Friday, July 19, 1940
SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
Page 8
G eneral
i
HUGH S.
OF
JOHNSON
© Fr«nl H. Spearman
SYNOPSIS
Don Alfredo, wealthy. Spanish owner
of a Southern California rancho, refuses
to heed several warnings of a raid by a
band of outlaws. Sierra Indiana. One day
after he has finally decided to seek the
protection of the nearby mission for his
wife and family, the Indians strike. Don
Alfredo is killed and his two young
daughters are torn from the arms of the
family's faithful maid. Monica, and are
carried away to the hills
Padre Pas-
qual. missionary frtend of the family,
arrives at the ruins of the ranch and
learns the story of the raid from Monica
After a trying and difficult trip across
the plains and mountains from Texas to
California, youthful Henry Bowie, a Tex­
as adventurer, with his friends. Ben
Pardaloe and Simmie. an Indian scout,
sight the party of Indians who have car­
ried off the two little girls. The three
Texans attack the war party of fifty-odd
Indians and through a clever ruse scat­
ter the savages to the hills The girls
are saved
The group makes its way
out of the hills and meets the distraught
Monica, the children's maid. The girls
•re left with Monica and the friendly
Padre at a mission, and the Texans pro­
ceed to Monterey Here Bowie completes
his business for Gen. Sam Houston of
Texas, who has commissioned him to
deliver an important message
Bowie
decides to have a look at the wild un­
tamed country that California was in the
middle Nineteenth century. Bowie dis­
appears from California but returns eight
years later and makes the acquaintance
of a friendly Spanish family at the
Rancho Guadalupe.
CHAPTER VI—Continued
"You must have dry clothing.” Don
Francisco insisted despite Bowie's
protests. "You are my guest. I am
now what you call the boss;
must let me be your servant,
clothes are not big enough,
my uncle, he is a big one, like you.
Bowie smiled. "One thing we do
need.”
Don Ramon lifted his eyebrows
as if pleased—at last he had found a
weak spot in the Texan's armor.
"What is it?" he exclaimed.
"Salt." returned Bowie simply.
"Then allow me to be your debtor
—you shall leave here with salt for
yourselves and for your game. But
self-reliant as you are. senor, I can
lighten your labors a good bit if you
will allow me a further pleasure."
"You a*e most kind. Don Ramon.
I realize that we are strangers and
your advice might save us much.”
The Don shook his head. "Not ad­
vice, I doubt if you need it. But
what I know you do need is plen-
ty of horseflesh. It will save you
much time and some hardship if
you will accept a caponera from
us and leave here in the saddle—
with your salt.” he added, smiling
significantly, "in your mochilas."
Bowie sat perplexed. “Caponera?"
He looked inquiringly at Don Fran­
cisco.
"Horses,” explained Francisco.
"My uncle means twenty horses,
or twenty-five.”
Bowie, despite his poise, regarded
Don Ramon incredulously. Much
talk and much translating followed,
it was for Bowie at last to
as he was best able, that he
Wait”
An Indian boy was dispatched with
a message to Don Ramon. He was
soon back, bringing a coat two
shirts, trousers, stockings and boots
for Bowie.
In vain the Texan protested. Don
Francisco had a persuasive way—he
laughed away one objection after
another with so much good-natured
banter that Bowie found himself clad
in Californian accouterments of
head of the house, walking into
big living room where he met
Estradas.
Don Francisco introduced his new
acquaintance to his uncle and to
his aunt. Dona Maria.
But the uncle. Don Ramon, and
the Dona, his wife, called for partic­
ular attention at the hands of their
guest Except for the youthful neph­
ew, Don Ramon Estrada was the
first real Spanish gentleman that the
Texan bad met.
While there was nothing of haugh­
tiness in Don Ramon, there was
something that called for considera­
tion and respect. His mere pres­
ence made itself felt, presenting as
it did a certain graciousness of man­
ner tempered by dignity and re­
serve that put his guest at ease
with a mute assurance of welcome.
