Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-10

| keenest Of human eyes could have dscerned
| foggy stiffness that gave suggestion of the
course they should take; but they trusted them.
| selves to the instinct of their horses and rode
confidently along. Now and then a glow OF
| lightning would for moment illumine the
scene, disclosing the miles OF billOwy plains
| stretching drearily before Them and then the
| after darkness would seem more dense, and
sometimes would come a little sprinkle on
further down and essay to spur on the jaded
| horses. Cold, wet and utterly wearied they
rode along with the stoical endurance born of
| necessity, the muttering of distant thunder and
| the beating of the horses hoOfS upon the sOggy
ground the only sounds.
| Scarce conscious OF cold or wet was VIII Mar
shall, huggins to his heart his thoughts OF Beth,
| for il had com5 about that rarely for an instant
was she out of his mind. He was vaguely con-
sclouS that dreamiy wrapt in his tender fancies
ne was, as IL were, clothed in an armOr, against
| which the hard blows of his daily life fell harm
| less. His whole thought now was of when he
| might go back TO her and be- again the love
| that was his lite. He dared not go yet-he
| must give her time to forget his suspicion and
| hateful words, and to remember the Old-time
love- 1t was his fanced necessity for delay
that made the cowboy life endurabie; one occu-
patton was as good as another, since 1t was
simply to serve at killing time until he might
| venture back TO her. And as he rode along
| through the darkness, so intense that one
seemed almost pushing way through it as he
went, his staring eyes seemed looking into her
sweet face, not coldly angry, as last he saw it.
but luminous with love and tender welcome.
| y cold splash of rain on his cheek, startling
| in his reverie though it had been touch OF
| Il departing soul as II hurried away rom earth,
| reused him at length; and shak ing himself, as
| 1t Were awake, he dug spurs into his horse,
and calling on his companions to hurry dashed
| rccklessly away over the rough ground.
| Suddenly he noticed that he heard but the
/ sound OF one horses hoOis. Instantly he stop
ped, loudly calling the boys by name; but the
| deathly sill nee OF the night only answered that
| he was alone lost up IN the plains. Absorbed
| in his sweet iancies, he had let the horse carry
\ him on, while the Others who knew the coun-
| Try had turned of into some other trail-whO
| could say now far back? That the instinct OF
| almost incredible. He was plainly one of the
| foolish ones of his kind; and Will promptly
pronounced his rider another.
| Again and again he halOed with all his might
| with no result, and, thoroughly dsheartened,
| he turned the horses head and rode back at a
! snaiI's pace. YEARLY bordering what he should
| do. Not the faintest idea had lie i'll which way
| was the camp nor in what direction ran the
river, where he might hope to run across some
| Remembering presently bit of Indian cum
| ming, he dismounIed and listened with his ear
| to- the ground only to hear those inarticulate
murmurlngS of nature that are never sliled.
| To his strained senses it seemed that he could
| fairly hear the growing of the grass, but there
was no sound OF human kind.
An hour or more went by in prOfitlesS wan
deTlng this way and that, now turned by the
| fanced direction of the unpalpable wind, or
| again by some trail that seemed to hold out
| hope as revealed by the lightning. AT length
| the horse seemed impatient To move faster and
Will gave him his head thinking the chances
| as good one way a. another. Tie animal now
| went on at brisk IrOt, presently quickening
| into lOpe, occasionally smiling the air and
nelghing loudly, as ii calling To his kind, until
| after time il occurred to poor WILL with a
| Supplying sense of despair, that the beast had
| scented a nerd OF wild horses and Was making
toward them.
| They were moving over very rough coun-
| try, going up hill and down, and. Will decided,
| quite likely getting further asIray with every
moment. There was the choice Of continuing
| to give the horse his head, with tine prospect OF
spending the night in the saddle or 81 camping
| where he was and waiting for morning TO get
/ his bearings and start anew.
| lie chose the latter alternative. DiSmOunt-
| ing. therefore, and searching out with his feet
Il place that seemed free from cactus, he last
| ened one end OF his lariat around the horses
| neck and, driving him little way OF, Lay him
| sell down across the rope, prone upon his
stomach, that il the horse attempted to get
| away the dragging OF the rope under his body
would promptly awaken housekeeping on the
| rope IN cowboy phrase. Worn out as he was
| there was small sense OF comfort in lying
| down, even upon the cold, wet ground, and he
/ Was soon asleep.
