Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-26

some mount, his garb and his general
appearance, Perry set this stranger down
as one of the Englishmen residing at the
ranch. IL was not fear of arrest and
capture that sent him scowling away
across the prairie; it was deliberate in
t,nt to avoid, and this was, TO Perry's
thinking, tantamount TO insult. One
moment he gazed after the retreating
form OF the horseman, then clapped his
forage cap firmly down upon his head,
shook free the rein and gave Nolan the
louged for word. Another instant, and
with set teeth and blazing, angry eyes
he was laundering at headlong speed,
swooping down upon the unconscious
stranger in pursuit. Before that sun
burned, curly haired, bulkily framed
young man had the faintest idea of what
was impending, Mr.. Perry was refining
in his snorting steed alongside and cut
tingly accosting him:
Il beg your pardon, my good sir, but
may ask what you mean by trotting
away when it must have been evident
that ! wanted to speak with your"
The stranger turned slightly and coolly
eyed the flushed and indignant cavalry
man. They were trotting side by side
now, Nolan plunging excitedly, but the
English horse maintaining his even
stride; and stronger contrast of type and
style one could scarcely hope to find. In
rough tweed shooting jacket and cap,
brown Bedford cords fitting snugly at
the knee but Tapping like shapeIess bags
from there aloft TO the waist, in heavy
leather CATERS and equally heavy leather
gloves, the stocky figure Of the English
man had nothing of grace or elegance,
but was sturdy, strong, and full of that
burly self reliance which Is so charac-
terestic of the race. Above his broad,
STOPPING shoulders were bull neck, red
dened by the sun, crop of close curl
ing, light brown hair, a tanned and
honest face lighted up by fearless gray
eyes and shaded by a thick and curling
beard Of lighter hue than the hair Of his
massive head.
he rode with the careless ease and SUI
preme confidence Of the skilled horse
man, but with that angularity of foot
and elbow, that roundness OF back and
punching Of shoulders, that incessant
rise and fan with every beat Of his
horses powerful haunch, that the effect
was that of neither security nor repose.
His saddle, too, was the long, fat seated
Australian model, pig skin, with huge
rounded leathern cushions circling in
front and over the knees, adding to the
cumbrousness of his equipment and in
no wise to the comfort; but his bit and
curb chain were Of FURNISHED steel,
cleaning as though fresh from the hands
Of some incompatible English groom,
and the russell reins were soft and plia-
BILE, telling OF excellent stable manage
ment and discipline. Perry couldn't
help admiring that bride. even in his
temporary fit Of indignation.
As for him-tall, slender, elegantly
made, clothed in the accurately fitting
undress "blouse" Of the army and in rid
ing breeches that displayed TO best ad-
vantage the superb molding of his pow
erful thighs, sitting like centaur well
down in the saddle, his feet and lower
legs, cased in natty riding boots, swing
ing close in behind the cleaning shout
ders of his steed, erect as on parade, yet
swaying with every motion of his horse,
graceful, gallant, and to the full as pow
erful as his burly companion, the advan-
tage in appearance was all on Perry's
side, and wac heightened by Nolan's
spirited action and martial trappines.
Perry was an exquisite in his soldier
taste, and never, except on actual cam
paign, rode his troop horse without his
broidered saddle cloth and cleaning
bosses. All this, and more, the English.
man seemed quietly noting as. finally.
without the faintest trace of irritability,
with even a suspicion of humor twink.
ling about the corners Of his mouth, he
replied:
"A fellow may do as he likes when
he's on his own bailiwick, suppose"
"All the same, wherever I've been,
from here to Assiniboia, men meet like
Christians, unless they happen to be road
agents or cattle thieves What's more,
am an officer Of regiment just arrived
here, and. from the Missouri down, there
isn't a ranch along our trail where we
were not welcome and whose occupants
were not hail fellow well met in our
camps. You are the first people to shun
us; and, as that fort yonder was built for
your protection in days when it was bad
ly needed, / want to know what there is
about its garrison that is SO obnoxious to
Dunraven Ranch-that's what you call
it, believe?"
That's what-it is called
"Well, herel I've no intention of in
truding where we're not wanted. SIM |
ply didn't suppose that on the broad |
prairies of the west there was such a |
place as a ranch where one Of my cloth |
was unwelcome. am Mr.. Perry, Of the |
-th cavalry, and I'm bound TO say I'd |
like to know what you people have |
against us. Are you the proprietor"
I'm not. I'm only an employee"
"Who Is the ownerY'
Hes not here now"
who is here who can explain the |
situation?'
"Oh, as to that, / fancy / can do it as
well as anybody. 1t is simply because
we have TO do pretty much as you fell
lows-obey orders. The owners orders
are not aimed at you any more than any
body else. He simply wants TO be let
aiono- ne pOuBnt TINS tract ana settled
here because he wanted a place where
he could have things his own way-see
people whom he sent for and nobody
Use Every man in his employ is ex-
,ected to stick to the ranch so long as
he is on the pay roll, and to carry out
lis instructions. II he can't. he NAV
TO-"
And your instructions are to prevent
'eople getting into the ranch?"
'Oh, hardly that, you know. We don't
Interfere There's never any one to come.
Is rule, and, when they do. the fence
'eems to be sufficient"
Amply, should say; and yet were
% tell you that had business with the
proprietor and needed to ride up to the
'anch. you would open the gate yonder.
SUPPOSE
mo; ! would tell you that the owner
vas away, and that In his absence I
ransacted all business for HIM."