When Bowie had met his host and
hostess he felt already at ease, so
exquisite was the kindly welcome
expressed in their manner. But not
until he was presented by Don Fran­
cisco. with due formality, to a young
lady who now entered the room was
the gaunt Texan conscious of a feel­
ing of his own awkwardness and ill-
fitting apparel. She was Señorita
Carmen, of the rancho, cousin to
Don Francisco.
The young Spaniard did the in­
terpreting and much of the talking.
Host and hostess extended repeated
Spanish greetings to Bowie which
Don Francisco translated.
The
young lady was wholly silent, save
that when spoken to by her cousin
she responded clearly and compos­
edly.
Dinner was announced.
Dona
Maria was seated at her husband's
right hand, and Bowie was given the
place of honor on his left Next to
him sat Don Francisco; seated be­
low Dona Maria was Señorita Car­
men. As she sat opposite the Texan
she made good use of her eyes, yet
so skillfully that he was never aware
of her inspection.
Don Ramon, as the beef, mutton
and fowl in bewildering abundance
were served in formal turn, asked
many questions of his stranger guest
—questions about Texas; about the
differences of the Americans with
the Mexican government; then as
to what brought Bowie to California.
This drew only vague generaliza­
tions from the Texan. The Don
•witched next to what lay immedi­
ately ahead; what Bowie had in
mind to do.
"As to that, senor,” responded
Bowie frankly, "I hardly have any
plans. I find myself here on the
coast with two scout companions.
Soon we are going up the river, to
Sutter’s Fort. Our principal occu­
pation in the interval must be to
find something to eat.”
Don Ramon laughed. “Truly im­
portant.”
"So we are heading upcountry aft­
er game to sell in Monterey. There
is a good demand, I am told, from
the ships for venison and elk.”
"But with the thousands of head
of cattle everywhere available to
furnish a beef supply?” objected the
Don.
Bowie smiled as this was trans­
lated. "The beef of the range cat­
tle is no competition for the meat of
the deer and the elk, certainly not
with the officers, nor even with the
hungry sailors."
"And what is your equipment for
the undertaking?”
“Our rifles, senor.”
The amiable Don was astonished.
"Nothing seems to appall you—your
undertaking would, of a certainty,
give me pause. And you need noth­
ing?”
Both were beautiful.
and his scouts were grateful but
could not think of so great a draft on
this magnificent hospitality.
In the living room, while the ram
poured furiously outside, Don Ra­
mon smoked tranquilly and listened
to Bowie and his nephew. The la­
dies talked about the wedding in
Monterey. In the morning it was
still raining hard — the rancho
seemed afloat. The Texan had no
choice but to accept Don Ramon's
hospitality, and the day went in sto­
ries told before the big log fire­
stories of Texans and the country
of the Staked Plain; the story of
Santa Ana and the Alamo, which
was told without any effort to water
down the cruel butchery by the Mex­
icans. And interspersed were sto­
ries of this new California, to which
the plainsman listened with hungry
interest. Don Francisco had already
taken a fancy to Bowie. That eve­
ning he questioned the Texan with a
purpose.
Bowie, quite alert to all that went
on. noticed the glances that Fran­
cisco cast at times toward Carmen,
who was in animated talk with Dona
Maria. Even the Texan’s attention
wandered at moments from Fran­
cisco’s explanation to the two wom­
en as they chatted. Both were beau­
tiful, of a type the roughhewn Texan
had never yet seen. They were
beautiful in artless animation. The
bronzed son of the desert was al­
most stunned by the atmosphere of
charm. The Dona at forty had lost
none of her youth; the years had
tempered without engrossing the
portrait of her maidenhood. The vi­
vacity of youth was still hers, en­
riched now by the dignity of matron­
ly charm. Yet Bowie’s eyes were
drawn to her daughter Carmen,
just old enough to realize the pres­
ence of a stranger and protecting
her attractiveness by the slight re­
pression of girlhood.
Bowie listened, indeed, to the
words of Don Ramon; but he heard
the cadences of another voice—a
voice of sweet-throated music,
strange to the ear but bewildering
in utterance. For the first time in
his life the Texan, without realizing
it, began to love the strange tongue
in which Californians spoke and to
listen for every syllable that might
fall from the lips of the young Span­
ish girl. The clinging black of her
gown did not hide the tender slope
of her shoulders; ft contrasted with
the ivory of her slender neck; and
above this, from a perfectly poised
head, fell soft masses of brown hair.
