A STRANGER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 8 May 1912, Page 42

A STRANGER.

By

AMBROSE BIERCE.

C T g I ACS? x --.nttJ { - *- ?jr ’-*• — ~ '.•3.’T-- - ±r* ni \ * reek. \ . •> Br-i :i-r ’.-. *.*?*" w 7-.-5 - - ’ - .. .. ’ lie:*.’ '•• 1— ’. •** AXip- L > - . - bi ;• .la . .1 %--< a- xt-i -eew. besad? - ... - _• - - _ - A- Z.iese ; !•* OKst hdfete JMK& Xl - ■• ' . . -. . . ■ I - _ _ tha~ --<y am ’? »ar halt-d*. , xen • ' . _ - - *3d p-i’.i-;* 1 . i •. t exp-rs-satT cl. Th 1 - dehbe ru.ze. 'ii;it.*?**• •!•-•- ‘.tie -ii w ‘ -•; 1 - _ - ■; '■ be.-y a. - I*-- f-.-se-i zi Sa - iwm ■ -j* l •• cit: ■;- r-ix-ZZed. W-* w<*» prespeetiasr. and : <.us «.-=»■: itentic-.-x f s he - ■-■ - •. ■ _ ■ K go i :Raai b -'LiVy-. W..tssai Sfcarw. *• — rge W K*-n;. xad Hh* 3Lin ’’»SH*3Lt4*d th** nXEBe* «4Owiy »*r«i i's-’lltly. a- .: 1c _.x them la zhe -■ - ’ Wr : w : j -I sis sow atteativeXy ob»e ■ _

• * ' — . £ ; -. -t •»

~ •“ ' _ . ' puHMfes somewhere eb the darkwes? that seewred to eorroso ws the a bfae« wait la the manner of this vahtatec.* histeriaa wa* iv of ja n.athat ■?: « harmless hraaz c thxa an enes»y. We were wot so bow to the x- act i’i kssrw what the «e»i--7 try Ls* ez san a plaras start had a wadeoey to de*<<p eeeewtr sei t ies er : • -- • fri-cu 4.m“i-<~_ A maa hk- a tree —rn a * .-f - - _ • ■ ’’ 2---■'■r’T; laX <Ere<e**s a»i t>. r".,-'.• > ’’a.i' e~- " _ ' - - -—■ ■ ~ ■ rke~*» _7i th* heart i desen? . . - - ■ -■ I ;..'h rhklu i 11 T.' • Apce-Arifcee: that w*-u2*i ce x ■Ji’ifif t:• d-~ Uic'.i - ' ii.».:-- ; v. i'l.T - 'E?.':wii.r- ?“rj!»x-’y • - - r ’’- -- 1 - ' >• -■» - - . _ • - ' ' '■-• ■» re jj.«l h-i-A he ■ * k-il: x:i=l •**'.** I :ry e: J?. sav ►.« v n . :he pcwer? -.: :h - ri R t - ■ - ’ - - _'• ■ _ --7 - • .- - ■ sa - .. ■ • > 1.-:*. “h**i -sh-ii : •- iK--ar. T±er * • 1 '-• 1 . - , a rui ;a rh* 1 a 3*l aeir - - i>> s-f “ san ;.-■ i- ’. - e-.: - j«*we Ts** «fcr£a: st-* sirc-«g>y. But wi'isa a w»*fe tin* pur7<.sfej.<£ t&e eis-e- : -n. 2...1 j?.si'»-d <&seWttj «M wealth to »f EtPe. haj goa.* ’■•?>:■ £*r ; ■ g.? f*>< wKas wi. 2"uKi be tkia ira.-it was S»htj sti-jhe.t e-o. by » sat ~. ivetL' ftkiiias aa4 tabrat : ~ ■ -

•eHes by day as Vest «e eaoH. SoaeU*es. iiwxr e-ahaastcd aur -ncypTy «i wsM seat *n>X eaiotiea ear eusk*. we were day< wstbeu: feed or drink; tbea a water b.-Ae, or a -*baHo-w peel in the be-ttos ef aa arroyo, so restored snr strength aad saaity that we were *»4e

“A-< i J- r ~ »- -y*-.!

: J _ "•* L; Lt ~ i. S A - A — th-l t Ti* 3>. t-ie-j-ed: were r±txL- — - ..... as w? skirted a w>—tiin —age. _ w>'. we w—e nttaeSaSi by a bond of Aptfc-r* wi? ifcid rVFowed ».xir traii up a i'llelt- —i.: ■- a-Ju far frost kere. fCa«yw- ■ fit: they <> xfca—ibered ns tea t<? • ■ -. th- 1 / z.- k u,_ ae <f their cQw- ■ .1- .; -v. lr iig And yeitag- Fishtinst was ’- r u" «£ the ; we nrgrd ear ieebte j ’.- up the as far as the-- ta? : r-.-r a b‘»t. then threw - - the Lufeparral va vae -. f tW s^k^je- 1 . c-.-rr entire out St to the enemy. R-it t-* retaiaetE -t? rides. every - W. Kent. and Berry Davi-.- " - ’ '■ <■ r --a: tarty He was as Easter® man. untAaal: .er th rhe _ - A T j I frc-fla wtr -kies hrns. _ • - * - - ‘ _ 1 —A. A3*es 1.-* treJ. dkE*l •< ! n.e -f them mn ap the ■■e;; ,id the p« -Lkr At whiea we hid lett it. etttt ast off farther retreat in tb.it ■Lzr' j --ti''-tt aad .- ' • we ‘-a t*> r ie -l»te. Unfortr-inatelv the eaap**rril extended *aly a raort uisianee u& the ge iad we eA-ne Larta the «>pefi j£T«Mi3«£ .i-’r-e- 1 we took tie ire «>j a 4 jea -itfe-- but stawt b&dky when ‘i a h-irry. A~r*i -o wilted it i iat n*.«ae *»£ w* seii- Twenty yard- up t v■*•••• r at i*’ whiv-h. dsrettaty a fr-n" ef »*. wa- a aarn.- v •- •enin- - . - . a j- -ra a- fa’ l .'?- 1 j- m «>rimAry room in a b*x»se. Here. f.;r a time, we _ A ’.Au e man vlt L A -►* ./♦* A t-iij; r.de l-'-a-t r-ie entrance Ajtainst til the k .v i,— sa »be ; .kid. Bet Jkpxinet asm : i..r-c w.e aa>l no deienee. ♦ oh -AA«* A- . iuul. »*it A«:pe UA- A memory. “N t • !■•* vt fid-Ui-? i‘l A -ee. but by the *m- S.e And - ■■ v k.t ;Ew< ’ar r*’»-4 - 4e- 7‘A «’ie etiyj •>.' the —kie> -bjt if we sna-ie a Mrtie not a dkmi «*.* <- a hike fo r.ik* "wo "iiep.-* : n- rh,. .v e<i. F r -\ree .Uy*. in trir-K *e held out set- re .._• -wtfTerMi/ Fo«mn«o i 3 .otor<-rtable Then—it a as the ni , - n ~ . . j > w f.-.ir h day — Eanudi s *l- -- ’A >•

