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

iuli VI S)lIlI anu spring ana intelligence;
the morning was beautiful, just cool
enough to be exhilarating; his favorite
hound, Bruce, went bounding over the
turf under the slopes, or ranging off
through the cottonwoods along the
stream, or the shallow, sandy arroyos,
where the grass and weeds grew rank
and luXuriant. Every now and then
with sudden rush and whir a drove of
prairie chickens would leap from their
| covert, and, after vigorous tapping of
wings for few rods, would go skim
ming restfully III long easy curve, and
| settle to earth again a hundred yards
away, as though suddenly reminded of
| the fact that this was mating time and
no gentleman would be mean enough to
shoot at such a season.
Every little while, too, with prodigious
kicking Of dust and show Of heels, with
eyes fairly bulging out of his feather
Drained head, and tall lop ears laid flat
on his back, big jack rabbit would
bound off into space, and go tearing
across the prairie in mad race for his
threatened life, putting mile between
him and the Monee before he began to
realize that the two quadrupeds ambling
along the distant trail were obedient to
the will of that single rider, who had no
thought to spare for game so small.
Some Indian ponies, grazing across his
pathway, set back thsir stunted ears.
and, COW like, refused to bulge as sight
and hearing of the Dig American horse;
whereat little vagabond of Cheyenne,
not ten years old nor four feet high, set
| up shrill chatter and screech and let
drive few well directed clods of turf,
and then showed his white teeth in
grin as Perry sung out CHEEKY "Howl
sonny" and spurred on through the
opening thoroughfare, needless of spite
fnl pony looks or threatening heels.
Perry's spirits rose with every rod.
Youth, health, contentment, all were
his, and his heart was warm towards his
fellow men. To the best of his reckon
ing, he had not an enemy or detractor in
the world. He was all gladness of ma
ture, all friendliness, frankness and cor
diality. The toughest cowboy whom
they met Oh the long march down, the
| most Grabbed of the frontiersmen thev
had ever encountered, was never proof
against such sunshine as seemed to ir-
radiate his face. He would go out: of
his way at any time to meet and hail a
fellow man upon the prairies, and rarely
came back without knowing all about
him-where he was from, where he was
bound and what were his hopes and
prospects. And as for himself, no man
was reader to answer questions or to
meet in friendliest and most jovial spirit
the rough but well meant greetings of
1.-The plains"
Being in this frame of mind TO an ex-
tent even greater than his normal wont,
MIR. Perrys eyes glistered, 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 see
that all of a sudden that horseman had
reined in-a mere black dot mile away
and was presumably examining him as
he advanced. Hostile Indians there had
been none for many a 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-
nlze 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 shallow ravine, or "break," that en-
tered the valley from the south, and
there he was lostto sight
"What an Ill hammered galoot." was
his muttered comment as he gave Nolan
brief chance to crop the juicy grass,
while his pertrbed rider sat gazing
across the stream in the direction taken
by the shy horseman. 'sI've half mind
to drop the ranch and put out after that
fellow. That raviue can't go 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, Mr.. Perry concluded
that as he had come SO far and was now
nearly within rifle shotof the mysterious
goal of his morning ride, he might as
well let the stranger so, and pushed
ahead himself for Dunraven
The stream bent southwark Just at the
point where he had first caught sight of
the horsemfm. and around that point he
knew the ranch to be. Very probably
that was ore of the ranchnen of whom
Mrs. Lawrence had spoxen-churlish fell
lows, with "a civil word for-uobody. grim.