The Sheriff's Peril.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2090, 28 November 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Sheriff's Peril.

a sketch stiom life in a new mexican fhoxtier town. V The inhabitants of the growing littlo town of Palmeo felt a laudable pride in their gallant young Btaerifl— n brawny, blonde-bearded hero, with the strength of a minor Horcules and the face of an Apollo Eelvederc. As in all new frontier towns, there had been an 'ea»ly attempt on the part of the ruihanly el°ment in take possession of the place, but tha effoit had been promptly suppressed by the energetic action of this dauntless arm of tho law, v.hojc ready revolver and unerring nim sent jaoro than one outlaw, ur^hiiven, to his last account, while tho messes of the Associated I'icsb, Hying over the country on the wings of tho lii;htnin«, pcored one moro for brave Tom jloughtou, tho ecouiga and terror ot Ts'ew Mexican oaliawb. Genial and warm-hearted, with a smile ever as ready for a fi'ienJ as a fiown for a foe, Sheriff Houghton was for the time the most popular man in the country within a radius of a hundred miles. But Tom Houston's life had anothrr side. Down to the south of the town, a little removed from the wngon-rend, which at that time formed tho link of communication between Palmeo find the neighboring villaß", stood a small adobe house, facing the desolate plains. A rude brush fence formed ita sole environment, but a feeble attempt at adornment appeared in the ahapo of two forbidding specimens of cactus, which bmtl^d in tho depths of live gallon oil caua at either tide of the front door, and a pink goruniuin, blossoming against the tawdry but scrupulously olean laco curtains at tho window. "Through the glass pane« of the door a woman's .face, shrouded in a black shawl, was. sometimes seen by chance passers by. A quiet, shrinking little creature, tho offspring of a debased and degiaded race, anch' motherless from early childhood, hka many of her claaa she had become the plaything of vice before the meaning of virtue h&d dawned upon her. Stfe had made her advent in Ptilmeo alons with the horees r,nd dc.s and other chattels of a saloon-keeper, and ■wiien one day, in a fit of more than customary biutal rage, her quondam master had beaten and kicked and thrust her into tho street, Houghton had ohacced along, and, moved by her helplessness acd her toarc/ avowed himself her protector, and established her in tho littlo adobe. It was rumoured, however, that when his first chivalrous heat hid died away, he had been nearcely moro kind to her than her former loid, and although the tenets of his New 2'lugland manhood saved him from too degradation of striking a woman, he had treated her with a oold scorn, only less blighting in Us influenoe on a woman's boul. Asserting no claim to respect, a stranger to the awakening and elevating force of human lova, sho was like some faithful animal; pas* sively submitting to blows ok oaressoa in her blind devotion,

Whrn Ton Uoughtun had held the oMeoof sLrtifi in Palmeo eighteen ruontbs, niue "rnvnn iv tie desolate burying ground Lad ,ljen filfe-1 with victjiru of his unfailing arm. ' fhia somewhat w&o l c3ale slaughter of the crhnintil clasa comnjsrcsd to ba a suljeefc of '{.*rf.ro discussion amcng the sober n.ml eonfervativo citizen? of the place, and thoy ijjeslioned whether it would not bo wies, new shat tho town was becoming rcoite alllcrd to the civilized worid, to adopt gentler mea a nre3 for the suppression of crime. The knowledge rf th? 3 incipient recoil of pnbhe opinion m"l'iTed the roughs of the town to a bold and daring rcsolvo. To^i rioughtoi ehcnld pay wi'h his own blood fj? the nest oi their nzmbT who Ml by hi? fcvnd. Upon Houston himself, this relcnfleea execution or veAgeance upon the perpetrators of ciime, after the first valorous impulse to preserve the peace and safety of the commonly hadpa'Bed away, wa4 exerting itn inevitable and baleful influenc. Like the hwert soldier who engages ia co.rabit without thceanobling stimulus of a nation's need, fhe cvnei instincts of hh nature were developing to the exclusion of pentle and harmosJ^iag ttaita. An interregnum o; pcaea and inactivity eecmed to settle down up.jn Palrneo aboo& this time. For several ninths Honghton loafed around the steeds, disjrastfed wifh life and his calling, or in honra of confidence with his frionda threatened"!!