Emerson's Wife and Other Western Stories

  HOW COLONEL KATE WON HER SPURS

  Mrs. Harrison Winthrop Coolidge had long been the recognized leader ofSanta Fe society. Her husband, who had twice been Governor of NewMexico (this was long before the Territory had put on the garment ofStatehood), was the best known and most esteemed man in the Southwest.He was rich, energetic, capable, and popular, and he came of the familyof the Massachusetts Coolidges; while his wife, who was just as capableand as popular as he, sprang from the Adams family of the same State.But, notwithstanding all this, to the Unassorted of Santa Fe societyshe was always "Colonel Kate"; and the Select themselves, in moments ofsprightly intimacy, would sometimes refer to her or even address her bythat sobriquet.

  The occasional new resident and the frequent health-seeker were sure tohear of Colonel Kate before they had spent more than a day or two inthe ancient city; and if they had come from the strait-laced East theywere likely to be much scandalized when they learned the identity ofthe lady spoken of thus disrespectfully, and would at once want to knowhow and why such things could be. Then they would be told that theshocking appellation was only a good-natured and admiring recognitionof Mrs. Coolidge's general efficiency. For it was the universalopinion in Santa Fe that Colonel Kate would always accomplish whatevershe started out to do, and that nobody ever could guess what she wouldstart out to do next.

  All this was quite true, but it was also true that the Governor's wifehad won her military title by the especial daring and efficiency whichshe had once displayed on a particular occasion. The facts in the caseare known only to some three or four people who have always kept themvery quiet. It happened, however, when I asked for information aboutMrs. Coolidge's nickname, that the man with whom I was talking was thevery one who had first bestowed it upon her, and he told me the secrettruth about it. Mrs. Coolidge had no stancher friend than he, nor anywho regarded her with greater respect and admiration, but he rarelyspoke of her or addressed her by any other name than "Colonel Kate."

  It all happened a good many years ago, when Harrison Winthrop Coolidge,then a comparatively young man and newly married, had just come outfrom Massachusetts to be Governor of New Mexico. His wife was a youngwoman of tall and shapely figure, handsome face, and striking presence,and possessed of such vivacity, vigor, health, and strength as fewwomen enjoy. Her superabundant vitality found many emergencies uponwhich to expend itself, but the man who told me this story declaredthat she never found one that was too big for her. She probably neverfound a bigger or more important one than that which she faced on thenight when she won her spurs. Governor and Mrs. Coolidge reached NewMexico in the days of the first coming of the railroad, when the sleepyold Territory woke to a brief season of active and hilarious life. Andthe Governor, fresh from New England reverence for law and legal formsand accepted methods, was inexpressibly shocked by the low opinion inwhich such things were held in his new bailiwick. Especially was hehorrified by the frequent and brief proceedings which left men who hadbeen too free with their guns or with other people's property hangingfrom trees, projecting beams, and other convenient places. The usualrough justice of the affair did not, in his eyes, mitigate theoffensiveness of its irregularity.

  The Santa Fe _Bugle_ at once interviewed him about his plans andintentions, and Governor Coolidge talked very strongly on the subjectof lynch law. He said that it was entirely wrong, unworthy even ofbarbarians, and was not to be endorsed or palliated in either principleor practice. He deplored the frequency of its operations in NewMexico, and emphatically declared his intention of stamping it out.

  And he took that opportunity to announce that all persons connectedwith lynching affairs would be treated as murderers or accessories tomurder.

  The editor of _The Bugle_, which was the organ of the opposition,published every word the Governor said, and then gleefully waited forsomething to happen. He did not know what it would be, but he wasperfectly sure there would be something, and that it would beinteresting.

