The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-03-25

| SAID Sne as we cantered westward. 81
like to play 'em awhile, just for fun,
but when they get so they hang around
all the time there's no more fun in
'em. Now, ant this heap nicer, just
us girls, than to have lot of fools tag
GIN along in the way?"
l assured her it 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 I took
the air she made of it a mere frame,
upon which she hung and draped the
most beautiful and fanciful minor ac-
compartment then turned to me and
said: pretty, amt itP I wouldn't
nave a fellow that couldn't whistle
nice and ride anything that goes
would youP"
She had a rich. pathetic contralto,
with a note of hoarse tenderness in it
that went right to your heart, and so
| flexible that she could follow freely
any air sang with her own irregular,
sobbing alto.
After we had ridden ten or twelve
miles, across divides and through
draws and hollows that all looked alike
to my eyes, she turned abruptly to me,
on the heels of closing minor ca
dence, checked her pony, pushed back
her hat and exclaimed, by George,
| I'm lost"
Here was bad state of affairs. I
was utterly helpless. and she had only
been over to the place on the Escon-
dido 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 scanning the
surrounding country anxiously from
the top of every divide.
Suddenly, as we were loping across
a level, she laughed out loud and point
ed in front of US.
"Why, here's the arroyo; we've come
to it farther north than I 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.
I'VE can cross Turkey Roost and 90
down Lost Mule and it'll onlv be
eighteen miles," said Teenie. s.It's
sort of blind trail, but I can find it,
and we want to get mighty near home
before dark
1t was 4:3O; there remained but an
hour of daylight, and our ponies had
already come some twenty-five miles
at 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 de-
clined I saw Teenie look anxious
Finally she said: I'VE crossed Tur-
key Roost all right and I was sure we
struck into East Mule on this side, but
declare it don't look like it now"
We rode up on the divide beside
which We had been travelling and look
ed around. Good Lord!" said Teenie,
Il don't see a single thing I know.
We're lost sure enough this time-and
night coming. Well freeze"
While we looked and hesitated the
day visibly withdrew and night drop
ped down upon us like 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 home instead of toward it.
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 night? Then YOU have
never known how small mote you
are. As we sat hushed under the
great white stars, amid the boundless
darkness, l 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 creak-
ing of the earth as it turned on its
axis and shot forward into vacancy.
All surroundings were obliterated;
nothing was present but a great, soft
darkness and an immensity of star
gemmed space. And we ourselves
infinity of littleness amid the spacious
gloom-we seemed but aforementioned
atoms.
had resolved myself to my original
components, doffed this gross corporeal
body, and was wandering about in my
spirit, seeking to blend once more with
the oversoul; too ignorant and mex
perienced to realize any danger in our
positions. reveled only in the beauty
and strangeness.
Suddenly the little predatory whim-
pering gigge of coyote sounded out
of the night, and Teenie, who had been
huddled beside me in dismayed heap,
clutched my arm.
''Oh, Miss Alice! Can't you holler?
Listen to that coyote! There's timber
wolves and panthers out there, too.
We amt got a match. nor thing to
shoot with. l never wanted to see
man so bad in my life-do hollerr'
took one moment to say Would
you even like to see johnnie Sher-
wood?" and then gathered up my
forces and sent forth powerful So
prano yell that was the effort of my life.
But no answer came back and then
ensued bad quarter of an hour for
Teenie and me. The coyotes snicker-
ed on the hillside and howled fearfully
| in the nearer valley.
All at once our ponies neighed out
| joyfully. gave last scream; there
was an answering shout, a clatter of
hoofs, and somebody rode down the
slope and almost over us.
How should know it was Johnnie
Sherwood? But Teenie rose up, and
crying, 20 Johnnie! johnnie! John
nie!'' cast herself at him any way as he
jumped off his horse.
/ could see nothing of them but two
moving shadows-then one, stationary;
but presently big voice that tried to
whisper murmured in an abandon of
tenderness:
''I'll shoot that fool calf, darling,
quick as l can find him!"-Alice MGc-
GoaOa11 IN st. Louis Republic.
Damaoed by n Kiss