They framed the features of one
just at the threshold of full-bloomed
adolescence: lips filling with prom­
ise of a richer maidenhood; eyes
that retired under long dark lashes
and opened with a searching light.
"You want to start tomorrow?’’
Don Francisco was asking. Bowie
nodded.
"But I have an idea,” suggested
Francisco. "My uncle is having mi-
WNU Service
tanza this week. He is slaughtering to save himslf. In the end he was
surplus cattle for the tallow. Cap­ killed. The vaqueros made nightly
tain Davis, with whom my uncle sport with the big fellows. The Tex­
trades, is in port at Monterey from ans. seeing bear after bear brought
China. He will want much tallow to the knife, were not greatly im­
for South America and Boston—it pressed.
will be a big matanza. You should
In the morning Don Ramon invit­
see one. Much attention, much ex­ ed Bowie for a canter over the
citement. much work. Stay over a rancho. He particularly wanted to
day or two. The streams will then see how the rain had left the foot­
be fordable, and you and your bridge leading across the river to
scouts, in the meantime, will be well the grain fields which stretched in
entertained. Plenty of bears!”
rolling acres toward the bay. Re­
turning, he suggested a short cut
"Bears?" echoed Bowie.
Francisco nodded “Dozens. They through the hills, The two men
come down from the mountains at were riding briskly abreast when,
night after the matanza offal. Plenty crossing a canyon, they stumbled
of chance for a bear fight if you like suddenly, almost on top of a bear
ambling along on her way with two
one.”
The Texan showed interest, asked cubs to the matanza ground.
"Mirai Cuidado! Oso pardo,”
more questions, and said he would
cried Don Ramon.
talk to his scouts.
The warning was well ordered,
The next morning Bowie and his
host rode out to where the matanza The bear, enraged, reared with the
was in progress. Pardaloe and Sim- swiftness of a jack-in-the-box on her
mie were already on the scene, huge feet and sprang, as luck would
watching every move of the vaque­ have it. at Don Ramon She struck
ros as one rode quietly into the him with a raking blow of her claw.
corral, lassoed a steer by the horns It caught his trouser leg The stout
cloth, unhappily for the rider, held
and brought him outside.
and the unlucky Don found himself
When the rider had the beast well
torn from the saddle. In catapult­
placed, a second vaquero roped the
ing headfirst to the ground his foot
steer's hind legs, threw him and.
caught in the stirrup, and his fren­
with two ropes taut, tied his feet in
zied horse dashed down the canyon,
a bunch and. with a knife, gave him
cragging the rider a dozen yards
the golpe de gracia.
before the Don could release him­
What interested the Texan, sea­ self. As he kicked clear with a
soned as to cattle and horses, was mighty effort his head struck a rock,
the skill and speed with which the and he sprawled on the canyon floor,
vaqueros worked and the almost half conscious. The bear dashed
human intelligence of their horses— awkward but swiftly after the flee­
the perfection of their response to ing horse and the helpless rider,
every bint of their rider in snaring Bowie, close at hand, had barely
' and handling a steer. It was par­ seconds to head his panicky mount
ticularly this skill of the horses that toward the angry beast and uncoil
made the work proceed rapidly with­ his lasso. Yelling to the Don to
out mishap or hitch.
flee. Bowie flung his rope at the lop­
For two days the work went for­ ing grizzly. It settled over her head
ward speedily. Ihe matanza ground and Bowie, spurring swiftly back
was a scene of the greatest activity. despite the weight and size of the
To the Texan the spectacle of such grizzly, jerked the monster around
abundance, such profusion of waste and threw her off her feet
and such indifference to everything
Only for an instant Rolling over,
but the work in hand was a source the bear, doubly infuriated, seized
of amazement.
A hearty lunch the lasso in her claw and began reel­
served to the family at noon was ing Bowie and his horse hand over
followed by a heartier dinner for
the evening, with the difference that
native wine accompanied the din­
ner. This was the family gathering
of the day at which the hostess and
her daughter were formally dressed.
