Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-02-02
A HUT IN THE PRAIRIE.

i'NN fllAWihNNN iN I'i''Nl'N h'hAs i'HiA
nation plainly cxpr, sd IN the drpop Of
his tail and ears. \ Texas prairie lisa
beautiful. soul inspiring sight ona bright
day, when the sky i an inverted bowl u
turquois. and the wind comes sweeping
over the grassy waste ~ fresh and sweet
a. tho bloom ON n bahy's cheek. bnt
thnro can he no greater sense II desola.
ton born u nature than thu, aroused BY
this same prairie when It lies black and
bare 20 the chill October wind. which
his plucied the glory Of Indian summer
from earth and sky.
tfolt this A. gazed about me. discou.
ccrtcd and even n tfihc anxious. for tho
nun had Ut some minutes before IN n
cloud heap. which. closing over II like
rebel horde deposing It's king. oycrran
his monarchy with IT, blood red standard.
In place Of tho ranch. the hearty wei.
come. pleasant words. bed, supper and
Ere I had expected 10 reach by sunset,
thorc was nothing 20 be sccn before. be.
hind. on either hand, but the dead level
OF the plain. There wcrcpaihs In plenty;
In fact. the trouble was there were too
inany--all narrow and winding. for
whose meandering there seemed not tho
slightest excuse, except the general tend.
cncy 70 crookcdnc-a most things, AMI.
mate and inanimate alike, possess. But
IL would have taken the instinct Of q
bloodhound or trailing Indian 10 havc
said which paths had been made by
horses feet or those Of cattle. II was
certainly beyond my powers TO decide,
and In addition TO their doubtful nature
they had a most pcrplcxing way OF run.
ming into each other, crossing aud re-
crossing. going of NJ tangent and fire.
qucntly wandering oil and getting lost
altogether. so | soon dismissed the
problem as hopeless Of solution.
Now that the sun was gone, found
my knowledge ~ the points q the COM
pass gone with n. As sat pcrplexed
and worried the gloom Of twilight gath
cred fast aud tho chill ~ coming rain
smoto mo through and through, while In
the distance there was the roll o. thuu.
der CHANGING up saw that the masses
Of cloud had closed together in curtain
Of gray mist. Ny horse strobe on Of
his own accord. aud hoping that his In.
s,inct would lead Us TO some house let
him hayc Ids viii. Presently Il began
10 rnin, n sort Of hcar,brokon, passion
less weeping, bnt with steady deter.
mination 10 parscvere all night. that
awokc gravcr apprehension In my boroJn
than any .sapount .of clustering, SHOW.
cry downl,our could have done. THIS
fine still rain was accompanied by a low
soughine wind that added its dcsolato
note to tho general drcariness Of tho
hour. OF course did not mind little
rain. but the prospect Of spending the
entire night exposed 10 II was anything
but agreeable. and grew realty violent
In denunciation Of the folly which had
led me, nm utter stranger IN the coun'
try, to attempt 10 find anything les
than n volcano In active eruption on d
bald prairie.
: The Texans are fine people, In som'
in many-rcspccts the most admirable
Of hosts, but individually and collect
lively they lack any appreciation Of dis
, lance. This Is due of course TO then
, having 20 much space around them, bu
i 10 stranger ignorant of tho extent q
) which the phrases "a little piece ont
4 and "iust outside o town can b
: stretched this contcmptuous regard o
n miles q little misleading. But In IA
!. face Of that drcnry, monotonous moan
y ing Of rain and wind even my anger a
my own folly conld not burn long, an
though chilled to tho bone aud tired an
hungry plodici on DULY, gratefr
A that no night. even the Longest, coul
!, lAst forever. II was now quite darl
, aud very dark at that, though NJ shoi
:, intervals close 10 the horizon n fam
/. CLEAN Of lightning showed, too distaI
e TO cast brightness on my path aud onl
y sufficient to intensity the blacknei
about me.
All at once | saw a man walking hbo'
fiftoon feet In front Of nv. Yes, | lmo
y faid Il was Intensely dark, hut al u
\ same. repeat II. raw a man walking
q front Of me. and furthermore could =,
that he was large man, dressed
rough bur well fitting clothes, that
wore u heavy rcd beard, and that
looked back az mo from time 20 tin
vi with an expression Of keen anxiety
q. bis otherwise rather fixed features.
n "Iiallo!n oried bu, rs he did n
n malt concluded be- did not hear me,
ssccoud hail produced no result fpurr
- ny weary horse up TO oyertake the stra
W ser. But though the gray respond
~ with an nlRcrity most commendahle u
" der tue circumstances, foon found IN
~ this strange pedestrian did not intend
n' let me- catch up with him. Not that
hurried himself, He seemed witho
IA, any oxcrtion 10 keep q good hnecn &
4 between IA. Then | began 70 woui
"a low. with intense darknos, shutting /
u as four black walls, | was yet able
IN ico my strange companion 40 clearly,
M lake 10 tho "details nj his dress, and cv
n the expression OF his face, and that al
%. ilsiancc more than twice my hori
u tngih when could hardly see his he
u Iofore me- hn not given 10 supers
iious fanciea, aud my only feeling "
IA 1i curiosity. When after attempt afl
Il attempt 20 overtakc the stranger h
failed, | took mercy on my iadel hor
d. md raoiyed 10 follow my unsocial
~. .gide. as he must have some definite 4
IA ,nation.
We went on In silence for nearly h
n, an hour, when As suddenly ~ he had
l., ponrcd he was gone. looked nrou
IN Tor him, half afraid from his instant a
complete disappearance that had b,
an draining, when | perceived that | y
\, close To a small, low building of so
In sort. refined Ia and shouted seyc
avs times, but not the slightest rcspol
could l hear, and At las, rode boldly