} throw op altogsther a position which had bscoms a mere eiflecu*«. It was with a sentiment little short of absolute delight that ho atartea up one day at the announcement that a cowboy, fresh from the llio Grande, had arriwd m r&lmeo, and, fruo. to thi timo-hononrod cuntom, was proceeding to tjMa posfce?sioa of the town. Ilougbton dashed out into the street. A fusillade of shots re-echoed from the other end of tow'd, and tho clatter of a hofae's hoofß, drawing ne rer and nearer, soon brought into view a lough-loolJcg rider the inevitable snake around his hat, loaded to the brim with bad wniriky and evil pa^ions, flourishing ft A3volver in hid hand. Jaat as ho levcllsd the weapon at a woman running to hex house with a ehrieking child in her arms, » single repoit rang through (ho semmar air, and trie rowdy tnmblcd from the saddla and lay motionless in the dust, A coroner's jury was huitiedly impanelled, the csatamary verdiefc ronderci, and in less than three hours — they do fureh things txpeditiously in frontier towns — tne outlaw had added another to the graves in the fast growing populous esmetsry. The seeming apathy with which tkQ dead "rustler'a" frienda received tfea news of his hun-ied demise beded ill. There vrere none of the usud exclamations of •' Poor fellow. There was a heap of good in him, afljer all," or " Now, Tom voa might have lot him have Ins little fun. Ho wr.s only shooting up the town." To a less fearless soul than Tom Honghton'a fhe calm that succeeded would L^o appeared ominous. Bat Tom had no thought of danger, and would have wonted the suggestion. A few days later, aa the little Mexican woman drew her ehawl around her and, slipping through back street! and lanes made her way to the town well to fill her pail with water from its 000 l depths, she obeerved a oouple of rongh -looking fellows leaning BgaiaBti the curbing. This was not a Eutilcicntly uncommon occurrence to attraok h*r attention, bat a few words she caught arrested her. " Going out to sea the fun ? " " What's up ? " 11 Don't yoa knew ? The boy« hay« gob Hough-ton out in the hollott back of the Two-, milo House, and they say they'll roast him alive." The men have given no mora attention to the swarthy little woman, elowiy and painfully drawing the heavy bucket from the deep well, than if she were one of the dogs that roamed the streets. They did not pbserre how her hand shook M »he emptied its contents into her tin pail, nor how she tottered and swayed as if from Borne deadly physical we&kneas as aha mada her way across tho street and disappeared around a dorner. Once out of their sight, she dropped the pail on the ground and flow au if with winged fcef to whero blig Knew the county ofiicera were located, hitherto forbidden gronnd to her feet. She caught at tho arm of tho first man she met. " Oh, for tho lova of God" — she nsed an expression v/hosa cleaning she had never grtnprd until that moment — "savo him." The man was a etran»cr, just arrived from the East. He looked down upon her as upon some now and curious creation, whose type had failed to be presented to him heretofore. Ho turned to a friend who had just left hi 3 bidn : " Look hero, Burnham, What does all this menn ?" The gentleman he addressed was one of the country oflloials. He came quickly to the spot. " It is your sheriff — they have him down by the Two-mile House — do not wait, or it will be too late." She wrung her hands in a tearless anguish. " Fact, Cap," asserted a bystander. " Noi ten minutes ago some one came in and told Houghton there was^ a row at the Two mrlo Ilouse, and he went on alone — the cra^y fool.' 1 ! In his excitement he nought tho most natural relief— that of abusing the Bubject oE hi« anxiety. Tho Eastein man, eecrr tly somewhat elated at the opportunity th«»s afforded him of witneaping whftt promised to be co stirring a specimen of the tragioal episodes of frontier life, insisted upon accompanying the posse oS men speedily organized for the rescue. Ha witnessed with cxultat'on the Bhort, eharp decisive contest, and admired the cool courage of the man whom they found helplessly awaiting his fate at the hands of there modem brigands. The sun had long sunk below the southwestern horizon, but a glow in the Western Bky, that was like a lurid flame, cleaved tho gathering darkness and