San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-29

|
same buxom, stalwart Mirandy she had ever
been, but now she had a new object in life;
she felt that new responsibilities required
new manners. 1t was quite picture to see
those three-Mirandy seated in low rock
ing chair before the huge, open fireplace,
filled with roaring wood fire, with her
ing her with a smile of gratified pride as she
fused and cooed over the boy. 1T beats
| all, !" he used to say, (which likes it the best
| you or him-or me-"
Sometimes the Don would ride over from
the BARGE, where he was still attached as
cook, and spend the evening. His regard for
| Mirandy was as deep as ever, but since her
marriage it had taken different form, being
now more of a paternal nature, for he had
| come to look upon her almost as daughter.
The Donnie was still known by that name
had appropriated the empty little chapel
at Santa Rosa, wherein Bob and Mirandy
had been married, and every Sunday morn
ing during the winter, he had ridden over
from the BARGE Ranch and preached there
His success in that direction had been no bet
ter than his attempts at cooking, but he was
not cast down, and persevered faithfully.
"San Nigel is pretty stony ground, but it
The new spring opened promisingly. The
price of cattle was unusually high; very
severe winter had ragged over the northern
ranges in Dakota, Montana and Wyoming,
and the losses among the cattle there had
been enormous, in some instances entire
herds having died from cold and starvation.
The stockmen of San Miguel county were
iubilant, for their own losses had been very
ha ta hair
per cent: and this, added to the fact that
3-year-old steers were bringing $50 and likely
to bring $35, made every one happy and
prospectively rich.
With the return of spring, as in former
years, men started out over the range on
preliminary surveys, in preparation for the
round up. Thus it happened that Bob left
Mrandy and the baby at his ranch one
morning and rode away. He had kept no
assistants all winter; he did his own work,
knowing it was his duty to economic for his
family's sake, and so Mirandy was left alone,
but they were neither troubled about this
Mirendy was quite able to take care of her.
self.
The next afternoon, about o'clock
horseman rode at hard gallop over the
prairie toward Bob's ranch, and checked his
horse in front of the door. Mirandy stepped
out to see who it was, but not until she had
shaded her eyes with her hand did she recog
niZe the Don.
oval, | declar'!" she said, ''ef faint you!
Won't we 'light?" But the Don declined the
invitation rather abruptly.
''Mirandy," he said, Il hearn down on tn
Pecos that there was band of Injuns out
from the reservation, loose, and"-
"Injunsr cried Mirandy, incredulously;
why. there aint no fhtuns within two hun
dr ed miles ass! q tbs xsrs~ go,
Ell You'd seen me things I've SEEN" sald !
the Don, slowly, 'you'd say there was Injuns |
within ten mile of this yere-broke out of
the Mescalero reServation-they shot at Rube |
Friday, and they're runnin off stock an |
KILN anyone they kin ketch. You must git |
your baby and come with me to the BARGE |
till this things settled"
Mirandy demurred at frst-"she warn't |
afraid of no Injuns," she said-but the recol- |
lection of her baby decided her, and in few |
minutes they were riding rapidly toward the |
BARGE, twelve miles away. Very tenderly |
the Don carried the child, wrapped in heavy |
blanket, while Mirandy rode at his side, her |
eyes constantly on the bundle. As they |
reached the top of mesa, two miles from |
their destination they paused moment to !
breathe their horses. Suddenly the Don |
noticed a cOmmotion in bunch of cattle |
behind him; they were running in evident |
alarm; then he heard a rife shot and then |
another. His keen little eyes instantly de- |
tected the cause of the disturbance
There they be! Ride! Mirandy, ride!" |
and away they dashed down the hill Spur, |
spur, and spare not! Ride, ride-for your |
lives, ride! They had good half mile the |
start, and if they could only maintain it they |
were safe. Mirandy's horse was fresher and |
speedier than the Don's, and she had con-
stantly to slow up for him, but he rode |
steadily along, giving his entire attention to |
the child And yet they had to ride care
fully, too, for if horse should step into |
prairie dogs hole, or even tumble, it would |
be fatal On they went through the dust |
their pursuers very slowly gaining on them |
and keeping up continued firing. 1t seemed |
as if they must be hit, but they rode on and |
on, never swerving nor hating a moment |
Once a rife ball furrowed the rim OF |
Mirandy's sombrero; once the DonS right |
stirrup was splintered; but still they kept on,
on, on, With the yelling fiends behind them
At last they neared the ranch (the dusk |
was slowly turning into night, and once there
they were safe, for it was garrisoned by q
dozen men-geea shots, well armed, and dar,
ing, every enc. As they dashed along the
trail, they came to place where it forked
the main track ran around mesa bluff and
down into the valley where the house stood
but there was shorter path, leading straight
i
over the cliff, down which it was possible,
with great care, to lead horse. 1t wa
rocky and steep, there being a straight jump
of five feet in one place. AS they ap.
preached the fork the Don moi Toned |