The Dickinson press., 1889-12-21

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~3@sSXN speculation. His horse
SE was one he rejoiced in,
full of spirit and spring and intelligence;
the morning was beautiful, just cool
enough to be exhilarating; his favorite
hound, Bruce, went bounding over the
turf under the slopes, or ranging off
through the cottonwoods along the
stream, or the shallow, SANDY urroy v,,,
where the grass and weeds grew ranli
and luxuriant. Every now and tnerl
with sudden rush and whir a drove Of
prairie chickens would leap from the:s
covert, and. after vigorous Tapping of
wings for a few rods, would go skim
ming restfully in long easy curve, and
settle to earth again hundred yards
away, as though suddenly reminded Of
the fact that this was mating time and
no gentleman would be mean enough to
shoot at such season.
Every little while, too, with prodigious
kicking of dust and show of heels, with
eyes fairly bulging out of his feather
Drained head, and tall lop ears laid fiat
on his back, big jack rabbit would
bound off into space, and go tearing
across the prairie in mad race for his
threatened life, putting milo between
him and the Monee before he began to
realize that the two quadrupeds ambling
along tho distant trail were obedient to
the will of that single rider, who had nc
thought to spare for game SO small.
Some Indian ponies, grazing across his
pathway, set back their stuntcd ears,
and, COW like, refused to budgc at sight
and hearing of the big American horse
whercat little vagabond of Cheyenne,
not ten years old nor four feet high, set
up shrill chatter and scrcech and let
drive a few we'll directed clods of turf,
and then showed his white teeth in 4
grin as Perry sung out chccry "How
sonny" and spurrcd on through the
opening thoroughfarc. needless of spite
full pony looks or threatening heels.
Perrys spirits rose with every rod.
Youth, health, contentment, all were
his, and his heart was warm towards hi.
fellow men. To the best of his reckon
ing, he had not an enemy or dctractor IL
the world. He was all gladness of ma
turc, all friendlincss, frankncss and cor.
diality. The toughest cowboy whom,
they met OH the long march down, tho
most grabbed of the frontiersmen they
had ever encountered, was never proof
against such sunshine as seemed to ir
radiate his face. He would 80 out OF
his way at any time to meet and hail ;
fellow man upon the prairies, and rarely
came back without knowing all about
him-where he was from, where he wa.
bound and what were his hopes ant
prospects And as for himself, no mar
was reader to answer questions or tc
meet in friendliest and most jovial spiri
the rough but we'll meant greetings o
1.-The plains
Being in this frame of mind to an ex
tent even greater than his normal wont
Mr.. Perrys eyes glistened, and he strucl
spur to hasten Nolans stride, when, fa
ahead, and coming towards him on the
trail, he saw horseman like himself
Being in this mood of sociability, he wa
something more than surprised to SCI
that all of sudden that horseman hat
reined ina mere black dot mile ava,
and was presumably examining him a
he advanced. Hostile Indians there hat
been none for many long month, "roat
agents would have starved in region
where there practically were no roads
cowboys might, and did, get on frolic
and have wild "tears' at times, but VIII,
ever heard of their being hostile, man t,
man: Yet Perry was plainsman enough
| to tell, even at the mile of distance, tina
the stranger had halted solely to scruti
nize him, and, next, to his vast astonish
ment, that something in his appearance
had proved either alarming or suspicious
| for the horseman had turned abruptly
plunged through the timber and acros
the stream, and in another moment
veering that way himself to see, PER-,
marked him fairly racing into the moutl
of shallow ravine, or "break," that en-
tered the valley from the south, ant
there he was lost to sight.
What an ill hammered galoot." wa
his muttered comment as he gave Nolal
brief chance to crop the juicy grass
while his perturbed rider sat gazing
across the stream in the direction take,
by the shy horseman. "Ive half 1nint
to drop the ranch and put out after tha
fellow. That ravine can't go in so very
far but what he must soon show up OF
the level prairie; and Ill bet Nolan coule
run him down" After moments re
Election, however, Mr.. Perry concluded
that as he had come so far and was nov
nearly within rife shot of the mysteriou
goal of his morning ride, he might a
well let the stranger go, and pushet
ahead himself for Dunraven.
The stream bent southwark just at til,
point where he had first caught sight o
the horseman, and around that point h,
knew the ranch to be. Very probably
that was one of the ranchmen of whom
Mrs. Lawrence had spoken-churlish fel
lows, with civil word for nobody, grin
and repellent. Why, certainly. Tha
accounted for his evident desire to avoi.
the cavalryman; but he need not hav