touched with mischievous fingers the various physiognomies oi the captuied roughs. There were faces, which, in their dusky tones and abandoned villany, reminded tho observer of a canvas of Velasquez ; others partook' of a certain rugged type which only missed the hsroic by having too great an infusion of tho brute ; whila a few would have been fair and prepofseesin";, but for certain tell-tale pendilings about tha eyes. Foiled in a terious purpose they were leady to treat tee whole aftair as a huge ]ol>e. As some of the men prepared pinon torches to light their way back to town, and tho prisoners were marshalled into line, the Eastern man turnsd to his friend : " Who is tho woman? — his wifo ?" " Not much." Tho speaker laughed carelessly, then added, in a grave tone, " One of those unfortuaato alliances so common throughout New Jleiico— unhallowed by eithev marriage, gaurament, or priest, which prevent a man from nuking an honest woman s hand in wedlock, and cut him entirely abof from family and friends." ' An undertone of irritation might havo been detected in tho gentleman's vcriec. A fine impression the oventa of this day would leave on the mind of this friend, a man of influence, who&o good will he had been striving fcoenlißfc in tho interest of their little town. Another ear caught the words. The color leaped like a flame into the wo-man'a cheek, and burned there a conaumijog firo. For the (net time in her life, n sense of what she had forfeited swept over hor in one great wave of agony. She drew her shawl about her head, half-hiding her faco iv the folds, and was stealing avay, when a hand detained her, nmi a voioo, altered from its customary tons

of command into a certain indefinable fcjfl. devrKPs, checked her. Toji Koogbton had b^en doing so»e hard thinkinc; in fee la«i heur. Outwardly calm acd collected, and resi?^d t« the wretched file before him, ths gfimpsa of this dusiey f<»*o over the bank of theiayinahad appealed to him like a symbol of hopo. " Doi'e go homo ytfc- I slis.ll be ready in a moiceat." " Not home. It is nut the?? lam going." Sao spoke wifa the quaint: prccUiorr acquired nt the ufo of a feneign tongue, bat tin undertone of pain did not escape his attention. "What doe» this mean?" Would yoa lea-ve 1113 ?" Tiaty hp.d passed enfc ci the hearing of tha rest, and Btcod, two dark figures, silhouetted against tho 'sunset cLy. " Oh, Tom, yoa know— you mast know," moaned the jjirl, drawing her breath in short, hard gasp 1 ?, like ecrna bort oreAture panting awny its life blood. Sh« reached enb her hand and grasped the bow ef a low, apreadiDg mpggiiife, naLninc'ial of the thorns which ploughed fclicir way into her fiVsh. " I am not "like otb^r woraop, the wives of your friecdf — Hot any honest vonjaß— o God in hesT«a I It is .1 tharaeful thing that I em.' W« atari live like this no loagei. I will go far away. Tom, tell mo it is noc f iacV ebe cried £tajieriHß'y. He had listened to her, rLartled and diltDftyccJ. To him is s^inM as though his etiflsd conscience ba3 tahen voice and form, and confronted him in accusation. "It ia Itup, ' ho eaid, f-lowly and gravely, " bat the E^n ia mine, not yours. I knew, ©o back to tue hou^o," he added, gtntly. " Yon have a ri<?ht flisro. I will st&y aw ay." She heard him &a one hearksas i» a Toic« remote and f»r way. The ba T riors wbicb tht sudden consciousness of »fcatne had raised bet.veen the two sccinad to bare placed then anintinile distance apart. L?bbwoj» deliberate aeqoie?cen«? than a bijudi instioot of obedience, she turned and w&'ked slowly is the direction of town. The man stood and wafctbeci hsr until the sound of Ket ligbi'foetfall h?.d died ai7E*y. AU that uight and che ncit day she rem&iati lying on the bed, wich hoy vate hi^dea io fk« pillow, or crept to th« aoi.it to it««l farthe glances down to tho ro*cl, in the fealf hope of MSing ft weH-knci*7n flgara approaching. Bui ooTy the dusty oioud wfeioh told of a paesitsj h»r«man or the oanopi<?4 v?sgoe-top.