After the family had settled about
the fire tn the living room and the
conversation had shown signs of lag­
ging, Don Ramon made a request
of Carmen.
Carmen took her place at the fam­
ily harp, ran her fingers over the
strings and sang a Spanish song
The conversation and the words of
the song were lost on Bowie, but
not the clear, true notes of the girl's
voice.
Don Francisco explained that the
song was the appeal of a lover to the
stars to bear witness of his devotion
to his mistress. Carmen sang again,
a French chanson. It was very
slight, but it echoed in Bowie's ears
most of the night
It bothered Bowie, that in these
household meetings he could never
manage to catch the eye of Carmen
He was discreet enough not to at­
tempt to coax her glance his way—
and old enough to be ashamed of
himself for his curiosity. But curi­
osity persisted. Toward the end of
Bat in that instant the bear
his stay a natural resentment at the
charged him.
aloofness of one who had for a week
enlisted bis lively interest impelled hand toward her. The Texan per­
him to practice such retaliatory ceived his peril. His horse strove
measure as he could. The least sat­ vainly to pit his strength against the
isfactory feature of his attempt to strength of his enormous enemy. It
ignore her was that this made no was a hopeless endeavor. Relent­
apparent difference whatever to lessly the bear dragged horse and
Carmen. If she were aware, there rider toward him. Luckily a sizable
was no evidence of it—for her, he tree stood near. With shout and
spur Bowie, plunging forward,
seemed not to exist
Don Francisco, on the other hand, whirled the horse and managed to
grew increasingly attached to Bow­ circle the tree before the bear could
ie. Everything about the Texan in­ take up all the slack. It gave the
terested the youth Especially was Texan an instant of respite, and
he fascinated by the plainsman's he dismounted. But in that instant
novel revolver. Indeed, the whole the bear charged him.
The tree between the two was of
male population of Rancho Guada­
lupe marveled at a pistol that would little consequence, as the hunted
shoot six bullets without recharging. man was aware, and the grizzly’s
The matanza always brought down leap was far beyond the nimblest
an army of bears from the hills, and feat of a runner. Taking what was at
Don Francisco, seeking excuse to best a merely desperate chance.
prolong the stay of the hunters, Bowie, as he jumped, fired shot aft­
promised them as many bear fights er shot into the bear’s mouth and
as they had stomach for—black head. Then he dropped the empty
bears, cinnamon bears and occasion­ revolver, whipped out his knife and.
ally the famed monarch of the Si­ waiting not a second, plunged di­
erras, the grizzly, the highly re­ rectly into the bear’s arms for what
spected oso perdo, as Don Francisco was likely to prove a fatal em­
called him. This prospect of ad­ brace. Only one of the two, he knew
venture interested the two scouts. could come out alive.
The foreman Pedro was riding
They added their appeal to that of
Don Francisco, and Bowie — not away from the corral when he saw
loath to linger near the flame of the Don Ramon’s riderless horse racing
distant candle he had lighted for out of the hills. The half-breed real­
himself—consented.
ized at once there was trouble.
Hardly had night fallen when the Shouting to near-by vaqueros to fol­
vanguard of the bears arrived from low, he spurred for the hills. Be­
the hills. Tempted by the rejected fore he reached them Bowie's horse,
meat and offal of the matanza. the
dragging the broken rope, shot out
bears would come down at nightfall
for a feast. This gave the hunters, of the canyon and gave him the di­
disposed for sport, their chance. rection. At the same moment he
Shortly the matanza ground was heard pistol shots echoing down the
well filled with the hairy monsters, canyon walls. Urging his compan­
gorging, growling, fighting among ions who were stringing along be­
themselves and snapping ferociously hind to follow fast, Pedro galloped
at those bolder coyotes who dared into the canyon.
trespass on the preserves of their
His practiced eye told him the
banqueting "betters.”
story as he rode. Whatever it had
The Texans watched. Don Ramon, been, It was over, for the canyon
circling a chosen bear, lassoed him
was as still as the grave. On he
by the neck; Don Francisco, watch­
ing his chance, executed the more galloped until, rounding a bend, he
difficult feat of roping the bear’s saw the bodies of the grizzly and
hind legs; and the two horsemen, the Texan lying less than ten yards
riding then in opposite directions, apart, both apparently dead.
forced the bear to fight his utmost
(TO BE CONTINUED)
PHOTOGRAPHY
r
Washington, I». C.
