The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-04-02

| indifferent to Johnnie than he was to
| her; that, indeed he carried as sore as
/ heart as he did.
Lets 90 and get some of those
| resurrection plants you want Miss
Alice" she said to me one day. Il
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, aud
humbly pctitioned to be allowed to
| go along" but she refused with the
| utmost asperity and we went alone.
Il just despise 'cm all, sometimes"
| said she as we cantercd westward. Il
like 10 play 'em awhile, just for fun,
| but when they get SO they hang around
| all the time there's no more fun III
| 'em. Now, ant this Il heap nicer, inst
us girls, than to have a lot of fools tag
| GIN along in the way?"
| assured her it was and we rode
ahead, whistlng 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. No,
| you lead. I'll trail" anG when / took
| the air she made of it mere frame.
upon which she hung and draped the
most beautiful and fanciful minor ac-
| commandment, then turned to me and
| said: Pretty, amt it? | wouldn't
! have a fellow that couldn't whistle
nice and ride anything that goes
would you?'
She had rich. pathetic contralto.
| with note of hoarse tenderness III 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 a closing minor ca
dence, checked her pony, pushed back
her hat and exclaimed, by George,
| I'm lost"
Here was a bad state of affairs.
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 3 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 lopiug across
| a level, she laughed out loud and point
ed in front of us.
Why here the arroyo; we've come
| To it farther 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.
I'VE can cross Turkey Roost and 90
| down Lost Mule and it'll only be
| eighteen miles" said Teenie. Its a
sort of blind trail. but | can find it,
and we want to get mighty near home
before dark
1t was 4:30; there remained but an
| hour of daylight. and our ponies had
! already come some twenty-five miles
| at a brisk gait since noon.
| We went ahead ut an easy lope,
| checking up every mile or so to walk
for breathing space. AS the sun de-
clined | saw Teenie look anxious
Finally she said: We crossed Tur-
key Roost all right and | 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
ell around. Good Lord." said Tecnie.
II don't see Il single thing | know.
We're lost sure enough this time-and
night coming. Wen freeze"
WAilc we looked and hesitated the
day ysibly Withdrew and night drop
ped down upon us like presence. All
landmarks by which to steer our course
were obitcrated, but we pushed ahead
with feversh haste.
On and on we sped through the
darkness. while over US wheeled the
consultations.
Presently Tcenie pulled up and said:
Its no use; were like as not going
| away from home instead of toward ii"
We got down, staked the ponies,
! wrapped ourselves Us 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
| moving of the vast machinery of the
universe, the hum of the planets rs they
spun through the void, and the creak-
inc of the earth rs it turned on its
axis and shot forward into vacancy.
All surroundings were obliterated; :;
| nothing was present but great, soft
darkness and an immensity of star
! gemmed space. And we ourselves
infinity of littleness amid the spacious
| gloom-wc seemed but aforementioned
| atoms.
| had resolved myself to my original
| components. dolfed this gross corporeal
! body, and was wandering about in my
! spirit, seeking 10 blend once more with
! the overS0ul; too ignorant and mex
! perieuced 10 realize any danger in our
/ positions, | reveled only in the beauty
+ and strangenesS.
! Suddenly the little predatory whim-
pering gigglc of a coyote sounded out
/ of the night and Tcenie. who had been
| huddled beside me in dismaycd heap,
! clutched my arm.
'Oa, Miss Alice! Can't you holle-?
Listen to that coyote! There's timber
wolves and panthcrS out there. too.
/ w
shoot with. | never wanted to see 4
man so bad in my lfe-do hollerl'
! took one moment - say Would
! you even like to see johnnie Shcr-
wood?n and then gathered up my
forces and sent forth powerful So
/ prano yell that was the effort OF my life.
/ Bat no answer came back and then
ensued bad quarter of an hour for
Teenie and me. The coyotes sucker
ed on the hillside and howled fearfuliy
| in the nearer valley.
All at once our ponies ncighed ont
! joyfully. / gave last scream; there
! was an answering shout. Il clatter of
| hoofs. and somebody rode down the
! slope and almost over rs.
How should know it was Johnnie
/ Sherwood? Bat Tcenie rose up and
/ a,.,-jntr Jnbppiaf Inhrrlip' Holm