Cattle Brands | Page 4

Indian
walked over to the corner of the cabin, and in the presence of other
Indians laid this gold, in plain sight of all, on the end of a log that
projected where they cross outside, and got on his horse to be gone six
weeks. They made the trip on time, and my father said his first thought,
on their return to the Indian village, was to see if the money was
untouched. It was. You couldn't risk white folks that way."
"Oh, I don't know," said one of the boys. "Suppose you save your
wages this summer and try it next year when we start up the trail, just
to see how it will work."
"Well, if it's just the same to you," replied Port, lighting a fresh cigar,
"I'll not try, for I'm well enough satisfied as to how it would turn out,
without testing it."
"Isn't it strange," said Bat Shaw, "that if you trust a man or put
confidence in him he won't betray you. Now, that marshal--one month
he was guarding money at the risk of his life, and the next was losing
his life trying to rob some one. I remember a similar case down on the
Rio Grande. It was during the boom in sheep a few years ago, when
every one got crazy over sheep.
"A couple of Americans came down on the river to buy sheep. They
brought their money with them. It was before the time of any railroads.
The man they deposited their money with had lived amongst these
Mexicans till he had forgotten where he did belong, though he was a
Yankee. These sheep-buyers asked their banker to get them a man who
spoke Spanish and knew the country, as a guide. The banker sent and
got a man that he could trust. He was a swarthy-looking native whose
appearance would not recommend him anywhere. He was accepted,
and they set out to be gone over a month.
"They bought a band of sheep, and it was necessary to pay for them at a
point some forty miles further up the river. There had been some
robbing along the river, and these men felt uneasy about carrying the
money to this place to pay for the sheep. The banker came to the rescue
by advising them to send the money by the Mexican, who could take it
through in a single night. No one would ever suspect him of ever
having a dollar on his person. It looked risky, but the banker who knew
the nature of the native urged it as the better way, assuring them that
the Mexican was perfectly trustworthy. The peon was brought in, the

situation was explained to him, and he was ordered to be in readiness at
nightfall to start on his errand.
"He carried the money over forty miles that night, and delivered it
safely in the morning to the proper parties. This act of his aroused the
admiration of these sheep men beyond a point of safety. They paid for
the sheep, were gone for a few months, sold out their flocks to good
advantage, and came back to buy more. This second time they did not
take the precaution to have the banker hire the man, but did so
themselves, intending to deposit their money with a different house
farther up the river. They confided to him that they had quite a sum of
money with them, and that they would deposit it with the same
merchant to whom he had carried the money before. The first night
they camped the Mexican murdered them both, took the money, and
crossed into Mexico. He hid their bodies, and it was months before they
were missed, and a year before their bones were found. He had plenty
of time to go to the ends of the earth before his crime would be
discovered.
"Now that Mexican would never think of betraying the banker, his old
friend and patron, his muy bueno amigo. There were obligations that he
could not think of breaking with the banker; but these fool sheep men,
supposing it was simple honesty, paid the penalty of their confidence
with their lives. Now, when he rode over this same road alone, a few
months before, with over five thousand dollars in money belonging to
these same men, all he would need to have done was to ride across the
river. When there were no obligations binding, he was willing to add
murder to robbery. Some folks say that Mexicans are good people; it is
the climate, possibly, but they can always be depended on to assay high
in treachery."
"What guard are you going to put me on to-night?" inquired old man
Carter of Baugh.
"This outfit," said Baugh,