• *SMreres. I kwow wot w«H of tbe gvod <-o-i xwd wha< piease biw. I hare trie wit Wet reit*>o_ xwri 1 xm xc€ attaint with that of yoer Pardew, aewores. if 1 shock you. bat for me th« time » to beat the ease at tbw Apache.*

“Hr kwelt a:-«: '.i’s r»:-<-k « f tne - - tear pie. Mad re de is said, '•cv.aees »•>-« the w*.x£? e-f Rajsuoti i “Asd s«j fte left — WiHaawi W. Ksnz r Ferry Du-.i-. “I »as the : ?■ xas ter me to speak. “He wa- x Wx’se I 'he knew when to xn-i s<-v. lz is fcc-iisa to *♦> mad ire®, thir-.t fall b;< A&ar&e boßet< c-f Le skiinaed aßw—lt js n Ta.t tJust--. Let ss Jc: ■ RxEnesJ ■“'That is <-xl4 >V-'Tia.xL SFia’y. “Thxt is f s’ •■£ TIT. Kewt. ** tie Haros *.-c Rasioa _ - - -1 Sr* Then WilL-Aia sisi? I ?ih'<r.sf tike to l<?ok Hx.e that —a Ht£2e whSe* And €seiwge W. Seat saM that he felt that way. t»w. i devils wifi wait a week. WiHxa® Shav 171-1 » : -SST'X<-' W. sb*’ k’t- r sL* “They h[ : -: . •-..£ 5 ''ezore r’*e T w. ‘ HijgSity «;»>L - _r I *ub» Wil- ' ,-•?- **■ ‘ VTrrxhtv »>?tr Fattier. - _ - ... “ Forinve as ©u* -jas. j said they. “ A»d receive- -r>ais/ "* “And reevt .e s»xEf~.’ “* AmeiiL* Laid taeos Rxmoa aad <«»veied their fAces."* Tfeeru w>* x -*. • a the c-nc*-site -ide e 4 ~the caa&p-sre: • -?-- •>€ . - in hand. ““Am? »ruT he ~yos t<-. 1 You csare !•.- »- alive.' Yf't rowaidly T:i y*/» z»> •••in. zheatt if 1 ha»r for it*"* But with r&e leap •;< a the 5 wrist. rf i: il Y-.-xnZ’ . u* ’ 1 it ia!"* --■ • - - a pears tl 7iy .aafenc. ve. me >'S.<- -fed Y*«anz-e. < r.- -, -•?». - a*<.' . ■“0 .». - t -.if’, re t? —nir .... jt WF<--.t£ 1-re. 11 - r- e.-_ .-.• A Laoutie er mer- . .» Sar — rx=r. a »4x'-n • ' oB to hill. Hrh - natti -vx- ‘ 7\xi pu it-IK’- •r« > r.L«**--. «’-te of v aoat —proc** 4y h . ??•-*’!,• xa- n.*»c named?* ’ said the r-’-- g the ■ ■_ - - •'• I bodies of v'’Ze - -a zed a:.-1 f.i.h- w*r* f •! .k v » A the

mouth of that eave. They are buried there; I have seen the graves—we shall all see them to-morrow.” The stranger rose, standing tall in the light of the expiring lire, which in our breathless attention to his story we had neglected to keep going. "There were four,” he said—“ Ramon Gallegos, William Shaw, George W. Kent, and Berry Davis.” With this reiterated roll-call of the dead he walked into the darkness, and we saw him no more. At that moment one of our party, who had been on guard, strode in among us, rifle in hand, and somewhat excited. “Captain,” he said, “for the last halfhour three men have been standing out there on the mesa.” He pointed in the direction taken by the stranger. “I could see them distinctly, for the moon is up, but as they had no guns and I had them covered with mine, I thought it was their move. They have made none, but, damn it! they have got oil to my nerves.” “Go back to your post, and stay till you see them again,” said the captain. “The rest of you lie down, or I’ll kick you all into the fire.” The sentinel obediently withdrew, swearing. As we were arranging our blankets the fiery Yountsey said’, “I 'beg your pardon, Captain, but who the devil do you take them to be?” “Ramon Gallegos, William Shaw, and George W. Kent.” “But how about Berry Davis? I ought to have plugged him.” “Quite needless; you couldn't have made him any deader. Go to sleep.”