Part 18 (2/2)
”_Buenas noches hombre!_”
And somebody answered: ”_Buenas tardes senor!_”
Then talk began in Spanish. ”Can a feed of corn be bought here for the horse? He arrives from Grave City.”
”What news of the gringoes?”
”_Muchos._ El Senor Don Rex has been shot.”
”Don Rex has been murdered?”
”No, it was a fight. It must be understood that his son, Don Santiago----”
”What, El Chico?”
”Yes, El Chico 'Jim,' had a feud against the very rich Senor Ryan. He hired ladrones from the north, the Robbers' Roost Gang it is called, to murder Senor Ryan. It seems the ladrones wore masks, and they were led by a young robber named Curly, for whom great rewards are offered--two thousand pesos d'oro, dead or alive.”
”What a reward!”
”Yes, El Chico and this Curly led the robbers, and they attacked Senor Ryan in the 'Sepulchre' saloon. El Chico killed Senor Ryan himself, and wounded Miguel his son. There are many witnesses, and a warrant is out against Don Santiago for that murder. I saw the warrant.”
”But you say Don Rex was killed?”
”He also; many others were killed in the battle. Curly shot Louisiana and another also. Then these ladrones escaped from the city.”
”But the population!”
”You judge well, corporal--the population followed. There was riding!”
”And yet these ladrones escaped?”
”So, except El Chico and Curly, the two leaders. The posse caught them near Las Salinas.”
”And got the great reward--two thousand pesos d'oro!”
”But wait. These two caballeros would not submit, but fought and killed a lot more citizens; yes, even escaped. They reached the iron-way which runs down towards Bisley, and there again they fought terribly. Then the big posse chased them clear through to the boundary-line.”
”They were not caught!”
”They fired the desert!”
”Car-r-amba!”
”Yes, stampeded a hundred riders! You must have seen the fire at dawn this morning.”
”Todos Santos! That was El Chico Santiago disguised as a _vaquero_?”
”Yes, and Curly as a farm boy--you saw them?”
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