Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20
att can't be much worse than what you have

the horses turn about to the self binder, petted
the little pigs, put neckties on the calves and
named them after our male acquaintances,
| helped cook FOR harvest banda and slid down
straw stacks"
"But the scratches. Dickie?" pleaded Lucille.
| Really, the recital Of your summers follies
sounds like page from--a fin de iecle novel,
can't sleep now till I've turned the last leaf. ="
| "Oh. yes; the scratches. Well, they repre-
sent quite as thrilling an adventure as Mains
| at the branding pen or Gerts lost on the
Prairie Aunt Harrell had been fussing and
fretting about getting wild plums and grapes
The mon were all busy in the hay field and with
the threshing, so Winnie and I volunteered our
services. Gertie was helping Dan make lemon
ade and things for the hnrvesters and Main
was laid up with a 'crick' in her back from too
much sliding down straw stacks. Winnie and
| took Sally, Aunt Hannahs mare, q big hand
| some bay, as gentle as q kitten and with as much
sense ~ lots Of folks and the phaeton
and some sacks for the plums The plum
patch was nearly three miles distant, inside
neighbors pasture. We left the phaeton on
the outside and turned Sally loose with all the
harness on except the bride. / thought she
would stay somewhere near us, for she liked
company, but the minute l dropped the halter
rope she flew like young colt and in about
three minutes could Just see her in the far end
of nm eighty-acre pasture.
We picked about two bushels Of plums ate
our lunch and prepared to start for the ranch.
The first thing was to get Sally 1t was hor-
ribly hot and Winnie had to sit down and rest.
l saw . lot Of cattle close to Sallie, but never
thought Of them being anything but common
cows until got close enough for them to smell
me, when they all jumped up and made break
for me- As l made q bee-line for the fence,
which was not far of, thought
H. Earth is desert drear.
"We-the cattle and I-got there about the
Alx>c
and there didn't any grass grow under our feet
either ! wriggled under that fence like blue
racer. 1t was barbed wire, five rows,
horse high and hog tight in ranch vernacu-
lar, SO that You can imagine that for once in nv
life was ANYTHING but proud Of my Juno
esque' stature. / made myself so thin though
that two for nickel pancakes aren't circum-
stance in comparison.
"As soon as got out of their reach the cattle
turned tail and with heads up and horns clash
ing broke for Winnie. but she was long way
of and saw them coming. SO got under the fence
in great style.
There we we're! Sally in the pasture with
what looked to me to be thousand head Of
Texas cattle. The buggy on the opposite side
mile around. and Winnie and on the outside
in the blistering. blazing, boiling sun, with no
shade except few stalks Of sickly broom corn.
Winnie managed to come around to me. then
she got faint and 1 got desperate. put her
under a corn stalk, and thought Of Hagar and
Ishmael as / shrieked my lungs into congestion
at Sally. Finally she heard me and came am
though she wasn't the cause Of the diabolical
time we we're enjoying. While Winnie, from her
summer resort, entertained the cattle with a
mild fusilade Of clods, enticed Sally to the
other end of the pasture and sneaked under the
fence, calculating to mount her, she stood
fifteen hands high, and had lost the harness in
her mad flight for freedom. had to let X
represent good many. all known quantities.
When l was kid used to catch the horses by
the name and climb up their shoulders, but
knew the old lady wouldn't submit to that, so
took the halter rope, Topped it in her mouth and
hanging to the end, lifted myself up on that 1t
was good deal like boy lifting himself by his
boot straps but got there, and setting clothes
pin" fashion I galIopedS to the phaeton
for the whip. I felt quite safe then,
for Texas cattle seldom or never attack
any one when mounted. and I think must
OF even a Texas steer. For all that. I didn't
enjoy the prospect Of going among them to find
the harness. I yelled and whstled and sang
French hansons and German oratories as /
had heard the cowboys do think however,
the cowboys sang United States'-and used my
whip with merry vigor, and finally got the
brutes far enough away 30 that it was safe for
me TO get of for the harness. Then still yelling
like Comanche squaw. rode over to Win
MES side Of the fence for her to get on behind
me- AZ we uaO rlQuen Sally 'uOuDle dozens
OF times I never thought Of her Directing.
Winnie made q stepladder Of my foot and was
just fairly seated when Sally gave fearful kick,
sending Winnie of sideways, and took flying
leap over her head. 1t shook us up slightly,
and when we collected our dazed wits Sally was
standing over us as meek as Moses, with a sur
prised expression on her placid countenance.
while down the half-mile Of pasture hundred
head Of Texas cattle were making charge upon
US.
winnie rolled over and out under the fence
and went back to her summer retreat, while I
skinned up Sallys shoulder somehow and made
for the buggy. I hitched up and started to
drive round for Winnie. Suddenly everything
got dark, and felt the lines slipping from my
hands.
"'The next thing knew didn't no nuthin','
as q bootblack told me once, and when did
know something l was very ungracefully
propped MP against the broad bosom Of the
foreman, and Winnie was wetting me down with
tears and muddy creek water. I had tainted
from fright, heat and loss Of blood, for in my
nervous excitement L actually had not noticed
that had cut myself frightfuliy with the barbs
as l rolled under the wire fence Winnie here,
being fashioned like q miniature match. escaped
unhurt and only few rents in her dress mine was
in rags. The foreman had come over to look at
the cattle. with q view of buying them, and
until he rode up to the phaeton standing at the
pasture gate did not know we we're there.
1--WE got an awful lecture from dad and he
threatened to bundle us right off east; but he
didn't. They did me up in arnica and cotton and
nothing serious resulted, bu. it's mercy that
we weren't killed"
Before Lucille had recovered from the spasm
Of well-bred horror into which pickie's recital
seemed to have thrown her the audacious child
nearly annihilated her by announcing three en-
gagements as the result of q months sojourn on
cattle ranch and three perilous horseback
escapades.
l smiled to myself az heard the chatter over
the beauties of the three engagement rings and
knew that the reason why wee Winnie had not
one to show also was because the new had worn
off OF hers before she, with the three other dear
girls. had gone west to get rid Of the 'horrid
men,"
Forests in Russia and America.
From the Syracuse Standard.
European student Of forestry has been con-
sidering the effects Of the removal Of forests in
southern Russia. Their immense growths once
lined the banks and guarded the sources Of the
volga, the Don. the Dneiper and other rivers.
insuring full perennial flow. But spirit akin
to the 'enterprise' which has destroyed wide