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

some mount, his garb and his general
appearance, Perry set this stranger down
as one of the Lnglishmcn residing III the
ranch 1t WAS not fear of arr,'s! and
capture that sent him scowlinS away
across the prairie; it was deliberate In
tent 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
longed for word. Another instant, and
with set teeth and blazing, angry eyes
he wns laundering ut 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 il 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 pIunginG cxcitedly, 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 shapeless 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 thick and curling
beard of lighter hue than the hair of his
massive head.
He rode with the careless ease and su-
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 fall 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-
bic, 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 brooches 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 Perryt
side, and was heightened by Nolant
spirited action and martial trappings
Perry was an exquisite in his soldier
taste. and never. except On actual cam