1t then that he experienced the wonder
| iui dreaIn-if 1T were Il dream-that forever
| ended his career as Il cowboy.
| lie thought that he had slept till morning
His hat brim was pulled well over mis- eyes, but
| as he lay heavily Oh his side, seemingly soaked
III uio" siness, ne was uiniy conscious Oh the
sunshine PLEASANTLY warming his chin and
| nose. lie could hear the satisfied muuchI-xg of
/ the horse as he cropped the short grass, often
| tu5SIn- lmpat1ently at the rope and the note
| OF a meadow lark sounded sweet and clear.
/ Presently he seemed to hear the steps OF IA sec
| Ond horse, and, lauguidiy opening his eyes Il,
| petrited with astonishment to see the foreman,
! Tom Lonergan, throwing himself from the
| saddle. Poweriess Will felt to stir or utter a
! sound only duly staring from the shadow OF
| his wide hat, while by some strange new power
! he seemed reading the thoughts III the mind OF
/ this man who stood regarding him with a look
o1 deadly hatred.
In his hands LOnergan was nervously twirl-
| ing his "quirt, the cowboys short leathern
/ whip, with butt end deadly loaded: and ne
| seemed to be saying within himself: "Oue
/ quick biow-easy its killing a rattlesnake and
| ne Is done wit.l forever! 1t Will seem that ne
III haS hin i,1-
| fore. No one will think of connecting me with
| IT.. And Sne-ah, must save her.
| But Il strange White mist had seemed to be
| forming before Lonergan; and now it was as
! Stunning shape as u Tomans garment, cIothlu:.
| a woman 5 form. The vision was turned from
viii, Dut IL Was strangely lamiiiar and, as the
| cruel qulrt Was nercely raised to strike, he
knew Inc 1aIr White hands that grasped the
| murGererS arm; nor was he SURPRISED To see
| the Wild look on Lonergan's face, ii he mad
/ seen ghost, while he cried aloud horror:
/ -ijeth The fair shape seemed then to turn
| toward W III, its lace iull OF love- and holding
out arms with a gesture eloquent of caressi IL
| tenderness; but now the heavy quirt, dropped
| from loneIgt,n nerVeiess hand, seemed to TAIL
| with Il singing blow upon W IFS mead, and the
| vision Was dotted out.
Inc sun was high when he awoke at last, sit
| llng up with a queer pain in his head, and a
| cUrlou, sense OF weakness. Was il dream? or
| mad ne really been struck with Tom Luuer gan 5
| quirt? And had his love really come III spirit
10 save his life?
Practical. prosaic Will Marshall felt sadly at
Sea and bewildered as he dizZily got upon his
suggesting NY stery or tar spirits about dull
plains, rougheneu with cactus all bursting into
Duu under The warm June sunshine. Clearly
lie mad been wildly dreaming, and yet this
strange pain in his mead!
lie seemed curiousiy stupid and benumbed
beyond the power vi surprise when, by and by
lie noticed the smoke of IA camp fire risin. from
IL suIiE not Il quarter OF mile away, and mount
ms his horse, 1t seemed scarce a matter iol
srituis,tlon That he should presently discover
! The tents OF the QUILT ana soon be in c;l1n D.
he Instl2ct oi the morse had led him rish aIteI
ali, W III duly considered; and he had let him.
sell give up discouraged within quarter OF a
mile OIL his goal. But il did not matter, he apa.
| thetlcally argued; nothing mattered.
lie ieil the OUTFIT that morning, walking sc ven
miIes across the country, guiued Ouly by the
I DroiIlng sun to reach the railroad when he was
picked up, more dead than alive, by u freight
/ train, ana carried into Denver. He was used
up To the verge OF sickness, and Beth's sweet
/ lace, as he hau seen II Ill his dream, drew him
| 10 her by an irresistible force. Lonergan did moi
appear surprised but he was altogether COO
! anu uneInDarrassed when Will announced his
| intention oi going. Surely 1t was ali a dream.
A lew days Later as he sat with his arm
! around his recovered treasure, Beth shame
iacedly hid her lace ON his shoulder and con
| teSsed.
You were right, dear, 1 did fiirt with him.
| lancleu That All the romance was dying out O.
our engagement, that You mad fallen INTO {;
habit OF taking 1t all Tor granted, and were
growing cold and indifferent"
"l'eoid and indifferent! y Beth!'
Ana wanted 10 tease you just little t(
see II you really cared"
And heaven grant you were sufficiently salts
ned never To Try It agaiu"' uevOutly retOrteC
The victim OF the experiment.
"iOiii LonefSan has always been flirting with
TWO Oh three girls AT u time, and IL never Ell
tered my head 10 think him in earnest unit
the day after you and l had ouarreled wher
b~lsHt IN.