  On the night after the interview was published Mrs. Coolidge awoke,possessed by an uneasy feeling that something unusual was taking place.They were living then in the ancient adobe "Governor's palace," withits four-foot walls and its eventful history ante-dating the landing atPlymouth Rock, and for a half-waking instant she wondered if someunshriven victim of century-gone enmity and revenge still walked thoseold halls or sought its mortal habiliments among the rotting bones inthe _placita_. She listened and heard whispering voices and cautiousmovements in the _portal_ that fronted the entire length of thebuilding. Then she arose, wrapped a long, dark cloak about her, andpeeped out of the window. Directly in front of their bedroom, in the_portal_, were three or four men who bore among them some long andheavy burden. She drew her dark hair across her face, that there mightbe no white gleam to attract their attention, and crouched beside thewindow to watch.

  One of the men, who was apparently a leader, mounted the shoulders oftwo others and seemed to be feeling for something in the wall above thewindow. The dim rays of an old moon, which showed that the time mustbe near morning, did not afford as much light as he needed, and hefumbled for some time before he found the hook in the wall for which hewas looking. Over it he passed the end of a rope and then jumped tothe ground. They pulled together on the rope, and the long, darkburden, which had been left lying on the ground, was drawn upward untilit hung in front of the window beside which Mrs. Coolidge was watching,and she saw that it was a human body. Then they fastened the rope toone of the iron bars across the window and stood for a few momentslooking at the swaying body and chuckling together. The one who seemedto be the leader rolled a cigarette and lighted it, and by the glare ofthe match she recognized him. He was a man of prominence in Santa Feand the leader of the opposing party, not only locally but for thewhole Territory as well.

  Mrs. Coolidge's first impulse was to awaken her husband, but a swiftintuition warned her that that would not be wise. So she controlledher horror and indignation, and, as she stared at the poor, lifelessthing swaying outside, she did some very rapid thinking. Sheunderstood that there had been a lynching and that the corpse had beenbrought there and hung in front of her husband's bedroom window, wherehis first waking glance would fall upon it, as a sign of how publicopinion regarded his ideas and intentions on the subject of lynch law.She saw that it was intended as a warning and a contemptuous defiance,and her spirit rose high in righteous wrath. She knew well that thisevent presaged for the Governor trouble and humiliation, and probably,if a conflict were precipitated at once, an early defeat, and shequickly decided that he must not see the body or know what hadhappened. But what could she do with it?

  Then an idea occurred to her and she smiled and said to herself that itwas impossible. But it seemed such a good idea, and it pleased her somuch, that she kept on thinking about it. Presently she assuredherself that her husband was still sleeping quietly; then she put onsome clothes, and, laughing softly, went out on the _portal_.

  The man who had been the leader in the affair that night, and whom Mrs.Coolidge had recognized, was awakened early the next morning by thesound of voices in front of his house. It was barely dawn, but alreadya little group of Mexicans were staring at his door and talking withmuch excitement. Wondering what it could mean he hastily dressedhimself and went out. As he opened the front door he ran into the bodyof the man, swinging above his own threshold, which he had left a fewhours before hanging at the Governor's window.

  "My jaw dropped and I shut the door mighty quick, when I saw that," hetold me, with a reminiscent, amused chuckle at himself. "I knew in asecond that the Governor was onto us, that he must have seen us infront of his window, and that it was up to me to do some lively pullin'of freight. As a matter of fact, I had n't had anything to do with thelynching. That had been done by some cowboys who were in town the daybefore, and the fellow they 'd done for was an ornery cuss of ahalf-breed Mexican, who was a whole lot better off dead than alive,anyway. He tried to play some low-down game on 'em at poker,
and theyjust strung him up and rode off. Some of our fellows heard about it,and three or four of us decided it would be a good thing to letCoolidge know what our sentiments were.

  "We were in dead earnest, and we meant to get his political scalp anddrive him out of the Territory with his tail between his hind legs,before he knew what had happened to him. I won't say," and the mangrinned and his eyes twinkled, "I was n't expecting to be appointedGovernor myself afterwards. Anyway, I did n't care to be roped into atrial for murder just then. It would have interfered with my plans.And if the Governor had seen us apparently lynching a man right underhis eyes, he could cinch us if he wanted to.

