The Florida agriculturist., 1889-10-16


around, to break loose either from the
controlling hand of the trooper or from
the taut and straining picket rope. The
first care of the officer in charge of the
troop sergeants was, therefore, to see
that all the horses were securely lashed
and knotted. Not until he had examined
every ''halter shank" was Mr. Parke at
leisure to look around, but when he did
his comrade had disappeared from view.
And over this broad level, horizon
bounded, not moving object could be
seen Far away. in little groups of three
or four black dots OF grazing cattle
marked the plain, and over in the
'breaks" of the Monee, just beyond the
fringlng cottOnwOods, two or three
herds of Indian ponies were sleepily
cropping their morning meal watched
by the little black imp of boy whose
dirty red blanket made the only patch of
color against the southern landscape,
Later in the day when the sun mounted
high in the heavens and the brisk west
erly winds sent the clouds sailing swift
across the skies all the broad prairie
seemed in motion, for then huge shad-
Ows swept it's face with measured speed
and distant cattle and neighDoring pony
herd appeared as though calmly and
contentedly riding on a broad platform
Natures own observation Car taking
Ieisurely journey towards the far away
Pacific
But the sun was only just up as Mr..
Parke came back from his inspection Of
the halter fastenings and paused to look
across the low valley Far down to the
southeast the rays seemed glinting on
some bright objects clustered together
within short range of the shadowy
fringe, and the lieutenant shaded his
eyes with his gauntlet and looked fixed
ly thitherward as he stood at the stable
door
'Some new thinning down at that Eng
ish ranch they talk of. suppose" was
his explanation of the phenomenon, and
then wonder why Perry hasn't ridden
to cultivate the acquaintance of those
people before this. He was always the
first man in the -th to find out who our
neighbOrs were."
Pondering over this question, it oc-
CURED to Mr. Parke that Perry had said
he was going down the Monee that morn
ing; but nowhere was there speck in
sight that looked like Looping horseman.
To be sure, the trail bore close to the low
bluffs that bounded the valley on the
north by the time one had ridden mile
or so out from the post He was prob
ably hidden by this shoulder of the prai-
rie, and would continue to be until he
reached the bend, five miles below No
use watching for him then Besides he
might not yet have started Mr. Parke
recalled the fact that he half suspected
while ago that Ned was going to ride
an early ante-breakfast ride-with q
lady friend Mrs. BeIknap had her own
horse. and was an accomplished eques-
trienne; Mrs. Lawrence rode fairly well,
and was always glad to go, when some
body could give her saddle and reli-
able mount. There were others, too.
among the ladies of the infantry garrison
who were no novices cheval Mr.
Parke had no intention whatever of pry-
ing into the matter. 1t was simply as
something the officer in charge of stable
duty was entitled to know that he turned
suddenly and called:
''Sergt Gwynnei''
He heard the name passed down the
dark interior of the stable by the men
sweeping out the stalls, and the prompt
and CHEEKY reply. The next instant a
tall young trooper stepped forth into the