Hearts and Crosses Page: 823
This prose (fiction) is part of the collection entitled: O. Henry Project and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Hearts and Crosses
- 1hat was that you called me, Baldy?" he
asked. ' What kind of a concert was it ?"
"A consort,' " corrected Baldy--"a'prince-
consort.' It's a kind of a short card pseu-
donym. You come in sort of between Jack-
highl and a four-card flush."
\\ebb Yeager sighed, and gathered the
strap of his W\inchester scabbard from the
loor.
"I'm riding' back to the ranch to-day," he
said half-heartedly. "I've got to start a bunch
of beeves for San Antone in the morning."
"I'm your company as far as Dry Lake,"
announced Baldy. "I've got a round-up
camp on the San Marcos cuttin' out two-
year-olds."
The two comp(ileros mounted their ponies
and trotted away from the little railroad set-
tlcment on the S. P., where they had fore-
gathered in the thirsty morning.
At Dry Lake, where their routes diverged,
they reined up for a parting cigarette. For
miles they had ridden in silence save for the
soft drumn of the ponies' hoofs on the matted
mesquite grass, and the rattle of the chalparral against their wooden stirruts. But in
Texas, discourse is seldom continuous. You
may fill in a mile, a meal, and a murder be-
tween your paragraphs without detriment
to your thesis. So, without apology, Wehh
offered an addendum to the conversation
that had been begun ten miles a way.
"You remember, yourself, Baldv. that
there was a time when Santa wasn't quite so
independent. You remember the days when
old McAllister was keepin' us apart, and how
she used to send me the sign that she wanted
to see me? Old man Mac promised to make
me look like a colander it I ever come in gun-
shot of the ranch. You remember the sign
she used to send, Bald'y-the heart with a
cross inside of it?"
"Mle?" cried Baldy, with intoxicated arch-
ness. "You old sugar-stealing coyote! Don't
I remember Why, you dad-blamed old long-
horned turtle-dove, the boys in camp w as
all cognoscious about them hiiroglvphs. The
'gizzard-and-crossbones' xwe' used to call it.
We used to see 'em on truck that was sent ciut
from the ranch. They wax marked in charIl'U BE KING IF I WA Yo()U.
- I I-I~
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This writing can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Prose (Fiction).
Henry, O., 1862-1910. Hearts and Crosses, prose (fiction), December 1904; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139436/m1/4/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.