Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-08

Being in this frame of mind 10 an ex.
tent even greater than his normal wont,
Mr.. Perry's eyes glistened, and he struck
spur to hasten Nolan's stride, when, far
ahead, and coming towards him on the
trail, he saw a horseman like himself
Being in this mood of sociability, he was
something more than surprised to sec
that all of a sudden that horseman had
refined ina mere black dot a mile away
and was presumably examining him as
he advanced. Hostile Indians there had
been none for many long month, "road
agents would have starved in a region
where there practically were no roads,
cowboys might, and did, get on frolics
and have wild tears" at times, but who
ever heard of their being hostile, man to
man? Yet Perry was plainsman enough
to tell, even at the mile of distance, that
the stranger had halted solely to scruti-
nize him, and. next, to his vast astonish-
ment, that something in his appearance
had proved either alarming or suspicious,
for the horseman had turned abruptly,
plunged through the timber and across
the stream, and in another moment,
veering that way himself to see, Perry
marked him fairly racing into the mouth
of a shallow ravine, or break" that en-
tered the valley from the south, and
there he was lost to sight.
What an i'll hammered galootP was
his muttered comment as he gave Nolan
brief chance to crop the juicy grass,
while his perturbed rider sat gazing
across the stream in the direction taken
by the shy horseman. I've half mind
to drop the ranch and put out after that
fellow. That ravine can't 20 In so very
far but what he must soon show up on
the level prairie; and I'll bet Nolan could
run him down. After moments re-
Election, however, Sir. Perry concluded
that as he had come so far and was now
nearly within rifle shot of the mysterious
goal of his morning ride, he might as
well let the stranger 20, and pushed
ahead himself for Dunraven.
The stream bent southwark just at the
point where he had first caught sight of
the horseman. and AROUND that point he
knew the ranch to be Very probably
that was one of the ranchmen of whom
Mrs. Lawrence had spoipn-churlish fell
lows, with a civil wur.l for nobody, grim
and repeIlrnt Wig. certainly. That
accounted for his evident desire to avoid
the cavalryman: but he need not have
been in such desperate haste-need not
have kept at such unapproachable
bounds, as though he Stunned even being
seen That was the queer thing, thought
Perry lie acted just as though he did
not want To he recognized. Perhaps he'd
been up To some devilment at the ranch.
This thought gave spur to his speed
and Nolan. responsive to his master S
mood. leaped forward along the winding
trail once more. The point was soon
reached and turned, and the first object
that caught I'rrry's eye was long row
of stakes stretching from the cotton
woods straight to the south up the gen.
tie slope to the prairie, and indicating be-
yond all question the presence there of
stout and high and impossible wire fence.
There are few things the cavalryman
holds in meaner estimate.
THAT marks the western limit,
thought Perry to himself. land doubt
less reaches miles away to the south,
from what hear Now. where does one
enter
little farther on he came upon Il
trail leading from the low bluffs to his
left hand 1t crossed the winding bride
path on which he rode, though some of
the hoof tracks seemed to join, and wheel
tracks too. lie had marked that between
the fort and the point no sign of wheel
appeared; it WAS hoof trail end moth
ing more. Now light and little tray
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 the stream.
This he decided to follow.
A ride Of few hundred yards brought
him to point where shoulder of bluff
twisted the trail well in towards the
stream, 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
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, I've often
heard an Englishman's house was his
castle, but who would have thought of
stalking and wiring in half a county
half a Texas county-in this hoggish
way? How far down is the entrance,
anyhow"
Following the trail, he rode down
stream 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
some 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
stretched before him northward, level as
a floor, until it met the sky; but it was
southwark he longed to look, and thither
quickly 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
1t was the homestead he OWNED at once, 4
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
stables, storehouses and corrals. There
was tall windmill there-an odd sight