BACK FROM THE SIERRAS 2

j.t. lane had escaped into mexico five years before. when 20 years old he had come home to find a man beating his younger sister. his mother lay in the floor unconcious. the hadnt even hesitated, he had taken a chunk of stove wood and clubbed the attacker. when the man turned to see j.t. he reeached for a pistol at his side, j.t. shot first. killing the man. it turned out the man was deputy sherrif and was there to rape his sister.. whenj.t. s mother tried to stop him he back handed her knocking her out. when j.t. realized who he had shot he knew he couldnt stay in lordsburg. the deputy was a well thought of man. nobody knew of his activities except the women he acosted and they had feeling of shame they didnt speak up. j.t. huged his mother and sister and left what cash he had, saddled a horse and struck out south as fast as he could go. he crossed into mexico just a hour ahead of the lynching party. he had rode south into the siera madre mountains. there he had fell in with some vaqueros who were working don molinas cattle.. when he met don molina he was offered the job of molinas body guard. he was promied a good wage, but never saw but a portion of it. he over hear molna bragging that j.t wouldnt go back across the border so he could keep him here. molina bragged about his hold on people. the peon farmers especially. j.t. watched as molina grew wealthy by starveing the people. he was ruthless. when the apaches had stripped the dead of anything they could use they rode on back to the west. j.t. waited until the apache s were gone a good hour, then leading his horse went down the hill to the dead men. the apaches had emptyed the pockets of the dead vaqueros dumping silver coins into the sand beside each corpse. j.t. collected what he could find. all the weapons were gone. just as j.t. was about to leave a brown horse wandered up. he was big american horse he was out fitted like a apache horse . some how he had been over looked. the horse was dragging a macate tied around his throat latch. it was easy to pick up and bring the animal up closer. the horse snorted at the unfamilier smell of the dead and j.t. body. it took a few minutes but j.t. moved his saddle to the brown horse and then lashed his saddle bags on behind the cantle. " ill make the border now" j.t. spoke to the wind. when he mounted the horse danced in place he wanted to buck or run. but j.t. held his head up with the spade bit he had on the little sorrel. presently he got the big brown to line out for the border. he wasnt sure just where he was but he didnt figure it mattered. he was going home. when he crossed the border it was growing dark but up ahead he could see a ranch house. as he drew near he found there was no one home. a barn stood to one side. he unsaddled the brown and fed him some of the ranches feed. he then walked to the house. he knocked on the door twice but no on answered. the door wasnt locked so he went in and lit a lamp. he found plenty of canned goods to make a meal.when he was done he cleaned up the dishes then counted out five dobe dollers and stacked them on the table. at the barn he fluffed up some loose hay and rolled up in his saddle blankets sleep came easy , he ws tired.