MANPOWER PROBLEM
A group of 210 distinguished edu­
cators, clergymen, writers and busi­
ness lenders have just declurcd
against any "peacetime" conscrip­
tion. They say it is un-American,
totalitarian, un-democratic and that
it would disrupt business and in­
dustry.
They say that highly skilled men
needed for any new mechanized,
motorized war can be had by volun­
tary enlistment "under pay sched­
ules sufficiently attractive.” This
protest springs from incomplete un­
derstanding of the principle of selec­
tive service.
•
•
•
V <
- ! ^SNAPSHOTS
>
-mJ «•
O IOM
r—
U< III
tNto • to »«**<
ÏÏR i......
HOTEL ASSEMBLY
NINTH * MADISON, SEATTLE
Cum for tub I a Modern Huotne
Dally II IS
Weekly IS Up
Coffee Shop
Dining Room
There are three steps in the selec­
tive process—registration, classifica­ MOLER BEAUTY SCHOOL
tion and induction. Only the last is
|& 00 Will Htort Yuu
l'ny Wtill« tx-nriilna
in any sense conscription. Regis­
A
JVarioea/ Or<anl««f>0»
tration is universal enrollment of
SEATTLE—TACOMA—IPOKANI
the manpower of the nation. Clas­
sification Is an examination of them
all to see what are the special educa­
tion. skills and aptitudes of each
man. and which cun be classified
I0UI StlVICr la Neil Casas
for military or other service with
Biiag ar Mail Tsai Hates
the least possible inconvenience to
ler ¡»«pair-CUBIT Ezteaded
himself, the greatest consideration
for his own wishes, tlie slightest dis­
D r . H arry S emur , Ùculiii.
turbance to our economic system­
auibv «too ■ «•• a mom MN * hiiiiano ori
industry, commerce, agriculture ed­
ucation—and, above all, domestic
FILM DEVELOPING
relations and the dependency of
ROLL
DEVELOPED—« PRINTS A
others.
t
FREE
5x7 ENLARGEMENTS
Class 1-A, at the beginning at
Tour
least, should comprise all men who Mail
Films
Pacific Pítelo Herviré
could serve with none or the very Feat
». O B ob Z751X
ReMabie
slightest impairment of any of these Horvloa
FOBTX.ABB ... OBBOOW
standards. When that clusa is de­
termined. the order of their going
or "induction,” is determined by a
national lottery or "drawing" al­
ready conducted in Washington cov­
ering all men registered. At this
point, and especially during peace,
or before the drain of war has cre­
ated any real manpower problem, a
provision used during the latter part
of the 1917-18 draft preserves all the
virtues of the volunteer system, with
none of Its disruptive and sometimes
hateful consequences. We called it
"volunteering within call A-l."
DENTAL PLATE REPAIR
2
25c
Class A-l, in our present situa­
tion would contain many times the
number we need. It would be made
up of the most available men of this
nation—men who arc best fitted for
service and who. in the balance of
responsibilities between national and
private obligations have the least of
the latter. Regardless of the ulti­
mate compulsion of their "order­
number,” those who want to go first
should be permitted to volunteer.
The inducement of topping high
current civilian competitive rates of
pay for voluntary enlistment, won't
work. It carries a hint of the stig­
ma of the old mercenary armies—
which is worse than that of the old
"press-gang" conscript armies—and
it would make defensive costs pro­
hibitive. Major Eliot's recent sug­
gestion of a few extra dollars added
to $21 monthly base pay, wouldn't
induce the kind of men we need to
quit their jobs.
A principal deterrent to voluntary
enlistment is that the term is long
and rigid. It should be one year or
tor duration of the emergency.
Few men want to mortgage away
three years of their lives in this rap­
idly changing world on any ground
except patriotism.
