The Mesa Trail

thickly; it is a yellowish ribbon of road, sweeping over the gigantic mesa toward Santa Fé and the sweetly glowin

a jerky series of advances and pauses; as it crept along its intermittent course, the wo

h boxes and luggage; certain of the boxes were marked "Explosives-Handle With Care!" Prominent among th

eole of silver. The woman herself was of strikingly large frame and great in girth; her arms, bare to the elbows, were huge in size. Yet this giantess was not unheal

ew, with manifest enjoyment, at an old brown corncob pipe. Above her firm lips and beak-like nose a pair of blue eyes struck out gaily and keenly

ough the innards, maybe she'd quit sunfishin' on me! I'm goin' to sell her to Santy Fé sure's shooting; I'll get me a pair

er pipe and peering out from the side of the dusty w

quarely in the centre of the road showed up a dark, motionless blotch. It was the figure of a man lying as though asleep. No m

rate man it went leaping forward as though impelled by vindictive spite to run over the motionless figure. The woman swore savagely

down at the man, then leaned forward and turned the unfortunate vagrant

reflectively. "Ain't d

took upon her ample lap the head of the senseless man. A sudden deftness became man

ps of the vagrant, "but it ain't the first time Mehitabel Crump has broke law

st she surveyed the sl

g locks of iron-gray hair hung about his ears. His features were careworn and haggard, yet in them lingered some indefinable suggestion of fine lines

ensely black eyes, of the

h a deep intonation, a roundness of the vowels, a clarity of accent. "As I

se pretty soon. Many's the time I've seen Crump keeled over, and come to with h

e flivver. Presently she returned with a slab of cold

e to sit up, and he clutched at the food feverishly

ion. To the full as worldly wise as any person in broad New Mexico, the woman asked no questions as yet; sh

ratted car, it sure would be something else, which same it is. Damned good

avenously, but drank sparingly. Not

of-luck Easterner, possibly a lunger. He was fifty or so; with decent clothes, a shave, and a haircut, he might be a striking-looking

t Injuns, greasers, and rattlers, any one of which is worse'n the other two. These rocks is playin' hell with my tires and th

ted eyes. She gazed out at the snowy, sun-flooded Sangre de Cristo peaks and continued her soliloquy. When it suited her

devilment, claim jumpers to rob ye, and such. But now the Injuns is all towerist peddlers, the greasers is called 'natives' and runs the courts an' legislature, and gun toting ain't popu

o her pipe, broke the

changes. Yes, and I bet he'd swear to see me driving one of them contraptions yonder! Poor Crump, I never had the heart to dig him up, though it was a right sma

the devouring stranger. Abr

as Abel Dorales, him what's half greaser and half Mormon, or old Sandy Mackintavers, what come straight from Scotland to Arizony and made a forchin in thirty years of thieving! Y

hing, he wiped his lips with the frayed cuff of his sleeve. Then he disentangled his long legs and rose. One hand

Madam, I thank you! In me you behold one who has received the plaud

Her voice was suddenly acid, her blue eyes ice. The ot

ntalembert I have made known to thousands the aspiring genius of the immortal Avonian bard.

new Mormon sect. I knowed a man of your name down to Silver City twelve year back; this Thady Shea was a good f

embarrass Mr. Shea, but he took a fresh sta

in of Thespis. You behold in me the first tragedian of the age. My Hamlet, madam, has been praised by

Mrs. Crump, her eyes ominous. "So you're

s what?" faltered Shea, s

up like a balloon. Now, don't you get gay with me, savvy? Don't come none o' that high-falutin' talk with m

m, he might have read in them a look that did not corres

eary and hopeless sadness welled in his eyes; the sadness of one who beholds around him the wreckage of all his little world, b

now less than the very dust. Your harshness is justified. At this time yesterday

quor, since this here state an' nation ain't particularly wet

e whiskey trail; it has led me-here. Yesterday I came into Albuquerque, starving. At the railroad station, amid some-er-confusion, I encountered a company of

capitalized thes

y arose, I know not how; I found myself ignominiously ejected from the train. I walked

d Mrs. Crump, betray

ving and desperate. I-I stole fruit a

ay, staring at the snowy peaks

ly, glancing at the yellow ribbon of road over which she had so recently com

Her hand swung him about as though he were a child. His eyes widened in surprise upo

id, bluntly, "h

he mumbled in

ed out, I come near throwin' up the sponge; but I got to fightin' and I been fightin' ever since, and here I am! Now

d, controlled by her per

toward her dust-white flivver. "Get in and don't say a word, savvy? One thing about you, ye can be trusted-which

the sheriff, jack-knifed his l

shioned revolver, which she began to burnish with seeming absorption. The big automob

is' Crump! Hello, old-time

e and vigorous man who ad

" said Mrs. Crump. "Thought I recognized

I needn't ask-why, you g

his county, Sam? Why don't ye get

ff waved

que-a hobo and sneak thief name o' Shea. Where ye been keepin' yourself, ma

re years than I care to reckon up. And you know me, I guess! Now, Sam, I sure

riff in the stomach. For a moment he gazed into he

zy, ma'am?"

d weapon, then lowered h

here and now. Set down an