The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-01-16
THE HUT In THE PRAIRIE
AN lNExPLICABLEA ADVENTURE
ON TEXAN WILDS-
1 True Story Of What Happened to . Rider
Searching for . Nights Shelter-TAe
Occupants Of the Lonely House to
Which the Guide Led Him.

long, straining look around owned to
myself that was lost I had suspect
ed the fact some time since, though
my horse evidently realized. With
patient endurance he plodded along,
resignation plainly expressed in the
droop of his tail and ears.
Now that the sun was gone, found
my knowledge of the point of tho
compass gone with it. As I sat per-
picked and worried the gloom Of
twilight gathered fast and the chill OF
coming rain smote me through and
through, while in the distance there
was the roll of thunder. Ny horse
strobe on of his own accord, and hop
ing that his instinct would lead us to
some house, I let him have his will
Presently it began to rain. OF
course / did not mind little rain, but
the prospect of spending the entire
night exposed to it was anything but
agreeable, and grew really violent in
denunciation of the folly which had
country. to attempt to find any thing
less than volcano in active eruption
on Texas prairie. It was now quite
dark, and very dark at that though
at short intervals close to the horizon
a faint CLEAN of lightning showed,
too distant to cast brightness on my
path and only sufficient to intensity
the blackness about me.
All at once I saw a man walking
about fifteen feet in front of me. Yes,
l know I said it was intensely dark,
but all the same, I repeat it, saw a
man walking in front of me, and fur
thermore l could see that he was a
large man, dressed in rough, but we'll
fitting clothes; that he wore heavy,
red beard, and that he looked back at
me from time to time with an express
sion of keen anxiety on his otherwise
rather fixed features.
''Hallo!'' I cried, but as he did not
halt I concluded he did not hear me.
AS second hail produced no result I
spurred my weary horse up to over
take the stranger. But though the
gray responded with an alacrity most
commendable under the circumstances,
I soon found that this strange pedes-
trian did not intend to let me catch up
with him. Not that he hurried him
self. He seemed without any exertion
to keep good fifteen feet between us.
Then l began to wonder how, with
the intense darkness shutting me in as
four black walls, 1 was yet able to see
my strange companion so clearly, to
take in the details of his dress, and
even the expression of his face, and
that at distance more than twice my
horses length when I could hardly see
his head before me. l am not given
to superstitious fancies, and my only
feeling was of curiosity. When after
attempt after attempt to overtake the
stranger had failed, took mercy on
my jaded horse. and resolved to follow
my unsociable guide as he must have
some definite destination.
We went on in silence for nearly half
an hour, when as suddenly as he had
appeared he was gone. l looked
around for him, half afraid from his
instant and complete disappearance
that L had been dreaming, when I
perceived that I was close to small,
low building of some sort Ireined in
and shouted several times, but not the
slightest response could I hear, and at
last rode boldly up and tapped on
the wall with the butt of my riding
whip. Then, as this elected no sign
of life. concluded that had stumbled
on some deserted house, or that it was
the abode of my eccentric friend. SO
dismounting and tying the gray l re-
solved to spend the rest of the night
under a roof or to find some good rea-
son for continuing my journey. I felt
my way along the wall till I reached
door. and trying this and finding that
it yielded to me I stepped inside,
striking a match as I did so. Fortu-
nately carried my matches in an air.
tight case. and as it was dry the one
I struck gave me a light at once. I
found myself in a large room close to
fireplace, over which a rude shelf
was placed, and on this mantel 1 saw
an Oil lamp. to which I applied my
match as I looked about me.
On the hearth was heaped quantity
of ashes and over these crouched a
child, little girl of 5 or 6. At the
other end Of the room, which was
plainly and scantily furnished, lay a
man across the bed, and as raised
the lamp I saw that he was the same
I had been following, but there was
something in his attitude and face that
struck me as peculiar. and was about
to 20 forward and look at him, when