballs and we drank in silence.
" "Now, let's get down to business,' he
began.
" 'All right," I replied.
" We have three hundred coming down
tonight,' he said, 'and two hundred more
in three days." The boats ere ready and
Manuel Is In charge at Huataz, so there
isn't a chance for anything to go wrong
at that end of the- line."
"He paused a moment to mix another
highball, which he swallowed at a gulp.
"After a moment he took up the con
versation where he had left off.
'You know where to meet us tonight?"
he queried. 1 -
" The Instructions haven't been too
plain.' I replied.
'Blame that mutton-headed Indian," he
swore. 'I might have known that he
couldn't get anything straight. "Well, I
will have to tell you all over again. You
and Munson be at the Cottonwood tow
head, two miles above town, at 11:30 to
night to check up the cattle and pay over
the money. Take the north trail from
Presidio and turn to the left at the giant
cactus. You can't miss the way. It Is
MA
after that run in, as a stray pup In
church.
It was about an hour later, and they'd
got through the programme as far as
the youngsters' pony cart class, to be
followed by an exhibit of fancy farm
teams. Well, the kids was gettin' ready
to drive into the ring. There was a
bunch of 'em, mostly young girls all
togged out in pink and white, drivln'
dinky Shetlands in wicker carts covered
with daisies and ribbons. In the lead
was little Miss Gladys, that the Twom-bley-Cranes
think more of than they do
their whole bank account. The rigs was
to turn Into the main driveway, ready
toturn into the track as soon as the
way was ' cleared, and it sure was a
Sight worth seeln'.
I was standin'' up on the coach, takln'
It in. when all of a sudden there comes
a rumblin", thunderin' sound from out
near the gates, and folks begins askln'
each other what's happened. They didn't
have to wait long for the answer; for
before anyone can open their mouths
around the curve comes a cloud of dust,
and out dashes a pair of big grays with
one of them heavy blue and yellow farm
wagons rattlln' behind. It was easy to
guess what's np then. One of the farm
teams has been scared.
Next thing that was clear was that
there wa'n't any driver on the wagon
and that them crazy horses was headed
straight for that snarl of pony carts.
There wa'n't any yellln' done. I guess
most everybody's throat was too choked
up. I know mine was. I only hears one
sound above the bang and rattle of them
hoofs and wheels. That was a kind of a
groan, and I looked down to see Mr.
Twombley-Crane standin' up in the seat
of a tourin' car, his face the-color of a
wax candle, and such a look In his eyes
as I ain't anxious to see on any man
again.
Next minute he'd Jumped. But It wa'n't
any use. He was too far away and there
was too big a crowd to get through. Even
If he could have got there soon enough,
he couldn't have stopped them crazy
brutes any more'n he could have blocked
a cannon ball.
I feels sick and faint In the pit of my
stomach, and the one thing I wants to
do most Just then is to shut my eyes.
But I couldn't. I couldn't look any
where but at that pair of tearin" horses
and them broad Iron wheels. And that's
why I has a good view of something that
Jumps out of the bushes, land9 in a heap
in the wagon, and then scrambles toward
the front seat as quick as a cat. I see
the red hair and the blue Jersey, and
that's enough. I knows it's that useless
Rusty Quinn ployln' the fool. Now, if
he'd had a pair of arms like Jeffries,
maybe there'd been some hope of his
pullln' down them horses . Inside the
couple of hundred feet there was be
tween their front, toe calks and where
Utile Miss Gladys was sittin' rooted to
the cushions of her pony cart. But
Rusty's muscle development Is about
equal to that of a 14-year-old boy. and it
looks like he's goin' to do more harm
than good when he grabs the reins from
around the whip socket. But he stands
up. plants his feet wide, and settles back
for the pull.
about two miles. The cattle-path at the
cactus will lead you out to the landing
at the towhead. Andrews and I will come
over with the first boat and we can check
up as they land. I suppose you hava the
papers," he concluded.
" No, Munson has them," I ventured,
feeling sure that If Munson didn't have
them I did not know where they were.
" 'Well, be sure that Munson brings
them along, he admonished.
"This concluded the interview, and I
lost no time In getting back across the
river to tell Jarrall of my adventure. He
was delighted at my luck.