-) of a Mfliienu train from over the range pveeted her £efp«fring vieion. Late in tbe «h« tuddenljr roused frons hsr lcthßrcy, iiftßng her head with r ista-tleA look, ts :i though iome rabtl« curreat of consniimication ft tbrilfiirg rerelatioa had come to h«r. Pasing to & sitting posture, and iestiDg her forehead ia ths palm of her hand, hor oy«s aBdem6d a ftraway look, and she seamed la%t in reflecfien. Then she went to d little «be«t ojr the «*h«r Fide of tha rooro— a carions box of dark foreign wood, its corner bound with m«tal. Unlocking i*, ehe took vab a fsJeA lawn drcMi ef fine texture, ao einbroideied collar *f dainty rtecdlework, and a small gold pin with a circlet of pearls in the ccr're— sn«r«d relics of tho dead mother, which, throwgh the hardships of a referable life, eha had faithfully preserve*!. She laid L«>x check for a moment agninat the peft fo!H« of the dtvsi, as « iata her hcr.rt had beoa lorn a new yearning far the yonrg mothev whoso fa«o h«*l 'ong ago faded from hor ra.xnor/. ■Wasbtn" tho fcear rt&ina from le^r 'ass, ed« combed out her long hair, arrangiOg it wilh the moat gerupnlovH ease. Arrayed in th« cool, cheer dreas, with the delicitc collar *nd simple pin at her threat, ehe seemed the embodiment d womar.ly purity and modesty. For an instant her fiund hoyc-red doubtfuny OTcr one of tho pink geranium blossomi ia tho window, when she diaw it suddenly back, as if skvng anew by somo rankling remembranco; r Rpatk of color leaped into her oheek which rivalled the crimson heart of the blo"Hom, and her dark hsir remained without any ornament cave its own glossy laptro. fitting beaidn tV« window, her head inclined slightly torwJiil >h nn attitudo of listening, tho honi-s t'ra^evl by. She heard the :umble of hay- wagons and the sharp cry of Mexican drivers aa they urged the unwillling oxon along the scorching road. The crack of a hunter's rifle resounded through the 6til!neti«, and a gre&J heron, with crippled winj?, soared past bar window, {shortly after a paity of horsempn gailfjpid ewiftly by ia the direction of the plain*. As the day waned, tuid othrr round* ceased, the load, shrill cry cf a locust fell upon the air. As tho suu sank behind a distant mountain range, gilding its crest with a* puipaeaing glory, hoi' intrnt ear cuviht a famil'^r sound. Her VD-y breath eosmed Bti!?ed ai =ho to the wdl Uncuri treLd.no longer nearing the hou.e contJ'n,ly fud stealthily, but each footfall u git.g distinctly rpon tho ground, approft-.'vnjj In the bold c?ntciou3Eees of tn honest piupcse. ' She had beut her head forwaid, and did not raise it ac he opened tho door and walked straight to her Bida. 110 did not oficr to ktas tho drooping face, or ewn to lay his hand with ca\es?ina touch upon her shoulder; but as siie looked up hi» ey«a mat hers with a pure and steady light. " Da you know what I hate esme for ? " " Yes. ' Her voica waa lite a bxeath. Hi gar.cd long anS gaarchingly into he* uptuxnod f».e* before ha spoke again. A singular and stauling ohange b»d piuiwd over it in the la&t twenty -four hour»v I?he dwarfed and stunted s*n), in tho traTttl of pain, had unfolded it? patali to the tigb*, Mid he? dark ej93 were lar*xnou3 with the light of a pire, womanly love. "Then come." Bhc rose to her feot, r»»d as skc stood befoie him & wavo of emotion passed orer her features, and trantiormed them—the glad rejoicuig of the woman in the triumph of her lover's manhood. There wrb n small gathering of peeple ia th§ eoiiiraon church of^the place. Some rumor of the approaching ceremony had spread abrond, and, rooyed by Tariotn impulses, different ones had Btrolled to the sanctuary. The pa* or, a gray-bearded man, performed hia offices with unusual gravity, and aa the b/idal p«ir left tbe altar, many bent e»i, r «rly forwaid to wonder at tha sweet solemnity of thf woman's face and the proud serenity of tho man, A little child ran forward and thrust a small banch of flowers into tf&o bride's hand— a poor little clustor^of blo^Boms, coaxed from tho desert soil •with infinite labor and caie. The little one wandmd at tho sucldeu j^ush of tears that rewarded hia gift, And the passionate Usi which tho ivouian, Suddenly stooping down, loft on his lrttlo face. 2\c*r the door stood ft Btrauger, tho 11.is.ieru viritor who had 10 6Uenli'.\' 7 y Mewed tho piocrcdJngS of the previous night. Nf w to tho habits and characteristics of the community, he was reeeptir* to much that gassed unheeded bj tijosewnom oustom had made callous. He had uncovered bis head at tho approach of the bridal oonple, and, as hia calm gaze fall upon tho young eboriff, tho laker xead in bis eyes a tribute and a benison. Flokv rf.vrxni Arr«XTi,ia the drgonnttt.

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