The Florida agriculturist., 1889-11-20
CHAPTER XVII.-Continued.

IQOn, through UH0 u00p0uIuS twilight
he strobe, following the trail that led
southwark up the slopes. Five minutes
brisk walk along the springy turf
brought him to the crest and in view of
the lights at the ranch buildings, still
some six or seven hundred yards away
ALI through the eastern sky the stars were
peeping forth, and even through the
gleam of the twilight in the west two
brilliant planets shone like molten gold
ALI was silence and peace on every hand,
and, but for those guiding, glimmering
lights at the south, all would have told
of desoIation Behind him in the valley
waited his faithful men. Far beyond the
Monee, out on the northern prairie, he
knew that comrades were securing the
face of the earth in search of their miss
ing brother Up the stream, somewhere
behind them, the Cheyennes were pa
tiently trailing the hoof tracks as long
as light should last; he knew that search
must be at an end by this time, and that
some of their number at least, would be
riding down to join his men. Whoever
found the sergeant was to fire three shots
way in that intense stiffness, and that
signal was to recall the searching par
ties Every step brought him deeper
into the darkness of the night yet
nearer and nearer those twinkling lights
ahead
Already he could distinguish those in
the main building, the homestead, from
those more distant still. in the store
rooms and Office. Far over among the
stables and corrals he heard the deep
baying of hounds, and he wondered if it
was to be his luck to encounter any en-
terprising watch dogs. An English bull
terrier would be lively entertainer,
thought he, with instructive motion to-
wards the flap of his holster; and it
would be a wonder il ranch that sur
rounded itself with fifty miles of barbed
wire fencing were not further environed
by a pack of watch dogs of the most ap-
proved and belligerent breed Once
having passed the distant barrier of that
gate on the Monee however. his way
was unimpeded, and, to all appearance
utterly unmarked, he had arrived with
in fifty yards of the foremost building,
the homestead, before he was brought to
a halt Then he stopped short, sur
prised, half credulous, and all attention.
listening to the concord of sweet
sounds" that came floating from the
open easement somewhere along the east
front of the big, gloomy house
"One part of the story verified. by
JoveI It's a piano-and well played.
too
Full a minute he stood there listening
Perry was dancer. whose nimble feet
moved blithely to any measured, rhyth-
mical strains, and soldier whose soul
was stirred by martial music, but with
Chopin and Mendelssohn, Bach and
Rubenstein he had but slight acquaint-
ance That any one should be playing
a piano here on the borders of the Llano
Estacado was in itself sufficient cause
for wonderment; that the invisible per-
former was playing-and playing with
exquisite taste and feeling-one of the
loveliest of the "Lieder ohne Worte,
the ''Spring Song" was fact that con-
veyed no added astonishment to his soul;
he never knew it until one sweet night
long after
However, matters more pressing than
music demanded Mr. Perry's attention
Just here He had reached Dunraven,