The Florida agriculturist., 1889-10-23

most Grabbed of the frOnt1ersmen They
had ever encountered. was never proof
against such sunshine as seemed to ir
radiate his face He would go out O.
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 wal
bound and what were his hopes anC
prospects And as for himself, no maj
was reader to answer questions or t(
meet in friendliest and most iovial spiri
the rough but well meant greetings O.
1.-The plains.
Being in this frame of mind TO an ex
tent even greater than his normal wont
Mr. Perry's eyes glistened, and he strucl
spur to hasten Nolan's stride, when, fa
ahead, and coming towards him on thu
trail, he saw horseman like himself
Being in this mood of sociability, he wa
something more than surprised to SCI
that all of a sudden that hOrseman ha(
reined ina mere black dot mile away
and was presumably examining him a.
he advanced Hostile Indians there haC
been none for many a long month. "roat
d
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, tha
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 across
the stream, and in another moment
veering that way himself to see. PER-,
marked him fairly racing into the mouth
of shallow ravine, or "break," that en-
tered the valley from the south. anG
there he was lost to sight.
What an ILL hammered galoot" wa.
his muttered comment as he gave Nola1
brief chance to crop the juicy grass
while his perturbed rider sat gazing
across the stream in the direction taker
by the shy horseman. 1--we half a minC
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 or
the level prairie; and I'll bet Nolan coulc
run him down." After moments re-
Election. however. Mr. Perry concluded
that as he had come so far and was now
nearly within rifle shot of the mysterious
goal of his morning ride. he might az
well let the stranger go, and pushed
ahead himself for Dunraven.
The stream bent southward just at the
point where he had first caught sight OF
the horseman. and around that point he
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, grim
and repellent. Why, certainly. Thai
accounted for his evident desire to avoid
the cavalryman: but he need not have
been in such desperate haste-need not
have kept at such unapproachable
bounds, as though he stunned even being
seen That was the queer thing, thought
Perry He acted just as though he die
not want to be recognized. Perhaps he'd
been up to some devilment at the ranch
This thought gave spur to his speed
and Nolan, responsive to his masters
mood, Ieaped forward along the winding
trail once more. The point was soor
reached and turned, and the first object