" 'You have got them red-handed!" he
yelled, when I had concluded. 'It's the
luckiest piece of work you have ever
done.'
"He dispatched a trusty messenger with
a letter for Captain Davis, of tho Ran
gers, whose headquarters were- the near
est to Presidio, Instructing the messenger
to ride as if the devil were after him.
We planned that Captain Davis and his
rangers would arrive by 10 o'clock that
night and we would have them lie in am
bush at the landing place and capture my
friend, the American, and his companion,
as well as Munson and the person for
whom I liad been mistaken, . both of
whom we figured would arrive before
that time.
"It was well along towards night when
we completed our arrangements, and al
though Jarrall's cook had prepared a fine
supper. I couldn't do Justice to it. I was
too excited. This was to be my first real
exciting adventure, and I was as nervous
as an amateur actor who Is about to
make his initial appearance before an
audience.
"The evening dragged terribly. Jarrall
stationed a lookout on the trail from No
pal, but up to 10 o'clock the two gentle
men for whom we waited had not ar
rived. They were not in Presidio, for we
had determined that fact In the after
noon. It was evident that they would
not arrive in time to keep their appoint
ment at the Cottonwood towhead. They
might come the next morning, and In that
event we would be ready to receive them
appropriately.,
"At five minutes after 10 I heard horses'
hoofs pounding the sand to the south. I
could almost have shouted, for I was
sure that it was Davis and his rangers.
It was only the messenger whom we had
dispatched in the morning. He was cov
ered with gray dust and his throat was
so choked he couldn't speak. He literally
fell from his horse before Jarrall's door,
and we had to support him as he stag
gered Into the room. A few drinks put
him on nls feet, and then he told us that
the rangers were not at their headquar
ters, but had gone in pursuit of a band
of cattle thieves. The time of their re
turn had been uncertain, so he had has
tened back after leaving Jarrall's letter
for the captain.
'This was a staggering blow. Jarrall
swore lurid oaths, but that didn't help
the situation.
" 'Let's get the local officers and arrest
the smugglers.' I suggested, excitedly.
' 'Local nothing,' broke out Jarrall.
"Why, tr-sre Isn't an officer in Presidio.
That constable has gone to Nopal with a
prisoner. The town marshal was killed
three weeks ago by a drunken Mexican,
and no one else has been, fool enough to
accept it. There Isn't a man in town I
would trust in a case like this.'
" "Well, we can go after them our
selves,' I said. There will only be two
against two and we will have the advan
tage by surprising them."
Jarrall looked at me In blank surprise.
' 'You must be crazy, man, to suggest'
such a thing. I am not counted a cow
ard, but I wouldn't undertake the Job
without at least half a dozen good men
at my back for all the gold in the world.
It would mean certain death for both of
us. No. I am not a candidate for the un
dertaker just yet-'
"He smiled a sort of sickly, patronizing
smile, as much as to say: 'Yon are a
foolish child. You don't know anything
about the bad men we have down here
on the border. The place for you is back
home with mother." .
Almost? before anyone sees his game,
he's done the trick. There's a smash that
sounds Hke a bulldln' fallln' down,, a
crackin" -and spllnterln' of oak .wood and
Iron, a rattlln' of trace chains, a couple
of soggy thumps. and when the dust
settles down we sees a gray horse rollin'
feet up on either side of a big maple, and
at the foot of the tree all that's left of
that yellow and blue wagon. Rusty had
put what strength he had into one rein
at Just the right time, and the pole had
struck tfce trunk square In the middle.
For a minute or so there was a grand
hurrah, with mothers and fathers rushin'
to grab their youngsters out of the carts
and hug 'em; which you couldn't blame
'em for doin' either. As for me. I drops
off the back of the coach and makes
a bee line for that wreck, so I'm among
the first dozen to get there. I'm in time
to shove my shoulder under the capsized
wagon body and hold It up.
Well, there' ain't any use goin' into de
tails. What we took from under there
didn't look much like a human bein' for
it was as limp and shapeless as a bag
of old rags. But the light haired young
feller that said he was a medical stu
dent guessed there might be some life
left. He wa'n't sure. He held his ear
down, and after he'd listened for a
minute he said maybe Something could be
done. So we laid It on one of the side
boards and lugged It up to the house,
while some one jumps into a 60-horse-power
car and starts for a sure enough
doctor.
