Cisco Kid 44

Sandridge lighted the camp lantern and read the letter. > Sandridge sti u foto in lampa, e lekto u grama.

These were its words:

Plu-ci es plu verba de id:

/Dear One/: He has come.

Karo-pe: An pa veni.

Hardly had you ridden away when he came out of the pear.

U mikro tem po tu pa viagia ab ci, an veni ex kaktus-lo.

When he first talked he said he would stay three days or more.

Kron an proto-kron dice, an dice; an fu resta ci tri alo ma poli di.

Then as it grew later he was like a wolf or a fox, and walked about without rest, looking and listening.

Po-co kron ma proxi a skoto, an es homo u lupus alo vulpes, e peri-gresi minus somni, tem skope e audi.

Soon he said he must leave before daylight when it is dark and stillest.

Po mikro tem, an dice; an fu nece kine ab ci pre di-foto, tem es skoto e maxi paci.

And then he seemed to suspect that I be not true to him.

Po-co an feno doxo; mi posi es no-fide de an.

He looked at me so strange that I am frightened.

An tali no-more skope mi; mi este fobo.

I swear to him that I love him, his own Tonia.

Mi dice u jura; mi filo an, an Tonia.

Last of all he said I must prove to him I am true.

An ultima dice; mi debi monstra ad an; mi es fide.

He thinks that even now men are waiting to kill him as he rides from my house.

An doxo; klu nu-tem plu andro du atende de cide an, kron an kine ab mi eko-lo.

To escape he says he will dress in my clothes, my red skirt and the blue waist I wear and the brown mantilla over the head, and thus ride away.

Tende fugi– an dice– an fu habe epi se mi vesti, mi rubi tunika ko ciano supra-ve e bruno kefa-te, e per plu-ci fu fugi.

But before that he says that I must put on his clothes, his /pantalones/ and /camisa/ and hat, and ride away on his horse from the /jacal/ as far as the big road beyond the crossing and back again.

Anti-co pre u-la– an dice– mi nece habe an vesti epi se, poda-ve e supra-ve e kefa-ve, e sti viagia per an equs ab eko-do ad u-la mega via ultra trans-lo, e re-veni.

This before he goes, so he can tell if I am true and if men are hidden to shoot him.

U-ci pre an kine, per u-ci an fu pote decide; qe mi es fide, e qe plu andro kripti se, tende fusili an.

It is a terrible thing.

Es u deino ra.

An hour before daybreak this is to be.

Mono horo pre di proto, u-ci fu es.

Come, my dear one, and kill this man and take me for your Tonia.

Sti veni, mi karo-pe, e cide u-ci andro, e cepti mi iso tu Tonia.

Do not try to take hold of him alive, but kill him quickly.

Ne sti tenta de rapi vive an. Anti-co tako cide an.

Knowing all, you should do that.

Tem ski panto-ra, tu fu debi akti u-ci.

You must come long before the time and hide yourself in the little shed near the /jacal/ where the wagon and saddles are kept.

Tu fu nece veni pre u-ci kron, e kripti se in mikro instrumenta-do proxi ad eko-do; in qi na habe u vagona e plu equs-ru.

It is dark in there.

Es skoto in la.

He will wear my red skirt and blue waist and brown mantilla.

An fu habe epi se mi rubi tunika e ciano supra-ve e bruno kefa-te.

I send you a hundred kisses.

Mi bali a tu hekto oskula.

Come surely and shoot quickly and straight.

Sura sti veni, e tako e rekti fusili.

Thine Own Tonia.

Tu Tonia.