The Red Cloud chief., 1892-05-27

| plain stretched away 10 the unbroken
curve Of the horizon without another
| CLEAN TO relieve It's uniformity.
The mcadowlarks, balancing them
selves on long weed stalks forgotten by
! the winds Of winter, saw IT,, md with
glecful trills scared away. A big-eycd
rabbit beside the path gazcd mt it IN
wonder, and then, as the banner gave q
sudden, quick toss, scampeicd for a
| grass clump. - ~ "
Folks probably think I'm foolish or
crazy" unused Hester, talking TO the
horse, for want Of better company.
But ! don't arc. Their amt nobody
here ez will take hold an remember tn
boys thet fell, an so I'll do IL. l amt
forgot IL in twenty years, an I don't in.
tend ter begin now. It's all right, any.
way, fer--Whoa! What's that?"
She had left the high prairie and was
driving through a narrow ~ravinc, the
sides of which reached upward on either
hand.
A rafting of wheels caught her ear.
Nearer and nearer carne the sound and
then over the crest of q little knoll In
advance came two horses heads, and be-
hind, creaking and swaying as the ami
mails dashed madly down the declivity,
n white canvas-covered ''prairie schoon.
err" that familiar ship OF the plains SO
often freighted heavily with hope or
disappointment.
Frightened, yet with her wits about
her, Hester refined her horse to one
side and gathering her skirts leaped to
the ground. A white face showing in
side the approaching wagon determined
her TO stop the runaway at any cost.
Snatching the flag by its staff from
her buggy, she suddenly waved 1t with
all her strength directly in the path OF
the horses, now so nearly upon her.
With a bound they leaped backward
and then aside, bewildercd by the
strange sight. Then u crash! and then
the heavy wagon vas lying OF It's side
among the dead sunflower stalks and
tumble weeds, while the furious horses,
broken loose from their fastenings, had
left the ravinc and were tearing away
across the level prairie.
"What have I done?" moaned Hester,
her nervous strength vanishing rs she
saw the chaos ut her feet.
A groan from the heap Of wheels.
boards and canvas at the foot of the
little bluff aroused her. =.
Going to the heap Of debris she torn
away the cloth from the top Of the
wagon. A mans form lay beneath it,
pinned down by a heavy cross-board
which had been u part OF the wagon
box. A brass button on his coat told
that he was not u stranger "a the flag
she had waved, and with stouter heart
she set to work to drag him from his
position.
At last she succeeded and had laid the
now fainting form on a patch of grass
dimpled with violets that lmked In the
reccsses Of the ravine. She turned the
form over and wiped the dirt and blood
from the clcan-shaven face.
With n cry she started back and sank
for a moment helpless beside her
charge. Then with IN effort she pulled
her strength together and went on with
her task.
Reverently she wrapped the stars and
stripes around the stranger, and some-
how managed to lift him into the old
surrey. Then with one arm steadying
the unconscious man she turned the
horse homeward. F
Stretched out on the scrupulously
clean bed in the plain vet comfortable
cabin he vas not bad looking. A frank,
boyish expression was On the still face,
and yet gray hairs told Of a mans
! years. Sickness had evidently made