It was durln' the next ten minutes,
when the young student was cutting' off
the blue Jersey and the rldln' pants, and
pokln" and feelin' around, that Mr.
Twombley-Crane gets the facts of the
story. He didn't have much to say; but,
knowln' what I did, and seeln' how he
looked, I could easy frame up what was
on his mind. He gives orders that what
ever was wanted should be handed out,
and he was standin' by holdin' the brandy
flask himself when them .washed out
blue eyes of Rusty's flickers open for
the first time.
"I I forgot my mouth organ." says
Rusty. "I wouldn't of come back but
for that."
It wa'n't much more'n a whisper, and
It was a shaky one. at that. So was Mr.
Twombley-Crane's voice kind of shaky
when he tells him he thanks the Lord he
did come back. And then Rusty goes off
in another faint.
Next a real doctor shows up. and he
chases us all out while him and the stu
dent has a confab. In five minutes or so
we gets the verdict. The doctor says
Rusty is damaged pretty bad. Things
have happened to his ribs and spine
which ought to have end?d him on the
spot. As it is, he may hold out another
hour, though in the shape he's in he don't
see how he can. But if he could hold
out that long the doctor knows of an A-l
sawbones who could mend him up if any
one could.
"Then telephone for him at once, and
do your best meanwhile," says Mr.
Towmbley-Crane.
By that time everyone on the place
knows about Rusty and his stunt. The
front rooms was full of people standin'
around whisperin' soft to each other and
lookln' solemn, swell, high-toned folks
"His manner and his answer both net
tled . me, and I retorted with some
warmth:
" "Well, if you are a coward, I am not
I'm going to arrest those men single
handed or get killed in the attempt."
"With that I buckled on my revolver
and started for tho door.
" "I wouldn"t do that, old man," Jarrall
breathed, a look of real concern displac
ing the amused expression that had so
nettled me". 'My God. man. you don't
know what you are doing. I haven't lived
on the border 10 years for nothing. xou
will be killed. I can't I won't permit it."
"I turned on him and snarled In his
face:
" TTou are not big enough to hold
me and you can't keep me any other
way unless you shoot me, and I don't
think you want to commit muraer.
"I poured out a volume of vile abuse
for which I was afterwards heartily
ashamed.
" 'I am going," I concluded, and with
that I sprang out of the house and set
off at a run for the north trail.
" "Walt until I get my gun and I
will go with you." Jarrall shouted after
me. but I paid not attention to him.
"It was half-past ten, and I knew it
would be a tight race to be at the ap
pointed place on time. The messen
ger's horse was standing before the
door. I mbunted it and set out at a
rapid rate for the trail. It was a wild
ride through the chaparral that night,
my heart beating time to the pounding
of the horse's hoofs. At the giant
cactus I hobbled the pony and has
tened, on foot, down the cattle trail
towards the river.
"As I came in sight of the water,
shining white and silvery through the
bushes, I could make out the bulk of
boat approaching. I ajripped my revol
ver nervously and waited for it to
land. - The cottonwood trees cast
heavy shadows where I crouched, and
this gave mo the advantage of the
smugglers, for the moonlight was al
most a.5 brilliant as sunlight. The
prow of the boat grated on the beach
and four men stepped out. I had only
counted on two. In my hurried ride
I had planned out my course of action.
I had read somewhere of a soldier
capturing a company of the enemy
slnglehanded. and I intended to follow
his plan.
"As the four men advanced up the
shelving bank I gave a tense command
to an Imaginary posse hid back in the
shadows and, with my revolver leveled
I stepped out Into the moonlight, cov
ering the nearest of the men.
'This trick may have worked with
soldiers, but it certainly didn't go with
border outlaws. No sooner had I
stepped from the shadows than the
four mn reached for their guns, at
the same Instant dropping flat upon
the ground. x where they were almost
Invisible.
"I took hurried aim at the foremost
man and pulled the trigger. The ham
mer fell with a metallc click, which
rang sharp and distinct in the still
air. Then, with a sickening sinking
of the heart, I remembered that in my
hasty departure I had failed to load
the revolver. I was unarmed and at
the mercey of the outlaws.
