The Florida agriculturist., 1889-10-23


was far beyond the ranch buildings, but
felt sure that once we'll up on the prairie
he could have an uninterrupted view of
them and doubtless meet some Of the
ranch people and satisfy himself what
there was in the stories of their churlish
and repellent demeanor The sun was
climbing higher all this time, and he,
eager in pursuit of his reconnaissance,
gave little heed to feeting minutes. II
fair means could accomplish it, he and
Nolan were bound to have acquaintance
with Dunraven Ranch
Ten minutes easy lope brought him
well up on the prairie. There-westwarG
now-was the mysterious clump of brown
buildings, just as far away as when he
stood, bafded and disappointed, by the
gateway on the MOnee. Here, leading
away towards the distant buildings, was
bride path Here in the fence was g
gap just such as he had entered on the
stream, and that gap was barred anC
guarded by the counterpart of the first
gate and firmly secured by paddock
that was the others twin Mr.. Perrys
comment at this point of his explora
tions was brief and characteristic, if not
Objectionable. He gave vent to the same
low whistle, half surprise, half vexation,
that had comforted his soul BEFORE but
supplemented the whistle with the
unnecessary remark: "Well, I'll be
damnedI s f
Even Nolan entered his protest against
such incredible exclusiveness. Thrusting
his lean head far over the topmost wires,
as before, he signaled long and shrill-
a neigh that would have caught the eal
of any horse within mile-and then,
all alert, he waited for an answer. II
came floating on the rising wind, a re-
sponsive call, a signal as eager and con.
fldent as his own, and Nolan and No
Ian's rider whirled quickly around to see
the source from whence it rose -Four
hundred yards away, just appearing over
a little knoll in the prairie, and moving
towards them from the direction of
distant clump of grazing cattle, another
horse and rider came trotting into hail
ing distances; and Perry. his bright blue
eyes dilating, and Nolan, his dainty, sen.
sitive ears pricked forward, turned
promptly to meet and greet the new ar
rivals.
For fifty yards or so the stranger rode
confidently and at rapid trot. Perry
smilingly watched the outturned toes.
the bobbing, ''bent over" seat, and an
gl1lar elbows that seemed so strange anG
out of place on the broad Texan plain
He could almost see the ''crop" in the
free hand, and was smiling to himself
at the idea of crop to open wire
gates, when he became aware of the
fact that the strangers mien had chang
ed; confidence was giving place to hes
itancy and he was evidently checking
the rapid trot of his horse and throwing
his weight back on the cantle, while his
feet, thrust through to the very heels in
the cleaning steel stirrups, were braced
in front of the powerful shoulders of the
bay The horse wanted to come, the
rider plainly wanted to stop. Another
moment. and Perry could see that the
stranger wore eyeglasses and had just
succeeded in bridging them on his nose
and was glaring at him with his chin
high in air. They were within two hun
dred yards of each other by this time
and to Perrys astonishment. the next
thing the stranger did was to touch
sharply his horse with a barbed heel,
whirl him spitefully about, and go bob.
bing off across the prairie at lively can
ter, standing up in his stirrups, and be-