The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-09-22

saw that be was plainly and coarse
ly dressed like o farmer in his every
day clothes, though neither his rus
tic appearance, nor the plainness o.
his accourtermentseould disguise the
beauty of the animal on which be
rode.
| saluted him as be came uD with
some question as to the road. He
answered hastily, and vas pushing
past when | stopped hinagain.
What is the next town / strike
ahead?r | asked.
Highland.
"How far beyOnd?"
Eight miles"
He answered laconicaily; but turn
ing his head was looking carefully
over my dropping steed
do you live anywhere in this vi
cinity?H | asked, meditAting whether
( for q CO npen-ation, l could not effect
an exchange at some farm house along
the way, at least until NY return.
wall, yes. / own farm the 9th
er side of Troy. That's fine beast
| of your'n, stranger"
Il was about to remark the same
of yours" | replied eourteouslv
though hardly reIishing his sarcasm
"Lightfoot is trim little nag, now
isn't she? be said, with admiring
fondness. 1--WE raised her from q
colt and, cant pint out thing agir
| her; but she's too light for my bust
ness. l want something heavier. /;
that horse of your'n for sale?"
well, l really hadn't thought
about selling-,"I began.
Stranger" interrupted the man
earnestly, turning andriding up be-
I side me, "that horse of yonr'n is just
match for one I've gotat home I've
been looking for more'na year to find
a mate to him, and here he is, clear
to the white fetlock oa the off hind
foot. "S,. anger, how'll you trader
What say you to an exchange?" !
asked, jocularly. Make me an Of
fer" / continued, thinking it the best
way to conceal my ignorance of jock
eylng.
Slippling from his saddle, bride in
hand, be carefully examined my
no Sc, prying into his mouth, holding
up his feet, aad sounding his chest.
"Well, stranger, I've said more'n
once that if | ever found q match to
old Teke, If twas on the road to
meetin', and the parson was ariding
him, I'd stop and make a trade. |
want that horse, and I'll make you a
thunderin' good offer; just as tbev
stand, horse, saddle and bridle-call
it an even trade Willyou take it or
leave it?"
Take it," l replied, emphatieally,
delivering up my bride.
"Considerin'," continued my COM
panion, "that hunted more'n q year
to make this very match, and consid.
erin that the boys at home are eter-
nally foolin' with Lightfoot, I'm sat
isied to call it an even trade
Mounting his bargain, be waited
until, examining and tightening the
girths, followed his example; then
with brief exchange of courtesies
each went his separate way, the whole
interview occupying little more thar
ten minutes.
i Arched neck, and daintily limbed
nv recent purchase carried me like q
bird / put her through her PAGES
she was kind, free, and true as steel
| had hard work to put aside the ole
suggestion: Appearances are otter
deceitful,n and to convince mysel
that. in spite of the evidence of my
own eyes, 1 had not been 10 some
way egregiously taken in. That any
sane person could value the plug
nad brought from st. 10, as an equiv
alent for the colt / bad now under
me, seemed almost incredible. Was
it possible that ike the man who sold
barren field and found that the pur.
chaser bad discovered a gold mine
under it, had been bargaining away
undiscovered excellence?
Ny mind steadily reverted to its
first suspicion, and as | rode kept q
constant look out for some lurking
symptom of "diablerie,r y which should
account for the reckless sale. At last
it came, though not from the direc-
ton | had anticipated.
/ had crossed Wolf River, and
was riding leisurely along the prairie,
when q sudden scurry Of ringing
hoofs in the rear turned my atten ton
in that way, and looking l saw some
bali mile away three mounted men,
who had apparently just left the tim
Der bordering the stream, bearing
rapidly down toward me.
What reckless riding people those
Kansas settlers were! Thei: pell-
nell gait would have better suited a
hurdle race, as compared to the ey-
cry day jog trot of our eastern far
mer
/ was in an unfamiliar locality,
among unfamiliar people, and abso-
lutte veraeity compels me to acknowl-
edge that, remembering sundry ac-
counts of the unsettled state of the
country, a decidedly uncomfortable
sensation began to creep over me. /
unloosened the rein, and my horse
struck into quicker pace.
They are doubtless" thought I,
''some farmers boys making trial
of speed"
| And yet / someway felt good
deal safer when coming to a side
track | struck off into it, thinking
to regain the main road when the
approaching riders had passed by.
As luck would have it, they turn
ed up the side path also, and came
dashing on behind a quarter Of a mile
away. My horse, laying back her
ears, struck into gallop-
On we sped like the wind, distanc-
ing them by every step. An insane
desire prompted me to get back into
the travelled road, and drawing the
bride rein, l set out across the un-
broken prairie Then for the first
time | became certain that | was an
object of pursuit. The three horse
men also left the bride path and fol-
lowed in my tracks. Isaw that they
Uara hea avifv arn1ef