These incidents had happened with
marvelous swiftness. Instantly there
was a flare of light, a loud report, and
a bullet sang uncomfortably close to
my ear. It .was the first time I was
ever under fire. There was a second
flash, and my right arm dropped limp
ly to my side. I spraing- for the shad
ows of the cottonwoods just as the
third revolver cracked. The bullet cut
across the back of my neck, and I fell
unconscious.
"When I came to myself I was In
the bottom of a boat and the four men
were paddling with might and main
for tho Mexican shore. Here was a
pretty mess my rashness had dragged
me into. I realized that the men would
show me no mercy, that death prob
ably awaited me at the landing. But
that half an hour before hardly knew
such specimens as Rusty existed. But
when the word Is passed "around that
probably he's all in, they takes it Just
as hard as If he was one of their own
kind. When it comes to takln' the long
jump, though, we're all pretty much on
the same grade, ain't we?
I begun to see where I hadn't any
business sizin' up Rusty like I had. and
was '.rorkin' up a heavy feelin in my
chest, when 'the doctor comes out and
asks if there's such a party as Shorty
McCabe present. I knew what was
comin'. Rusty has got his eyes open
again and is callin' for me.
I finds him half propped up with pillows
on a shiny mahogany table,, his face all
screwed up from the hurt inside, and the
freckles showln' up on his dead white
skin like peach stains on a tablecloth.
"They say I'm all to the bad. Shorty,"
savs he, tryin' to spring that grin of his.
"Aw, cut it out!" says I. "You tell 'em
they got another guess. You're too tough
and rugged to go under so easy."
"Think so?" says he, real eager, his
eyes lightin' up.
"Sure thing!" says I. Say. I put all the
ginger and cheerfulness I could fake up
into that lie. And it seems to do him a
heap of good. When I asks him If there's
anything he wants, he makes another
crack at his grin, and says:
" paper pipe would taste good about
now."
"Let him have it." says the doc. So
the student digs out his cigarette case
and we helps Rusty light up.
"Ain't there somethin' more. Rusty?"
says 1. "You know the house is yours."
'Well," says he, after a few puffs, "if
this is to be a long wait, a little music
would help,- There's a piano over in the
corner."
I looks at the doc. and shakes my
head. He hakes back.
"I used to play a few hymns," says the
student.
Forget 'em. then," says Rusty. "A
hymn would finish me, sure. What I'd
like is somethin' lively." .
"Doc." says I. "would It hurt?"
"Couldn't," says he. Also he whispers
that he'd use chloroform, only Rusty's
heart's too bad. and If he wants ragtime
to deal it out.
"Wish I could." says I: "but maybe I
can find some one who can."
With that I slips out and hunts up Mrs.
Twombley-Crane, explalnin' the case to
her.
"Why. certainly." says she. "Where is
Effie? I'll send her In right away."
She's a real damson plum, Effie is; one
of the cute, fluffy haired kind, about 19.
She comes In lookln' scared and sober;
but when she's had a look at Rusty, and
he's tried his grin on her. and S3id how
he'd like to hear somebody tear off some
thin" that would remind him of Broad
way, she braces right up.
"I know." says she.
And say, she did know! She has us
whirl the baby grand around so's she can
glance over the top at Rusty, tosses her
lace handkerchief Into one corner of the
keyboard, pushes back her sleeves until
the elbow dimples show, and the next
thing we know she's teasln' the tumpety
tum out of the ivories like a professor.
She opens up with a piece you hear all
I was mistaken in this. They did not
know that I had recovered conscious
ness and I could hear what they said
when they paused in their furious
rowing to catch their breath.
"They seemed highly excited over
my slnglehanded attempt to capture
them. One of them, a Mexican,
wanted to kill me at once, but the
American wouldn't hear to it. He ad
vised that I be revived and made to
tell Just what I knew. This met with
general approval, and it was decided
that I should be taken to the house
that I had visited that morning in
company with the American. They
were going to hold me a prisoner there
until they had gained the information
they wanted, .and then they were go
ing to make an end of me.
