The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1885-07-23
them-a hundred men or more. al

them-a hundred men or more, al
gathered about three ugly looking
fellows, who wore handouts, and six o
eight horses. The Tolland Sheriff hat
not had the honor OF "bagging tn
game" after all. A separate party
which had started out from the adjoin
ing town of Hesper, had headed then
of, and had caught them "ere the,
were aware"
Two or three men were claiming
their horses, and as the Sheriff and hi,
men knew all the claimants by sight
and were familiar with the teams tina
most of them we're accustomed to drive
there was no difficulty in "proving pro
perty," till suddenly the ill-favorec
stranger" whom Mr.. Savage and Mr.
Blinn had been discussing, drove for.
ward and laid hand on the halter of {
pretty, sorrel pony, which was among
the plumber.
"Look here!" called out clear, boy.
ish voice behind the Calverley crowd
"That's my pony! Here, you!" press.
ing forward through the huddle OF
men and horses as hard as he could,
The various discussions which were
going on among the excited groups
came to pause, and they surgec
around the fair-faced boy and the
stranger.
yours! Humph!" returned the man,
viciously. "That's my sorrel mare
Sarah"
"Youll have to prove it," said the
Sheriff decidedly. Il don't know
either of you, and I'll take possession
of the horse until you can prove it is
yours
II live over beyond Hesper," said
the stranger, sullenly; anybody
there'll swear I'm right"
Several Hesper men were present
but none of them seemed to know the
man.
my fathers just bought the Captain
Santley place, " said the boy excitedly
"and that's my pony Light-foot
brought her down from the city only
three days ago. Proof! I'll prove she's
mine!" he went on, "see here!"
He dismounted from the large, strong
farm horse which he had been riding.
tossed the bride to Mr.. John Savage
and walked toward the little sorrei
pony. She neighed intelligently and
tossed her head.
"Come here, Lightfoot" said the
boy, confidently. The men laughed, as:
on releasing the animals halter, she
bounded lightly toward the boy.
He stroked her beautiful head ten.
Il
while in his pockets with the other.
"Stand off, Lightfoot!" he command.
ed. The horse wheeled gently anc
took up place several feet away from
her young master.
"Look at that!""I say!" ttShe's his.
plain enough" were some of the excla.
nations that arose from the interested
spectators.
"How many Jumps Of sugar do you
want, Lightfoot," asked the boy.
"The pretty little pony seemed actu-
ally to smile as she lifted up her foot
and paved three times on the ground.
"That'll do, said the boy, interrupt
ing the voracious Lightfoot, as she was
about to paw fourth time "Three
Jumps are enough, you greedy horse!"
There was loud laughter and clapping
of hands as he took three Jumps of SUI
gar from his pocket, and the horse
seized and ate them with zest.
The boy looked appealingly to the
Sheriff, while cries of "Fair play!"
"Give the youngster his pony" "She's
his, fast enough!" arose from the
crowd, most of whom, satisfied that the
robbers were in safe hands, were inger.
ing only to see the conclusion of this
novel dispute.
The ugly stranger had kept we'll ir
the background after the boy had come
forward, and was Sinking still farther
away while the pretty pony was per-
forming. Then muttering sullenly, he
turned and rode off:
The Sheriff laughed.
you've earned your right to the pony,
fast enough" he said to the boy
"Shes yours-that's plain"
The man, whose horse was very
fast one, had already disappeared from
sight, but not in the direction Of Hes
per.
It's my opinion" muttered Hesper
man, "that this fellow never saw Hes
per. know every face and every horse
for miles around, and I never saw his. "
One of the thieves, who was just
mounting horse, at the Sheriff's COM
mand, to go back to Tolland, laughed
furtively at this speech and looked sig
niticantly ut his companions. The boy,
who had resumed his place upon his
farm horse, and held proudly tho hal
ter of his recovered pony, OWNED the
cause of their amusement in an instant
"That fellow was one Of the thieves!'
he cried wildly. "Go for him"
The boy was right. One of the rob-
bers had been boldly riding with theil
pursuers, had communicated some i'm
portant intelligence to his companions,
and after endeavoring-true to the IN
corrigible nature of the born horse thief
to steal another horse, had managed to
escape without suspicion. And though
the Sheriff and all his posse did their
best to capture him, and lodge him in
the State prison, where his companions
lay for many year, they never sue