his face; her name's "Ruth," after Edson's sweetheart. The mare is as
splendid as a picture; pure blood, an' her speed an' bottom is the
wonder of the army. Usual a hoss is locoed by the smell of blood, but
it don't stampede this Ruth; an' she stays thar with him as still an'
tender as a woman, an' with all the sorrow in her heart of folks. As
Edson rubs her nose with his weak hand an' pets her, he asks me to take
this Ruth back to his sweetheart with all his love.

"'"Which now I'm goin'," he whispers, "no one's to mention that
eepisode of the Pecos an' the little Mexican girl of Plaza Chico!"

"'Edson is still a moment; an' then after sayin' "Good-by," he lets on
that he desires me to leave him alone with the mare.

"'"I'll give Ruth yere a kiss an' a extra message for my sweetheart,"
he says, "an' then I'll sleep some."

"'I camps down outside the 'doby an' looks up at the moon an' begins to
let my own thoughts go grazin' off towards Texas. It's perhaps a
minute when thar's the quick _crack_! of a six-shooter, an' the mare
Ruth r'ars up an' back'ard ontil she's almost down. But she recovers
herse'f an' stands sweatin' an' shiverin' an' her eyes burnin' like she
sees a ghost. Shore, it's over; pore Edson won't wait; he's got to his
guns, an' thar's a bullet through his head.'"

THE END.