The Religious Life of the Zu?i Child

t down to business as soon as you meet. But that ain't no equal chance for both. The man th

ot. But even this way is open to objections. While both may be equally brave an' determined, one may be blamed nervous, lik

that will give both a perfectly equal show for life, let both be put in a narrow hole in the ground that they can't git out of, th

his black eyes narrowed and glittered balefully

" and the hard lines of the scarred face softened into a look of infinite longing a

uth of Rocky Arroyo. Mr. Allison was not dilating upon a theory. On the contrary, he was eminently a man of practice, especially in the matters of which he was speaking. Indeed he was probably

greater part of his time in thinning out the social weeds that are apt to grow quite too luxuriantly for the general good in new Western settlements. His work was not done as an officer of the law either. It was rath

d the passion until it became a mania. The louder the bullets wh

ally carried a chivalry so far as to warn the doomed man, a week or two in advance, of the precise day and hour when he might expect to die. And as Mr. Allison was known to be most scrupulous in standing to his word, and as the victim knew there was no chance of a re

essary trouble that they frequented trails he was known to travel, and lay sometimes for hours and days awaiting him, making themselves as comfortable as possible in the meantime behind some convenient boulder or tall nopal, or in the shady recesses

meet them where and when and how they pleased. It was all the same to him. To avoid annoying legal

as chiefly through Mr. Allison's industry and accurate marksmanship that their numbers were reduced below a convenient working m

constituted a feature of the Cimarron bar and were the pride of its proprietor. The next manoeuvre in the game was a proposition by Mr. Allison that they retire to the dining-room and have some oysters. Unable to

lemen at dinner seemed oddly indifferent to its delicacies, nervously gulped dow

resist: he grabbed the pistol lying in his lap and raised it quickly, but in doing so he struck the muzzle beneath the edge of the table, causing an ins

eds of cowboys who were paid off there. This money had to be kept in Dodge at any cost. Usually the boys were easy game. What money the saloons failed

forced levies as unreasonably heavy. A pitched battle on the streets resulted. Many of the boys were young an

of Dodge's most active citizens had been removed from their field of usefulness. For

heir work well done, the three men came out of hiding, kicked and cursed him, shot two or three more holes in him, and rode back to town. But Allison, who had not even lost consciousness, had recognized them. A few hours later the driver of

, he finally admitted that he felt it a duty to hunt down the men who had ambushed hi

watching the habits of his adversary. From the knowledge thus gained he was able one morning suddenly to turn a street corner and confront Number One. Without the least suspicion that Allison was in the country, the man, knowing that his life hung by a thread, jerked his

oroners and juries, so the fighting was half fair. Half an hour after landing from the stagecoach, Allison encountered his man

im relentlessly from place to place through half a dozen States and

e was killed under him. This occasioned him no particular inconvenience, however, for he found that Number Three

settled at Pope's Crossing on the Pecos River, in New Mexico, bought cattle, and st

to rock along without any of the elaborate municipal machinery deemed essential to the government and safety of urban commun

ng of boys from the "Hash Knife" outfit were in town; fearing circumscription of some of their privileges, the election did not have their approval. Gleaming out of th

e room bearing him a message he had no trouble in reading. Rushing out into the darkness, he spent the night in the brush, and toward morning boarded an east-b

eople used to sleep on the floor of Van Slyke's store with bags of grain piled round

e not abused; they were simply ignored. When not otherwise occupied, the average Pecosite had too much whittling on hand to find time to "'tend me

sful. One Tuesday morning about ten o'clock he walked into the Lone Wolf Saloon, laid two pistols on the end of the bar next the front door, and remarked to Red

egan to assemble his congregation. The first comer was Billy Jansen, th

inside? Religious services will be held here sh

as a gesture that made Billy think going to church wou

and made to enter the saloon. The least furtive movement to draw a gun or to approach the back door received prompt attention from the impromptu evangelist t

r by singin' 'Shall We Gather at the River?' Of course we're already gathered, bu

knew any hymn, much less this one. Only three or

ar as anybody could si

we'll pray. E

nt frontier type were unaccustomed to dictation. However, a slight narrowing of the cold black eyes and a significant s

that when they gits caught in the final round-up an' drove over the last divide, they don' stan' no sort o' show to git to stay on the heavenly ranch 'nless they believes an' builds a house to pray an' preach in. Right here I subscribes a hundr

he proper way. An' one thing I want You to understan'; Clay Allison's got a fast horse an' is tol'able handy with his rope

and while his attitude was one of simple supplication, Mr.

an' I want a little more of it

r sheepishly owned knowing "

sermon wa

O' course, as a square man I'm boun' to admit the Bible tells some pow'ful queer tales, onlike anythin' we-'uns strikes now days. Take that tale about a fish swallerin' a feller named Jonah; why, a fish 't could swaller a man 'od have to be as big in the barrel as the Pecos R

dmit that only two or

hear me, an' mind you don' forget it's Clay Allison talkin' to you: I tells you that when that thar fish had done swallerin' Jonah, he swum aroun' fer a hull hour lookin' to see if thar was a show to pick up any o' Jonah's family or friends. Now wh

n was unnecessary;

ed Dick passed the hat among the congregation for a subscription to build a church, the contribution was general and generous. Many who early in the meeting were full of rage over the restraint,

e local spring styles in six-shooters and bowie knives, and settled the hash of anybod

quarrelsome, he hunted up McCullough, called him every abusive name he could think of before a crowd, and then suggested that if he did not like it he might s

oods' store, tied his horse, and went in. Approaching the group of

men tell me if a gentl

town, an' where

en in the store an hour bef

lked out of the door, o

Allison, an' ef it is

ad known him years before, and that Jep had better quit town or say his pray

ut on the street Allison met a party of eight men, a crowd Clayton had gathered, and repeated his inquiry. A man stepped out

Didn't you meet Mr. Mc

es

abuse him

yes,

me an invite to

on; I was drunk. It was whiskey talkin'; nothin' m

here and get some whiskey an' see if it won't set you goin' again.

ntil those who had admired him slunk away in disgust, and those who had feared him laug

es, and glittering black eyes held him cowed. The

er disgust, All

meet a gun fighter. I find you such a cur that if ever

in-law, Grant Tinnin, one of the quiet good men of the c

the camp-fire. "Of course I know I can't keep up this sort o' thing; some one's sure to get

te had decreed other

a with him that his best friend could never feel entirely safe against his deadly temper; the least difference might provoke a collision. McCullough was therefore not greatly surprised to

en drinking heavily and had whiskey with him. About half-way between town and the ranch

ed Allison; "mighty h

don' mind the heat; I'

ram

ded. I don't see why you should sit up there roasting in the sun an' me down here in the shade o' the hack. We'll jes' even

o' you, Mr.

y, George, it's C

was made withou

ends lay in ambush all that day and far into the night, wi

nd heat, Allison was nodding drowsily, when suddenly a protruding mesquite root gave the wagon a sharp jolt th