Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-28

down the Steep black side Of the vessel TO the
small boat rocking below.
Siranis face was uplifted. His eyes lit on
her face and rested there until his heart seemed
frozen, and she herself turned to stone with
their parting sadness
The boat moved OF, struggling with the dark
swell of the waters.
Miss yerney stood, q slender figure outlined
against the sky, her veil blown backward until
Sirsnis features were no longer distinguish
able, and he had mounted the rope ladder up
the side of the Montana and lost identity in the
crowd upon her deck.
IL
The cabin occupied BY Radcliffe and Dobbin
at Gopher Gulch was regarded a. particularly
fine abode. A porch and coat Of whitewssh
had caused the partners no end of rough bedi-
mage. 1t was called the White House and Wind
sor Palace.
Guess you're proud Of Twin in paylatial
palace, one Of the boys would say. OF. Air
yer goin home ter yer ancestral marble hails?"
A narrow strip Of plain lay in the heart of
arid and treeless hills. The blue spurs Of the
Sierras lowered twenty miles of with the
foot hills like baby mountains clustering at
their base.
1t was a day in June.
Radcliffe came to the door of the cabin and
stood looking ont. The sun was high, pouring
a flood Of light upon him. He stood In the
doorway. broad-shouldered figure, with can
vas trousers stuck into his boots and a red
flannel shirt. Before him lay the long, tunnel
like valley of the gulch and the white stretch of
the road to DelanO as it wound in between the
hills. At q short distance were the we'll and
drinking troughs, the ground around plowed
and trampled.
Outside the Enclosure stood a red wagon.
Two horses, hobbled, wandered laboriously
down the road.
The claim and sheep had been sold. To-
morrow the horses and wagon were to take
him to Delano, the nearest town and the ter
minus Of the railroad, en- route for England.
There was no sound to break the silence save
the clucking of a few chickens scratching in
the bare earth. He was the only human being
to be seen.
Radcliffe was heartily glad that this life was
over He had knocked enough around the
world. Now that fortune had smiled on him
he would go back to England and to civiliza-
ton, enjoy himself at first and then settle
down In some snug little place with pretty
wife.
There had been ugly spots in his life, MEM
cries rather at variance with such q quiet
career. What man did not have them?
There had been that affair Of the Italian at
Naples, which he did regret But he thought
with glow of pride that there had been moth
ing sneaky or caddish in his past.
Suddenly his quick caught the sound of
some animals feet approaching. Walking to
the end OF the porch he saw coming over the
brow of the hill from toward the mountains
three horsemen.
They rode up to the fence and drew rein.
The leader was Higginson, q large man with
white beard and rudy nose With him were
tow-headed youth on mustang and q sandy
haired Irishman named McGinnis. They were
warm and dusty with riding.
''3iornin' Hugh" said Higginson. He was a
sheep man living eight miles up in the foot
hills.
'Hello," responded Ratcliffe. The others
gave salutatory grunts of recognition.
HIgginson proceeded with directness to bus
mess He took OF his straw hat and mopped
his glowing face with his shirt sleeve .'i4ev
yer seen anything hereabouts-"
Or elsewhere" suggested McGinnis.
'Of bay mare with a white star on her fore
head She's got my brand on her left shout
der"
Which the same moight be rid by
greaser named Parades," interposed McGin-
mis-.
They both vamoosed this mornin'," re-
sumed Higginson, AN eff catch him I'll make
it hot fur"
Haven't seen any one go past here today"
said katclifie, except thatjimber jawed Flip
per with load of stones
Il wouldn't hev lost that mare for a purity
pile. lamented her owner. Seems like my
heart were sot on tibet mare, SO to speak, more
any other horse / ever had"
Ratcliffe had already begun to assimilate
himself to civilization. He looked at the bare
hills and the men in their rough costumes with
a critical and alien feeling that it concerned
him not whether they ever found the missing
horse Tomorrow he would be on his way
to new scenes and interests. go. :.
Come in and have "a drink" ne said
The charms Of pursuit proved more attrac-
tive They declined, and Higginson wheeled
of. followed by the others.
''Good-by," he called out. ''Goin' back ter
the old country, amt yer? You'll come back
Y MI mt
Ratcliie stood looking down the lonely vista
of road and over the barren hill crest where
the mems straw hats were disappearing.
The shadow Of an eagle floating in the sun
light drifted across the porch.
He felt as he used when he was boy leaving
school for the holidays.
With both hands in his pockets he whistled a
gay Spanish dance, shuffiing his feet by way Of
accompaniment
Then with laugh at his own sayety he went
The same day, in the glare Of the midday
sun, sirani was riding through the desolate
country which lies between the mountains and
the town of Delano.
The Montana had one morning arrived at San
Francisco. Sunset on that day saw Sirani on
the train speeding southwark. Reaching Della
no his one thought had been to purchase
horse. He had bought hastily what the pstri-
archal old man who accommodated him called
splendid animal-real blooded stock-snd
otHci eulO6ietiC SOdTiHBs Oh tue fancy.
Delano was miles behind.
Around lay the level plain under the burning
sun. The baked soil was covered with Q short.
parched stubblc and spotted with salt patches,
as if the earth. old and desolate, had been in
hicted, Job like. with some sore disease
Sirani, anxious to arrive at his destination.
discovered too late that he was bestridin9 a
broken-winded hack. Blows and entreaties
could not goad on the horse, which was physi-
cally incapable Of greater effort II seemed
that the animal would break down in the mid :
of the desert plain. Sirani was all but desper-
ate to be thus baffied when the goal was 30 near.
Casting his eyes for help over the horizon he
saw something far up the road which looked
like windmill approaching him.
He dismounted and waited The Windmill
on nearer view proved to be a horseman who
stopped some distance off and seemed dubious
whether to approach.
Come here" shouted Sirani 81 want to
speak you. My horse has broken down"
The opportune arrival was dark young fell
low, unlike an American. with black beard
and ugly, monkeyish face beneath the shade of
his broad sombrerO. He drew near cautiously.
What you want!' he asked.
Hoping that he was one of his countrymen.
Sirani spoke to him in Italian
No sabe Latin. / am Spanish"
where can buy horse? shortly. in En-
glish, demanded Sirani, who did not like the
fellows appearance. Mine is no good and I
am a stranger. How much for this? Thirty
dollars?' pointing to the stout bay mare he was
riding.