The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-12-11

the trsl, anu IT was evident that the
| rider had disnounted, opened the gate,
| led his horse through. CLOSED ard fast
ened IL. then remounted and ridden
| away. Perry was plainsnan enough TO
read this from the hoof prints. Studying
them carefully. q look Of surprise came
into his face: he bent down and csoseiy
| examined the two or throe thar we're
most clearly defined upon the trail. then
| gave long whistle as a means of ex-
pressing his feelings and giving play 10
| his astonishment.
| Johnny Bull holds himself too high
and mighty to have anything TO do witt.
| Us blarsted Yankees, it seems, excep,
when he wants his horses shod. these
shoes were set at the post blacksmith
! shop, or I'm dufer," was the heuten-
ants verbal comment "Now, how was
it done without the quartermasters
knowing it: That's the cavalry shoer'
Pondering over this unlocked for reve-
latinn. MIR. Perry once more mounted
and turned his disappointed steed again
down stream. At last. full half u mile
farther on. he saw that wire fence ran
southwark again across the prairie. as
| though marking the eastern boundary
of the homestead iaclosure. and con-
jecturiag that there was probably trail
along that fence and an opening through,
even if the southeastward line should be
found fenced still farther, he sent Nolan
through the Monee to the open bank on
the northern side, cantered along until
the trail turned abruptly southwark,
and, following it, found himself once
more at the fence just where the heavy
corner post stood deeply imbedded in
the soil. Sure enough, here ran another
fence straight UP the gentle slope to the
south, trail along it's eastern side, and
a broad cattle gap, dusty and tramped
with the hoofs of a thousand steers, was
left in the fence that, prolonged down
stream, spanned the northern boundary.
Inside the homestead lot all was virgin
| turf.
Following the southwark trail, Perry
rode briskly up the long incline. 1t was
east of this fence he had seen the cattle
herds and their mounted watchers. He
was far beyond the ranch buildings, but
| felt sure that once well up on the prairie
he could have an uninterrupted view of
them and doubtless meet some of the
ranch people and satisfy himself what
there was in the stories of their churlish
and repellent demeanor. The sun was
climbing higher all this time, and he,
| eager in pursuit of his reconnaissance,
gave little heed to fleeting minutes. II
fair means could accomplish it, he and
Nolan We're bound to have acquaintance
with Dunraven Ranch.
/ Ten minutes easy lope brought him
well up on the prairie. There-westward
now-was the mysterious clump of brown
buildings, just as far away as when he
stood, baff1ed and disappointed, by the
gateway ON the Monee. Here, leading
away towards the distant buildings, was
a bride path. Here in the fence was a
gap just such as he had entered on the
stream, and that gap was barred and
| guarded by the counterpart of the first
gate and firmly secured by paddock
that was the others twin. Mr.. Perry's
comment at this point of his explora-
tions was brief and characteristic, if not
Objectionable. He gave vent - the same
low whistle, half surprise, half vexation,
|
supplemented the whistle with the
unnecessary remark: "Well. I'll be
damnedr'
Even Nolan entered his protest against
such incredible exclusiveness. Thrusting
his lean head far over the topmost wires,
as before, he signaled long and shrill-
a neigh that would have caught the ear
of any horse within n mile-and then,
all alert, he waited for an answer. 1t
came floating ON the rising wind, a re-
sponsive call, a signal as eager and con-
fident as his own, and Nolan and No
lan's rider whirled quickly around to see
the source from whence it rose. Four
hundred yards away, just appearing over
little knoll in the prairie, and moving
towards them from the direction of a
distant clump of grazing cattle, another
horse and rider came trotting into hail
ing distance; and Perry, his bright blue
eyes dilating, and Nolan, his dainty, SEN
sitive ears pricked forward, turned
promptly to meet and greet the new ar
rivals.
For fifty yards or so the stranger rode
confidently and at rapid trot. Perry
smilingly watched the outturned toes,
the bobbing, "bent over" seat, and an.
gular elbows that seemed so strange and
out of place on the broad Texan plain.
He could almost see the "crop" in the
free hand, and was smiling to himself
at the idea of "crop" to open wire
gates, when he became aware of the
fact that the strangers mien had chang.
| nd. r,v-fy 20
itancy, and he was evidently checking
the rapid trot of his horse and throwing
his weight back on the cantle, while his
feet, thrust through to the very heels in
the cleaning steel stirrups, were braced
in frontaof the powerful shoulders of the
bay. The horse wanted to come, the
rider plainly wanted to stop. Another
moment. and Perry could see that the
stranger wore eyeglasses and had just
succeeded in bridging them on his nose
and was glaring at him with his chin
high in air. They were within two hun
Gred yards of each other by this time,
and to Perry's astonishment, the next
thing the stranger did was to touch
sharply his horse with barbed heel,
whirl him spitefully about, and go bob
bing off across the prairie at lively can
ter, standing up in his stirrups, and be-
striding his steed as though his object
were not so much a ride as game of leap
. frog.
. Itwas evident that he had caught sight
of Perry when Nolan neighed, had rid.
den at once to meet him, expecting to
find some one connected with the ranch,
and had veered off in disgust the mo.
ment he was able to recognize the uni
form and horse equipments of the United
States cavalry
IContinued next week.
| CONSUMPTION SURELY CURED.
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