The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-19

ness and stiffness of the night. 1t seemed
endless, bOundlesS, great stretch OF VOID
and awful space. In spite of his familiar
ity with the prairies, he could not keep oil
feeling of loneliness, a sense of solitude
that was fearful to him. That he had need
to be alone and solitary but made him
dread it the more. The cause of the feel
ing was identical with the reason for the
necessity: and the stiffness, the monOtony,
the extent, the emptiness, of the pralrli
came over him with power he had never
dreamed of before. This silent, unseen
force had dwelt in the prairie and It's
attributes from the beginning of time: but
he had Dever realized its nature and i'm
mensity till nOw-and now it seemed TO
crush him. He knew the change was in
himself, and he thought with a great fear
of the years of days and nights he was to
live in the widest and dreariest of those
unchanging prairieS. ~ wonder why l
can't think of the first part of my life
there" he said, meaning the farm, land
not only of the last hour of it." But he
felt that what the last hour had brought
forth would he with him distinct and ter
rible, when all the months of trivial
things would have become dim and faded
in his memory.
At last he started across the prairie
He had plan dimly shaped in his head TO
go to Speedville. He owned pony, which
a young lawyer there was keeping in return
for his u>e. He wonld claim his pony, and
ride up into the Loup country. But he wan
dered aimlessly over the level ground with
out thinking of the direction of Speedvllle,
which really lay on the other side OF
Farmer Fullel's homestead. He would
have to wait till morning to get his pony,
and he would walk until he saw the dawn
appearing in the east. 1t seemed an age
before the first pale CLEANS of morning
broke through the long line of low clouds.
Billy had felt more in those few hours thar
he had in his whole lifetime before. de
had made his way over miles OF leve,
prairie; he had waded through the shallow
water of a broad lagoon: he had passed
through the cold air of several deep
ravines. All along he had been peculiarly
sensible of the nature of the ground, and
had noticed even in the darkness every
| firmly grassed buffalo-wallow or hilly
group of rabbit-burrows that had lain IL
his way; yet in spite of his quickened per-
ceptiOns for little things, the great, crush
ing sense of guilt, the vague yet definite
feeling of isolation, left their impress on
him.
At last, when the dawn began to break,
and the slowly Frightening east called his
| attention to his course, he found that he
had been going away from Speedvllle all
| this while. He began to think more col
lectedly of the measure he should take,
| and to consider more calmly his material
situation apart from his emotional atti-
tude, when suddenly couple OF h0rsemen
rode out of the fading darkness. DE was
about te follow his first impulse and lie
down in the Srass to escape their notice.
when one of Them called out:
"Hello! Il that you, Billy"
"Who are you, and what do you want"
| demanded Billy, in reply.
80, there's no need for that sort or talk,
now. The other one is caught, and you are
wasting your time hunting for him around
here, a dozen miles from where he is safely
tied in old man Full er's barn"
Here Tige ran up to Billy. and began
| to show his joy at finding him. Ir was
plain how the dog had led them to
| him, but what the fellow was talking about
| "Who are you" asked Billy again, as
they rode up to him.
so yes, l forgot; we have Eever been in
troduced, but have heard a good deal OF
YOU. Pm Robert PhilIips-call me Bob,
| though; everybody else does-and this is
our new hand, Jake Lewis"
Billy was more perpfexed than ever; he
could understand but one thing,-here was
| the man, whom he thought he had killed, IN
| flesh and blood before him. He stood and
patted the demonstrative dog in silence,
| trying to see through it all, and wondering
| if he had had dream.
| "You had better get down, jake" said
| Bob, and let Billy have your pony. He has
| done some lively walking tonight, and is
tired, I'll bet you. Wen send some one
back to meet you, with an extra pony, as
soon as we get to the house," and while
| Billy was vet absently speculating, h,
| found himself riding back towards Fuller:
by the side of Robert Phillips.
81 guess the fellow you winged is pretty
sore" presently begun the latter, but th'
| doctor thinks he will get over it,"
1 NO l-a1
| "Nobody knows. l fancy he belongs to
a regular gang of hOrSe-thieves on the
Kansas border; there's been a good dea,
! Of"
SO, 1 see,o interrupted Billy, and he
drew a long breath of relief.
sit was lucky for old man Fuller that yOu
| happened to be around: otherwise he'd
have been minus Il pretty batch of live
stock this morning" resumed Phillips,
after they had ridden short time IL
silence. ''But see here, Billy" he asked,
| suddenly, show did you come to follow
the other fellow on foot: He gave you the
slip early, for he was caught in the Othe!
| direction"
81 don't know, exactly" answered Billy.
II was excited, and the horse broke away.
and-well, didn't think"
"It's strange what queer things person
will do in excitement"
ssYes, it is" said Billy, with fervor. 81
want to ask you, Mr.. Phillips"-
| Bob" corrected the other.
swell, want to ask you when you left
| the house last night"
"Ov, answered Phillips, uneasily; there
was not enough light for Billy to see the
honest fellow redden. 81 didn't stay long
You saw when | came up? Well, l onll
stayed a few minutes"
"Didn't You 90 inH"
"No: it didn't take me long to find out
hot is c
lucky fellow, Billy" Phillips managed tt
saw at last, riding near and Offering hi.
| hand. 81 wish you all the joy and happi
ness, YOU know, and--well, would like Il
he in your boots, that's all; but no baC
blood. If we are to be neighbors, We'll b,
friends, chi"
owe will that" said Billy, wringing hi
proffered hand, and thinking what th'
memory of this frank young fellow nigh
have been to him.
"Who are inside?" he asked, when they
| reached the house.
"Nobody but the folks, guess, and the
doctor, may be. You go right in" Phil
lips continued, as they dismounted
sthere's somebody there will be glad to se
YOU. Pll go out to the stable and see hov
the captured birds and their guard are get
ting along, and send some one back afte
Jake"
Billy gave over the pony to Phillips an
went up to the door. The sun was jus
peeping over the bank OF clouds that for
time had been holding back the full radi
ance of his morning brightness; and a
Eva opened the door and ran out TO NEE
her lover and throw her arms around hi
neck and weep sweet tears of humble per
| itence and proud joy, he rose clear OF tn
e obstrncting clouds and sent food of ligh
7 and warmth along the rolling prairies
l The glad, bright day had come, and tn
: chill and gloom and heavy darkness of tn
4 night were things of the past.
The old farmer came to the door, an
then, turning back hastily, he remarked t
his wife that it was going to be anothe