"They stopped talking and resumed
their paddling. I was in the heavy
shadows at the bottom of the boat,
and when I noticed that my big Pana
ma hat was resting on my chest an
idea came to me. I fished a pencil
stub from my pocket, and with my left
hand, scrawled a message to Jarrall
on the brim of the big hat. It was a
miserable effort, and I feared It would
be unintelligible. I told him of my
capture, that I was wounded, and be
ing taken to the house with the brok
en column.
"The men Jerked me out of the boat
with small ceremony when we reached
the shore. I moaned plleously and lay
limp and Inert, clutching the hat with my
left hand, the .writing underneath. As
they packed me up the bank I dropped
the hat in the shadow of a bush. After
this I became unconscious from the pain
of my wounds.
"I came to in a small' room with a
single window up near the ceiling. It
was heavily barred with iron, between
which I could see a single star, so I
knew that it was still night. I lay there
for a long time. Its eemed, half-conscious
and utterly resigned. I was suffering
too much and was too weak from loss of
blood to care whether I lived or died.
In fact. T think I preferred to die. The
smugglers had not dressed my wounds
and I felt that I was slowly bleeding
to death. It was beyond my strength
to make any effort to escape.
"I had dozed off again, I suppose, when
the report of shots awakened me. A
battle seemed to be in progress about
the building, but I was too weak to more
than raise myself upon my good elbow
for a moment; then I fell back panting
and exhausted. The rattle of firearms
grew less distinct, as if the shots were
coming from a great distance, and I slept
again.
"The next I knew Jarrell was bending
over me. I was in bed and very weak.
It was the room where I had stopped
in Presidio. I felt that It was a hallu
cination of my feverish brain.
"It was little that I did towards my
recovery. Jarrall did it all. By force of
his personality he nursed me back to life
and health, and when 1 got strong enough
to talk and tried to apologize to him and
ask his forgiveness for my abominable
conduct he would not permit it. He was
a man and a gentleman at all times.
"One day he told me how he had come
to rescue me.
"He had followed after me when I ran
from the house, only stopping Jong
enough to get his gun. This delay had
allowed me to mount the horse and se
cure a good start. He knew It was use
less to follow on foot, and he had lost
f urther time catching .a pony and sad
dling it.
"Before he managed to reach the giant
cactus where I had hobbled my horse.
he heard the firing at the landing. He
had arrived at the river in time to see
the boat landifig at the farther shore.
"As soon as the bandits had left, he
swam his horse across the stream and
found my hat. His pony struck It with
a hoof and knocked it out into the moon
light. He had picked it up and found
the message upon the brim,
"Appreciating that pursuit was useless,
he had hastened back to Presidio to se
cure assistance. He met Captain Davis
the kids whistlln something wltn a
swing and a rattle to It, I don't know
what. But It brings Rusty up on his
elbow and sets him to keepln' time with
the cigarette. Then she slides off into
"Poor John!" and Rusty calls out for
her to sing it, if she can. Can she? Why,
she's got one of them sterling-silver
voices, that makes Vesta Victoria's
warblln' sound like blowin' a fish horn,
and before she's half through the first
verse Rusty has Joined In.
, "Come on!" says he, as they strikes the
chorus. "Everybody!"
Say, the doc was right there wtth the
goods. He roars her out like a good
one; and the student chap wa'n't far be
hind, either. You know how It goes
John, be took me round to see bis moth-er,
lils moth-er, his moth-erl
And while he lntroduoed us to each oth-er
Eh? Well, maybe that ain't Just the
way it goes; but I can think the tune
light. That was what I was up against
then. I knew I couldn't make my voice
behave, so all I does Is go through the
motions with my mouth and tap the time
out with my foot. But I sure did ache
to jump in and help Rusty out.
It was a great concert. She gives us
all them classic things, like "The Bird on
Nellie's Hat," "'Waiting at the Church."
"No Wedding Bells for Me." and so on:
her fingers Just dancln", and her head
noddin' to Rusty, and her eyes kind of
encouragin' him to keep his grip.