We seem to be galloping in all di­
rections on this manpower problem.
Under the federal bureau of educa­
tion and WPA we have begun train­
ing men as mechanics who have
assumed no obligation to serve. Un­
der the volunteer plan, we are en­
listing men regardless of their me­
chanical training. The whole effort
is hit-or-miss and haywire. If the
true principles of selective service
could be expertly applied on the ba­
sis of experience, we would have the
most fair, flexible, efficient man­
power system in the world.
• • •
RUBBER AND TIN
Some of its esteemed contempo­
raries do not agree with this col­
umn's rebuttal of the constant
claims that we are dependent on the
British and Dutch East Indies for
rubber and tin and that it was only
the concurrence of England that has
enabled us to maintain the Monroe
Doctrine.
Nobody has contested the facts
that we could make better rubber
than we buy or, that by using
conservation, substitution and Boliv­
ian tin, we could get by without East
Indian tin. But it is said that it
would be inconvenient, take
long time and cost too much.
I challenge all of this. As to rub­
ber, the fact is that it we, who use
55 per cent of all the world's rubber,
turned to mass production on that
vast tonnage, it would cost no more
than the present price—which is
low.
Quite apart from all this, long ago
it was reported by the President's
own national resources committco
that for less than the price of two
battleships, we could lay in enough
East Indian tin and rubber to make
us independent of foreign sources
for the reasonably expected duration
This administration
of any war.
didn’t do it It seems to have some
strange reluctance to take Uncle
Sam's whiskers out of that revolving
wringer in the Far East. Instead
of buying vital tin and rubber, it
bought billions of dollars worth of
useless silver and unnecessary gold.
Is your child a
NOSE PICKER?
It may be Juil • aaaty habit but eomnUmrw
noen plcklrut la ■ >l<n of niiu thin« naatlx
It may m.-.m that your child I im round
rwm—eepnially If tiure v« other tymp-
lom*. such m fiitontina, finicky appeUto.
rortli« alrvp and Itrhln« In nvtaln parte.
Many tnothira don't rnallxe how awry II
la to ' catch" thia dreadful Infaction and
bow many children have it. If yuu evan
rutpul that your child I im round worma.
grXJAYNK'H VERMIFLtlK rishi awayi
I>rive out those uxly, crawlin« thin«« lx<ore
they can «row and cauan arrloua duUrrm
JAYNE « VERMIFUGE la the beat
known worm expellant In America. It le
liackod by morlrrn ariontitle study and haa
l>e«-n used by million« for over a Onlury.
JAYNE N VERMIFUGE haa the ability
to drive out laryn round worms.
It
taat>w gorxl and acta «rnlly. It dona not
contain santonin. If there am no worms It
worka merely aa a mild laxative. A«k foe
JAYNE’H VEK-MI-l'lJt.P.atanydruKalora.
FREE: Valuable medical book. "Worma
I .Ivina Inaide.You.'* Write to limit Ml.
Dr. D. Jayne A Hon. 3 Vino Mt . Philadelphia.
Mite Upon Mile
If thou shouldst lay up a little
upon a little, and shouldat do thia
often, soon would even this be­
come great.—Hesiod.
Common Sense
About Constipation
A doctor would tell you that the
best thing to do with constipation
to get at il» caute. That way you
don't have to endure It first and
try to "cure" it afterward-you
can avoid having It.
Chances are you won't have to
look far for the cause If you eat
the super-refined foods most
people do. Moat likely you don't
get enough "bulk" I And "bulk”
doesn’t mean a lot of food. It
means a kind of food that Isn't
consumed in the body, but
leaves a soft "bulky" mass In the
Intestines.
If this to what you lack, try
crisp crunchy Kellogg's All-Bran
for breakfast. It contains just the
“bulk” you need.
EatAll-Brano/ten.drlnk plenty
of water, and "Jointhe Regulars."
Made by Kellogg's In Battle Creek.
If your condition to chronic, It to
^wlsa to consult a physician.
WNU-13
29 40
Self-Deception
No man was ever' bo much de­
ceived by another as by himself.
—Greville.