The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-02-23

coala not shoot duck on the viug. dip
sheep, or lssso steer. Ny smsttssins Of
Latin and Greek. vent ior nothing; una.
bile 10 speak Spanish. VAS voied 40 ig-
uorsmous, for al on the ranch we're as
familiar With that tongue - vith Eng
l,sh-s necessity, where two-thifds Of the
"hands spoke nothing else.
Ia spite OF all rcbuhs, howsser. con
tinued 10 assume grea! many airs Of 81
perioriiy. Ishirked york. voss my good
clothes, used needlessly elegant language,
aud behaved generally like prig. That
ed my cousin Tyler. while he. With all his
boorishness, looked rather kindly upon
me; be bad . good hesrt-ws are excel
lent friends now and took no end OF
psius TO teach me the use Of fire arms. 10
which be eIoelled.
| pro6ted by his lessons bnt felt no
gratitude; il be bad saved ~ hfe. y
would have been with that rssunsrsbie
man ner that made me detest him. But
my feeling toward him was mild compar-
ed to what felt toward Tibby. ! was
afraid Of her; her sharp eyes, and sharp
yiYenous tongue, her marvellous talent for
| ill.natured ridicule, kept me 10 state of
consatnt anxiety moreover, she could do
everything could not do. aod 1 was con
stAntly being tainted with her supe
riority.
My position became more and more un-
endursble; what real trials lacked, my
Imagination supplied; ! begsn to believe
they we're all 10 league TO drive me 70 SUI
eide.
When my father died be left bis affairs
in the utmost confusion. Uncle Jabez
had piles OF papers sent out to him, aud
labored faithfully to rescue from the es-
tate little remnant OF fortune for me to
begin life on, intending to give me . home
with him until was twenty one.
| had seen Just enough Of these papers
to believe that ought to hsve about hun
DIRE d thousand dollars; that my uncle was
next Of kin formed q sufficient reason to
my romantic fancy for his desiring to get
me out OF the way,
Poor Uncle Jabez in the silent land to
which he has gone, these words cannot
wound bin; that boyish delusion cannot
pain him.
This idea took such possession of me
that every trifiiug event was distorted to
its support My appetite failed, my sleep
was disturbed, and became 80 thin and
pale that Aunt Jane wss seriously dis.
tressed.
Finally l made up ny mind to run
away.
Corralitos Rancho was thirty miles from
the neal est neighbor's. and sixty from
Soledad; hut the distance did not deter
me. had often seen men at the ranch
who had spent weeks in the open air with
no other baggage than shotgun and a
roll Of blankets. The air is so dry in that
part OF the country that shelter at night Is
quite unnecessary, and game OF ell kinds
was then very plentiful.
The climax OF my woe was reached
when Uncle Jabez compelled me to spend
the whole day with the Mexican herders
dipping sheep hated the work, the
smell Of tobacco 10 the wash made me
sick, and the sheep gave me great deal
OF trouble, while my awkwardness amused
the herders. ! ate my supper and went
to bed in great rage. The next day
cleaned my gun-a gift from Uncle Jabez
loaded all my cartridges. and slowed
away as much ammunition in my clothing
as thought could comfortably carry,
besides providing myself with matches
and other small articles
Ny blankets were my own. l had pur
chased them 10 New York at my uncle's
suggestion, and had pleased my fancy by
selecting q bright scarlet, bound on the
ends with broad blue ribbon.
As soon rs the family had retired ] roll
ed them up and bound them with stout
strap; for intended to walk all the first
night 10 order to get good start, for did
not doubt but that would be pursued.
, slipped steslthily from the window
unuoticed even by the dog. and walked
. briskly until struck the San Luis rosd'
when l fell into a steady. comfortable pace
suitable for AL allnight tramp.
, 1t ~as quite dark when started, ba'
/ about ten o'clock the moon arose. They
retired early on the ranch, and its soil
light cheered my dropping spirits, making
Q me feel less like 40 escaped convict.
, rested once or twice by the roadside,
and wished more than anything else thai
! had something TO eat or drink; not be
cause was hungry. but merely to break
the mouotony OF the march.
The dusty road lit was the middle o.
3 eptember--cut through q vide, treelesi
! plain. bounded on one side by dim line
f; OF mountains, and broken only by 30 oc
! casionsl patch OF low growing shrubs, Oh
. by telegraph poles which lifted themselves
: at regular intervals, like gsunt reminderi
OF . distant civilization.
J remember gsncing up at them placid
> ly, aud observing that they had no cross
bars at the top. For many hours pied
I ded on patiently making mental cslcnls-
, tious ~ to the number Of miles | should
q have trayersei by daylight. Though
e myself happy to have escaped with m,
life. ana had few regrets for the fortune
, Which fancied was leaving
9 As the distance between myself snt
D Corralitos gradually Increased, "a ipeI
pressible feeling OF loneliness and isols-
ton crep, over me. aided by the desolst'