Twice, though, he has to quit, as the
pain twists him; and the last time, when
he flops back on the pillows, we thought
he'd passed in for good. But in a minute
or so he's up again, callin' for more. Sny,
maybe you think Miss Effie didn't have
some grit of her own, to sit there bangln"
out songs like that, expectin" every
minute to see him keel over. But she
stays with it. and we was right in the
middle of that chorus that goes
In old New York, In old New York,
The peach crop's always fine
when the foldln' doors was slid back, and
In comes the big surgeon gent we'd been
waltln" for. You should have seen the
look on him too, as he sizes up them
three singln', and Rusty there on thn
table, a ctgarette twisted up in his
fingers, fightin' down a spasm.
"What blasted idiocy is this?' he
growls.
"New kind of pain-killer, doc.,' say
I. "Tell you all about It later. What
you want to do now is get busy."
Well, that's the whole of It. He knew
his book, that bone repairer did. He
worked four hours steady, puttln' back
into place the parts of Rusty that had
got skewgeed; but when he roils down his
sleeves and quits he leaves a man that's
almost as good as ever, barrin' a few
months to let the pieces grow together.
I was out to' see Rusty yesterday, and
he's doin' fine. He's plannln', when he
gets around again, to take the purse that
was made up for him and invest it in air
ship stock.
"And if ever I make a million dollars.
Shorty," says he, "I'm goin' to hand
over half of it to that gent that sewed
me up." " ...
Good!" says I. "And if I was you I d
chuck the other half at the song writers.'
(Copyright. 10S. by Aaaociated Sunday
Magaatae.)
and ten rangers on the way. They had
returned to camp sooner than was ex-
pected. and seeing Jarrall's note, had
pushed on to Presidio without rest.
"The rangers then committed a breach
of international law. With Jarrall for
guide, they had invaded Mexico and res
cued me."
(Next week Captain Dickson will re
late the story of "The Affair of the Na
tional Bank.") .
Tempting; Beverages fop Afternoon
Functions.
Fruit Punch Into a large bowl put
one heaping cup of medium dark
brown sugar, and pour over this two
cups of rather strong hot tea. Let
this stand until the syrup Is perfectly
cold. Add to this one cup of orange
Juice, one cup of lemon Juice, a small
can of preserved strawberries, a small
can of shredded pineapple and a bottle
of cherries. Mix the fruit and the
syrup well. Into the punch bowl from
which it ia to be served put a large
block of ice and flien add the mixed
fruit. Now open two bottles of ginger
ale and pour into it, then two or three
large bottle of appollinarls - water.
Mix well and serve. If not sweet
enough, add more sugar to suit the
tast e.
Claret Punch Take the juice of two
large lemons and the grated rind. ld
to this one small glass of sherry and
then ' one quart of claret. For every
quart of claret add one bottle of soda
water or appollinarls. Pour over the
block of ice and decorate with sprigs
of geranium or lemon verbena.
To Embroider Gowns.
Hand-worked gowns are within the
means of women who know how to do '
some of the fashionable quick em
broidery which embellishes many of
the most expensive of the thinner cos
tumes. A black chiffon cloth gown
which looked like an expensive model
had large water lilies decorating the
bottom In a band almost 18 inches in
width. The flowers were worked with
rather heavy black silk, and occa
sionally there was a thread of silver.
Another effective pattern, and one that
is easy to do, is a row of disks about
two Inches across. A single or a dou
ble row of these usad as a border on
a net gown will be found unusually
attractive.
Hardships of the Ancients,
6L Louis Post-Dispatch.
When Homer smote his blooming lyre
And salts' his memory green.
He never knew the bliss entire
Of running- a machine
But wrote his poems with a quill
Upoa an unsmootbed page.
And cramped his hand to feeling 111
In that
(Confound that B bar! stuck agalni
Bang-bang! Thore!)
benighted age.
And Sappho when she painted love
In all Its cstacles
Had never guessed the rapturs of
Verse writing on the keys
But labored with tier pen and Ink
With what fatigue and rack
And goodness knows how bad a kink
In her
(Shoot this pld mill, anyway! Bang!
I don't care If I do break ltl What's
the use of )
slim Grecian back. a
And Petrarch J how he must have boiled
With anger waile he wooed
The ancient Muse for having tolled
With Implements eo crude.
That mlg-ht today alt In his chair
And trip the dancing key
Th while he aaag hla Laura fair
With automatic
(Boy! telephone the typewriter office
and tell them if they don't aend some -one
down here to fix this bl&nk-blank
machine we'll throw it u the tne