Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-23

appeared; it was hoof trail and moth
in,y more. Now a light and little trav-
eled wagon track came in from the north,
and while one branch seemed to cross the
Monee and to ascend the opposite slopes
close along the wire fence, the other
Joined him and went on down che stream.
This he decided to follow.
A ride of few hundred wards brought
him to a point where a shoulder of bluff
twisted the trail well in towards the
STRAIN, and he, thinking to cross and re-
connoiter on the other shore, turned No
Ian in that way, and was suddenly
brought up standing by the heaviest and
most forbidding wire fence he had ever
seen. Yes, there it stretched away
through the cottonwoods, straight as a
die, back to the angle whence started
the southwark course he first had noted,
and, looking down stream, far as the eye
could reach, he marked it.
"Well," thought Perry, 1--WE often
heard an Englishmans house. was his
cas- lie, but who would have thought of
stalking and wiring in half a county
hal Texas county-in this hoggish
way? How far down is the entrance,
any howY'
Following the trail, he rode down
sire am full half mile, and still there
seemed no break. Nowhere on the other
shore was there sign of bride path lead
ing up the slopes. Turning to his left in
SON impotence, he sent Nolan at rapid
lope across the intervening bottom"
and soon reached the bluffs, which rose
perhaps forty or fifty feet above the
stream. Once on the crest, the prairie
tre5ched before him northward, level as
a floor, until it met the sky; but it was
southwark he longed to look, and thither
quiC ky turned. Yes, there it lay-Dun-
raven Ranch, in all its lonely majesty.
From where he gazed the nearest build
ing stood good long mile away. That
it W rs the homestead he OWNED at once,
for broad veranda ran around the
lower story, and white curtains were
visible at the dormer windows of the
upper floor. Back of it and on the eastern
flank were other buildings, massive look
ing, single stored affairs, evidently
stab es, storehouses and corrals. There
was tall windmill there-an odd sight
IN Sd remote a region-and big water
tank.
Perry wondered how it ever got there.
Their at the southwest angle was a build
ing that looked like an office of some
kind He could see horses tethered there,
and what seemed to be human figures
moving about. Beyond it all, TO the
east and south, were herds of grazing
cattls, and here and there in the dim dis
lance a horseman moved over the prai-
RE. This reminded him of the stranger
who had given him the slip; and he
gael westward in search of him.
Far up the valley, between him and
the distant post, he could plainly see
blacl object just descending the slopes
from the southern prairie to the stream.
Not another was in sight that his prac-
ticed eye did not know to be cattle.
That, then, was his horseman, once more
! going FORWARDS In the valley, after hav-
ing made three or four mile detour to
avoid him. Now, what sort of a Chris
tian ia that fellow" thought Perry, as
he gaZed at the distant speck. Going
to the fort, too. By thunder! I'll find
out who he is, anyhow. Now I'm going
TO the ranch"
Down the slopes he rode. Down the
winding trail once more he trotted, peer
ing through every gap among the cot
tonwoods, shaking Nolan's thirst at a lit
tie pool in the stream, and then, after
another long half mile, he came to a
sudden turn to the right. The road
dipped and twisted through the stream
bed, rose TO the other side. wound through
the cottonwoods and then out on the
open turf. Huzza! There it stretched
up the slopes straight away for the south,
straight through broad gap between
two heavy gate posts standing on the
stake line of that rigid fence. Nolan
broke into a brisk canter and gave a
neigh Of salutation; Perry's eyes glistened
with anticipation rs he bent over his
chargers neck, keenly searching the odd
looking structure growing on his vision
as theT neared the fence. Then, little
by littl5, Nolan's eager stride shortened
and grew choppy. Another moment,
and horse and rider refined up short in
disappointment. Between the gate posts
swung uaIiior ~ cnhweb hghtness,
slender and airy as spider ever wove. but
bristliny with barbs, stiff as "bullfnch"
and uryielding as steel. One glance
showed Perry that this inhospitable gate
was firmly locked.
For moment he sat in saddle. study
ing the situation, while Nolan poked his
headt over the topmost strand of wire
and keeping at respectful distance from
the glittering barbs gazed wistfully over
the inclnsed prairie in search Of comrade
quadruIed who could tell him what
manner of place this was Meantime
his rider was intently eying the heavy
paddock that was secured ON the inner
side OF the gate. 1t was square in shape,
massive and bulky-something utterly
unlike anything he had ever seen among
the quartermasters stores Dismount-
ing and holding Nolan well back from
the aggressive fence with one hand,
he gingt rly passed the other through the
spike fringed aperture and turned the
paddock SO as to get n better view. 1t
was of English make, as he surmised,
and OF strength sufficient to resist any,
thing sh)r of a trip hammer. Evident
| ly no ad mission was to be gained here, he
reasoned, and yet it was through here that
that horemen had come but an hour be-
fore. Here were the fresh hoof prints in
the trail, and it was evident that the
rider had dismounted, opened the gate
led his horse through, closed and fast
ened 1t, then remounted and ridden
away. Perry was plainsman enough to
read this from the hoof prints. Studying
them carefully, look of surprise came
into his fIce; he bent down and closely
examined the two or three that were
most clearly defined upon the trail, then
gave a long whistle as means of ex-
pressing his feelings and giving play to
his aston shment
"Johnr Bull holds himself too high
and mighty to have anything to do with
us blarstad Yankees, it seems, except
when he wants his horses shod. These
shoes were set at the post blacksmith
shop, or I'm a duffer," was the lieuten-
ants verbal comment. "Now, how was
it done without the quartermaster's
KNOWING it2 That'a tho cayoIrv ,bnop