  "I called the Mexicans up to the door, told them I didn't know how thebody got there (I didn't, either), but it must have been put there bysome of my enemies. Then I gave them money to take charge of it, saythe dead man was a friend of theirs, and do the proper thing. So thepoor cuss was in luck by the affair after all, for he got a mass saidover him. Then I sent word to my friends who 'd been with me, and weall just quietly skipped, on the minute. At sun-up that morning therewas n't one of us in town. I had urgent business in Texas for the nextweek.

  "You see, we 'd all of us thought our new Governor was just ahighfalutin' tenderfoot, and it would n't be any job at all to buffalohim. But this move of his gave us a suspicion that maybe we 'd sizedhim up wrong. It was just the kind of quiet warning that we 'd belikely to give if we had cards up our sleeve that the other fellow didn't know about. It looked as if he really could and would strike backgood and plenty if we pushed him too hard. So we sent word to ourcrowd all over the Territory to keep quiet a while. And let me tellyou, life in New Mexico was not nearly so exciting for the next fewweeks as some of us had planned it should be.

  "Still, I was n't quite satisfied about it. Somehow, the Governor didn't seem to pan out to be just the kind of man who would give that kindof a jolt to his enemies. He was too Eastern. I was still chawin' itover in my mind, when one day I met Mrs. Coolidge, two or three weeksafter it happened and the first time I 'd seen her since. She waslively and cordial, as she always was, and is; but as I shook handswith her and looked her in the eyes she suddenly dropped her eyelids,and a queer expression crossed her face. She had hold of herself againin a second and was looking at me and smiling and talking. But thatsecond was enough. It flashed into my mind that she was the one who 'ddone it. I reckon I would n't have dared to bone her about it if I 'dwaited two minutes. But the impulse took me, and I just asked herbluntly right then and there if it was she who had transferred thatGreaser from her husband's window to my door.

  "She threw up her head and looked me square in the eyes--you know thatstraight, frank gaze she has--frowned a little and said, 'Yes, I didit. I thought your doorway was the rightful place for that corpse tobe found in.'

  "Well, the joke of it and the pluck of her just struck me right where Ilived, and I fairly roared. 'Put it there, Mrs. Coolidge,' I said, andstuck out my hand, as soon as I could speak. 'You 're a regularcaptain! No, you 're bigger than that--you 're a colonel! Shake, andlet's be friends!'

  "Well, I just thought it would be a shame to drive a woman with as muchpluck and _sabe_ as that back East to live. So I passed the word downthe line in our party that we 'd give the Governor a show--let him havefair play anyhow, and, if he could make good, all right, the pot shouldbe his. I was so tickled by Mrs. Coolidge's trick and the way she wonout on it that I never called her anything but 'Colonel' after that,and, somehow, the title stuck. Anyway, she deserves it."

  For a long time after this affair, so I learned from Mrs. Coolidge whenI asked her about the story her friend had told me, the Governorthought it was that interview and the stern spirit he displayed in itthat had made the change in the opposition's attitude toward him andhad seemed to affect the feeling of the whole Territory. For hisofficial path became unexpectedly easy. There were few attempts tobalk him in his administration of affairs and there was a generalmanifestation of tolerance, and even of willingness to see how hisideas would work out.

  But the time came when, understanding better the people with whom hehad to deal, he knew that that interview ought to have had just theopposite result. One day he said to his wife how surprising it wasthat it had not landed him in the hottest of hot water, and how puzzledhe was to account for what seemed to have been its effect. Then sheconfessed to him what had happened on that crucial night, how she hadtaken the body away and hung it in front of the other house, and whatshe partly knew and partly guessed about the results of the affair. Atonce he realized that her instant and audacious retaliation was whathad made possible his success and his growing popularity.Nevertheless, he was shocked at first, for New England was still but alittle way behind him. But amusement soon overcame every otherfeeling, and he laughed heartily in admiration of her daring, just ashis opponent had done. After that, he seemed to take particular pridein her sobriquet, and himself often called her "Colonel Kate."