The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-12-14
here to turn down any light Eth! what

to interrupt" put in II gentle voice ut his
elbow, while n little hand on Perry's arm
gave 1t sudden and vigorous squeeze,
"but Capt. Lawrence has called mo twice
-ho will not re-enter after lighting his
cigar-and l must say good night"
"Oh, good night, Mrs. Lawrence. I'm
sorry you go so early. We are going to
reform you all in that respect us soon as
we get fairly settled. Here's Perry, now,
would sit up and play whist with me an
hour yet"
"Not this night, colonel. Hehas prom
ised to walk home with us" (anothcr
squeeze), "and go he must, or be faith
less escort. Good night. We'vo had
such lovely, lovely time"
And Ned Perry, dazed, went with her
to the gate, whcro Capt. Lawrence was
awaiting them. She had barely time to
murmur:
You were just Oh the point of telling
him about the doctors lights. cannot
forgive myself for being tho means of
seeing it; but keep my confidence, and
kecp-this until everybody is talking
about it; it will come soon enough"
Naturally, Mr.. Perry went home somc-
what perturbed in spirit and all alive
with conjecture rs to what these things
could mean. Tho first notes of "asscm-
bly, of tho trumpctcrs' known
as first call'-roused him from his slcep,
and by tho time the men marched out to
the stables he had had his plunge bath, a
vigorous rub and chance to think over
his plans before following in their tracks,
dressed for his ride. Tho astonishmcnt
of Lieut.. Parke, tho junior of tho troop,
was something almost too deep for words
when Perry camo bounding to his side.
"Wnat on earth brings you out, Ned?"
was his only effort.
"Going for a gallop-down the NIoncc;
that's all. l haven't had Il freshencr for
n week"
"Gaa! we get exercise enough at
morning drill, ono would think, and our
horses too. Off And Mr.. Parlc
stopped suddenly. 1t Itflashed across him
that perhaps Perry was going riding
with lady friend and the hour was her
selection. If SO, twas no business of
his, and remarks were uncallcd for
When hcmomted and rode away from
the stable Mr.. Parke was outside at the
picket rope, and busily occupied in his
duties, supervising tho fastening of tho
fresh, spirited horses at the line, for the
troop commander was u man intolerant
OF disorder of any kind, and nothing
moro offended his eye than the sight of
two or thrce of his charges loose and
plunging and kicking up and down the
stable yard. On the other hand, there
was no one exploit that seemed to give
the younger animals kcencr delight
nothing that made the perpctrator; Il big
ger hero in his own eyes or tho object of
greater envy among his fellows-and as
consequence every device of which
equine ingenuity was master was called
into play, regularly rs tho morning camo
around, to break loose either from the
controlling hand of tho trooper or from
the taut and straining picket rope. The
iirst care of the officer in charge of the
troop scrgcants was, therefore, to Gee
that all the horses were securely lashcd
and knottcd. Not until he had examined
every chatter shank" was Mr.. Parkc at
leisure to look around, but when he did
his comrade had disappeared from view.
And over this broad level, horizon
bounded, not a moving object could be
seen. Far away, in littlcgroups of thrce
or four, black dots of grazing cattle
marked the plain, and over in tho
"breaks" of the Monee, just beyond the
fringing cottonwoods, two or three
herds of Indian ponies were slecpily
cropping their morning meal, watched
by the little black imp of boy whose
dirty red blanket made the only patch of
color against tho southern landscape.
Later in the day, when the sun mounted
high in the heavens and tho brisk west
crly winds sent tho clouds sailing swift
across the skies, all the broad prairie
seemed in motion, for then huge shad-
ows swept its face with measured speed
and distant cattle and ncighboring pony
herd appeared as though calmly and
contcntcdly riding on broad platform,
Natures own "observation car. taking
a lcisureIy journey towards the fur away
Pacific.
But the sun was only just up as Mr..
Parke came back from his inspection of
the halter fastcnings and paused to look
across the low valley. Far down to tho
southeast tho rays seemed glinting OH
some bright objects clustered together
within short range of the shadowy
fringe, and tho lieutenant shaded his
eyes with his gauntlet and looked fixed
ly thithcrwar1 as he stood at tho stable
door.
"Somc new Timing down at that Tng-
lish ranch they talk Of, suppose" was
his explanation of tho phenomenon, and
then wonder why Perry hasn't ridden
to cultivate tho acquaintance of those
people before this. He was always tho
first man in the TIL to find out who our
ncighbors wcrc."
Pondcring over this question, it oc-
Cured to Mr.. Parke that Perry had said
he Was going down the Moncc that morn
ing; but nowhere was there a spcck in
sight that looked like Looping horscman
To be sure, the trail bore close to the low
bluffs that bounded tho valley on the
north by the tilno one had ridden a milo
or SO out from the post. lie was prob
ably hidden by this shoulder Of the prai-
ric, and would continue to bo until he
reached the bend, five miles below. No
use watching for him then. Besides, ho
might not yet have started. Mr.. Parko
recalled the fact that he half suspected
while ago that Ned was going to ride
an early antc-brcakfast ride-with a
lady friend. Mrs. Bclknap had her own
horse, and was an accomplished cqucs-
tricnnc; Mrs. Lawrence rode fairly well,
and was always glad to go, when some
body could give her saddle and a rcl-
able mount. There were others, too,
among the ladies of the infantry garrison
who wero no noviccs a chcval. Mr.
Parkc 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:
"Scrgt. Gwynnc"
He heard the name passed down the
4 -I- 81 t.l L., I,