The morning news., 1891-02-01
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When the capering bon mot presented it
self before Teenie's indignant eyes she
waxed very wroth indeed. and told her big
brothers; but, on their ready offer to "wipe
up the groundn with the author, she weak
ened, and advised the whole family that
they treat him with silent contempt-which
they were doing when l went there.
When came to spend O week at the
Three Cedars ranch and see her daily with
her mother aud her little brothers and sis
ters, found hor quite different from what
l had imagined, and was constrained to like
the girl despite my disapproval of some Of
her methods. She was good daughter, a
kind sister, and the blithest, most irrepres-
sibly joyous creature, with frank, engag-
ing boyishness of manner that never found
in auy other girl; and soon came to the
conclusion that il she was vain and tickle it
was the fault of the foolish men who hung
about her and ministered TO her vanity.
She rode finely, and was as passionately
fond of it as l.
She appeared unaware Of the six or eight
years difference in our ages, the wide dis
similarity of our history, training. environ
ments and probable aims and ambitious,
and made Of me a regular ohum and conf-
dante, seeming to think IL no fault of mine
that l had been city born and bred; that at
heart. and given fair show, was ''as good
a man" as herself.
used to talk to Teenie good deal about
Johnnie, dwelling warmly on his good quail
tiles and his winning ways.
She was always ready argue with me on
the subject, protesting 20 find him the most
hideous aud disagreeable of mortals When
l ceased she would 20 on at some length
herself, applying TO him all her small
feminine epithets of derogation, sneering
especially at his conceit.
Perhaps mere masculine bat might have
been deceived by the appearance of frank
sincerity with which she "slanged" him,
but, as Sister Peacock says, am q female
myself, and will at the proper time. ac-
knowledge it; and it convinced me-if IL
convinced me of anything-that Teenie was
no more indifferent to johnnie than he was
to her; that indeed, she carried as sore a
heart as he did.
"Let's go and get some Of those resurrec--
ton plants you want. Miss Alice :" she said
10 me one day. "I know where it grows by
the bushel, over ON the Escondido Arroyo,
near the Pecos."
Two of her slaves were about the house at
the time. They Immediately rushed out,
saddled our ponies, and humbly petit
toned to be allowed 10 "go along" but she
refused with the utmost asperity, and we
went alone.
II Just despise 'em all sometimes, ;. said
she, as we cantered westward. II like to
play 'em awhile Just for fun, but when
they get 80 they hang around all the time
there's no more fun In 'em. Now aint this
heap nicer, just us girls, than to have a
lot of fool follows teggin' along In the
way"
assured her IL was, and we rode ahead,
whistling and singing by turns, for very
lightness of heart.
She began whistling an air and struck
in with the alto. She stopped, dissatisfied
with my performance. mo, you lead, I'll
trail, /" and when took the air she made Of
it mere frame, upon which she hung and
draped the most beautiful and fancjful
minor accompaniment, then turned 10 me
and said: "Pretty, amt iti wouldn't have
fellow that couldn't whistle nios and ride
anything that goes-wouid your
She had q rich, pathetic contralto, With a
note of hoarse tenderness In it that went
right TO your heart, aud so flexible that she
could follow freely any air ! sang, with her
own irregular. sobbing alto.
After we had ridden for ten or twelve
miles, across divides and through draws and
hollows that all looked exactly alike to my
eyes, she turned abruptly to me, on the
heels of q closing minor cadence, checked
her pony, pushed back her hat and ex-
claimed: "By George, Pm lostl"
Here was bad state Of affairs. was
utterly helpless, and she had only been over
to the place on the Escondido Arroyo once
before, she admitted.
But it was only o'clock by my watch
our ponies were good ones, and we were not
more than two or three hours from the
ranch; SO we kept moving ahead, she scan
ming the surrounding country anxiousiy
from the top oflevery divide
Suddenly, as we were Looping across q
level, she laughed out loud and pointed in
front of us.
"Why, here's the Arroyo; we've come to
10 further north than was before. All we've
got to do is to follow down"
We followed down, got our saddle pockets
full Of resurrection plants, and then started
homeward.
"We can cross Turkey Roost and go down
Lost Mule. and it'll only be eighteen miles. -
said Teenie ''It's sort Of blind trail, but
1 can find it; and we want to get mighty
near home before dark"
1t was 4:S0, there remained but an hour
of daylight. and our ponies had already
come some twenty-four or five miles at a
brisk gait, since noon.
We went ahead at an easy lope, checking
up every mile or so to walk for breathing
space. AS the sun declined, saw Teenie
look anxious. Finally she said: 1--WE
crossed Turkey Roost all right, and was
sure we struck into Lost Mule on this side,
but l declare it don't look like it, now"
We rode up on to the divide beside which
we had been travelling, and looked around.
"Good LordI" said Tsenie, 81 don't see a
thing ] know. We're lost sure enough this
time-and night coming. Wen freezs.n
While we looked aud hesitated the day
visibly withdrew, and night dropped down
upon us like a presence. All landmarks by
which to steer our course were obliterated,
but we pushed ahead with feverish haste.
On and on we sped through the darkness,
while over US wheeled the consultations,
Presently Teenie pulled up and said: "Its
no use, we're like as not going away from
horne instead Of toward II"
We got down, staked the ponies, wrapped
ourselves as best We could, and sat down to
face the situation.
Have you never been alone on the prairie
at nightl Then you have never known how
small mote you are. As we sat hushed
under the great bright stars, amid the
boundless darkness, | fancied we could hear
the moving of the vast machinery OF the
universe, the hum of the planets as they
spun through the void, and the creaking Of
the earth as 1t turned on its axis and shot
frrvva I'd intn yacanQv.