The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-22
HEIMWEH
BY ELSIE : NoKDHoFF.

Huutingford unsaddled his horse and
lei him 10 the little wooden trough
near the house for water before turning
him cut TO Craze for the night He
watched with languid interest a. the
animal drew in long draaghts with 8
slipping sound, wondering idly about
the horses ia general His eyes feii
heavy and biz back aehed, 20 that he
was glad when the horse slipped away
quietly 10 browse on any dry grass II
could find, and be could IL down on
the steTS Of his fwo-roomed shaniy and
Test
The sun was setting ahead q him in
q glory 81 crimson and orange ON
every side, a. far - hiS eye= could see,
stretched prairit.z-aull brown, lifeiess
prsirie=-
Waste endless and l.oufs Ilcs- and fovs-iess-'
for though il N-as April, the time when
there l. green If ever there VIII be, il
had been dry year, and everything
Wa dead To i,e sure there were patch
- Of orange prairie flowers al about,
which struck one ~ ! fever with which
the land had broken out bat there Wa
no green.
For those who like prairies, prairies
are WHIST ihey would ike; but there
monoiony drives some people mad
Huntingford sat gazing about him
with a blauk. miserable lock. He had
been two day- riding fifty miles out
from Azure % his rancho, through arid
Jiarcl,-d land. always the same rolling
country for miles on every side, passing
herds Of lean, half-stsrved cattle, who
cazs-d al him IiStles-iy with their large
f,a.fheiic ewes. too weak from vani 81
food and water % ise Wild, and past
many a dead animal, which had per
i-hs-i from lhirs1 and starvation. The
fever Eas in hi blood, although is
Wa uncenSciaas of il, and tins, added
10 the original three- Of homesickne--
which he had fought for the pasi year,
and the sight II the poor starved cattle
had u-s-d him up He saf Oh his door
sief, facing the sunset, HE three hen-
aud q lurdly rooster checking content
edly Al his feet a. they grubted for
their evening meal He heard the bark
u = coyote, and saw il, . brown specs
IN the distance, A. il ran acrc-- the
e,auntry and wa outlined against the
nd IN the ky
His thoughts travelled in circle,
from the lean emaciaied cattle and
brown T.raairies % the rich spring land
scape Of his fathers park in the south
81 England, then back % the easttieand
prairieS again. This was April Al
home the frog- void b. trilling aud
caehunking them-elves hoar-e. H
could see them a. they plunged SIDE
Wis into the Pond=-the fat sreeI
creatures. making great silver wake
in the still Nais-r, only 10 come up oi
the other side in the sun. He could
almost smell the spongy turf, and al
the young green things pushing N
/ through the soft earth, and the pink
/ green tips % the hawthorn and oaks
+ he drew in long breath of pleasure
started with a jerk and looked behin'
him. His hound. standing on the siel
behind him. had stuck his cold We
no-e against his cheek Huntington
put his arm around the dogs neck
while his heavy eyes wandered Of
again 10 the brown. the monoioDon
brown roll Of the prairies not . tr-
not a hill, 10 break the view Of the hoi
izon: only the burnt land everywhere
and the cattle; wherever he looked IA
saw their pitiful eye; and he, too, Wa
starving for a sight Of water and salns
thing green. A. ne thoaght his ye.llo'
head went down on the hounds bach
and he ch0ked hack q great sob tbs
rose in his throat
The fever was getting q firIner hol
on him. Amer moment he raised hi
head again The glow in the west wa
sui,siding into silvery robins egg bln'
and Just where the hast reflection I
pink fingered, the evening star shon
out with aliilost bold vigor. TheI
was not a eloud in the sky Everla :
ing blue al,0ve-and miles and mix
of brown below,
A. Huntingford gazed blankly ahea
Of him the land seemed Suddenly
rise towards him-he swayed, lost l.
balance. and fell, face dOwnwards, o
the ground hy his doorstep, frighteI
ing the hens. who broke the silence b
loud hysterical sqnawks Of terror l
they fed
His hound watched him fall, the
rose. stretched hi= tired legs, and mo-
&c down by his master, whom he snii
ed over very carefully, and al last, fin
ing an ear, licked it lovingly Whe
there was no Response given he :
, down upon his haunches, and raisir
his pointed nose "a the sky. gave oi
long. lnournful howl
Al noon the following day Cor
pnneher Dick hove in sight he Va
whisfling right inerrily, and made
fine appearance in his loose gray trou
.rs. high boots. and large solnbrero
a scarlet tie fiaiShing the effect
.sThe beysr had called after him
he rode away, '-Goin' 10 pay artenti'
samewharse 1ou look 30 slick
Nav Dick had drswled hack vi
q good nstured ehuckle; I'm just
70 sze thai islueeyed Briti-her Al
cheer him up bit- ! seen him ye'si'
: day in Azure. looking a bit down
the mouth Cues he's bonesi'
again and somehow, when ! -
him. I thought Of the fever. and