296 



RECREATION 



the crowd. He was the first to accept 

 Juan's invitation to shake hands and 

 make acquaintance with Juanita, which 

 gave him much conceit of himself as a 

 man of audacious courage, for Johnny, 

 in spite of his war-like, self-chosen 

 pseudonym, was notoriously the most 

 harmless person in the ancient pueblo. 



It was Bill Earhart, .the tall Texan 

 deputy sheriff, who instigated all the 

 mischief. "She's sure sociable," said 

 Bill. "Let's introduce her to Stonewall 

 Jackson. I 'low he'd be mighty proud 

 to make her acquaintance if he ain't 

 too woozy to know where he's at. Say, 

 hombre ! (to a Mexican) you busque 

 around and find that disgraceful old 

 sot. Rustle up Stonewall, sabe !" 



1 'Sta bueno," replied the Mexican 

 with a comprehending grin as he moved 

 away. 



"William," said Tom Gable reprov- 

 ingly, "as postmaster and chairman of 

 the county committee, I feel it my duty 

 to rebuke your frivolous allusions in 

 the presence of strangers, and one of 

 'em a lady, to our most prominent and 

 popular citizen. Stonewall keeps this 

 town from getting mildewed with 

 ongwee. His weakness isn't unique, 

 and you know he is his own worst 

 enemy, as the editor of the Weekly 

 Rodeo says when one of us cashes in 

 with the D. T v .'s. 



"Can't see it that way a-tall, Tom. 

 Stonewall's habits is sure bad, but his 

 worst enemy, I reckon, is Johnny 

 Shryock, of the Bon Ton, who in- 

 veigles him into mixing beer and cock- 

 tails. That's what makes Stonewall 

 hostyle to the human race when he's het 

 up." 



Commotion in the doorway of the 

 Bon Ton ensued, and the crowd hast- 

 ily divided, disclosing a man in a white 

 apron striving to push out of the saloon 

 a belligerent and dilapidated Angora 

 buck, whose fleece hung in matted 

 masses from his sides nearly to the 

 ground, and whose formidable horns 

 were held by the struggling Mexican. 

 The buck was Stonewall Jackson, drunk 

 and disorderly and truculently ready to 



tackle anything from a big fagot-laden 

 burro to a 'dobe wall. 



A vigorous shove of the saloon- 

 keeper's foot from behind completed 

 the eviction, the Mexican tumbled back- 

 ward into the street, and, with a bel- 

 ligerent blaat, Stonewall shook his 

 horns free and charged over the Mexi- 

 can straight at Juanita. There was no 

 restraining chain or rope on Juanita, 

 and she fell upon all fours and fled 

 down the street, pursued by Stonewall 

 Jackson and Bill Earhart's shrill rebel 

 yell. Juan whistled and called in vain, 

 the crowd shouted and there was more 

 tumult than the ancient and somnolent 

 pueblo had known since the Indians 

 drove out the padres more than two 

 hundred years ago. 



Pistol Johnny's team was proof 

 against any ordinary excitement, but 

 the sight and smell of bear were out of 

 the ordinary, and the dependable old 

 hack horses ran away when the chase 

 passed them. They ran up the street 

 through the crowd and knocked down 

 Juan, who was so intent upon Juanita's 

 plight that he failed to get out of the 

 way. Juan's leg was broken, and it was 

 agreed that he should be taken to the 

 hospital and repaired at public cost, 

 Earhart taking the doctor's bill upon 

 himself as instigator of the trouble. 



Juan's chief anxiety was for the care 

 of Juanita, who was roped and led back 

 after a fortuitous cowboy had headed 

 off Stonewall Jackson. "Will some- 

 one take my bear and feed her until I 

 get well?" pleaded Juan. "She is one 

 beast much gentle and without evil. I 

 have no money but these few pieces of 

 silver, which the caballeros bestowed 

 upon me and Juanita, yet I will promise 

 to pay when I can. She is a good bear." 



Trimble, the butcher, big and power- 

 ful, though gaunt as men of the arid 

 land grow, allowed that he " sabed " 

 bears a whole lot and would undertake 

 to provide board and lodging for Juan- 

 ita, and he led her away to his corral. 



Trimble did "sabe" bears generally, 

 but he did not know Juanita, nor did 

 he repose perfect confidence in her amia- 



