Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-08-03
as he rolled a cigarette after the typical,
southern fashion, and endeavored to con-

sGdLnpeuo ndQ nOG Glo already long
tramp of the cattle tired them beyond
any danger of flight. The sun reached
the meridian, and its heat was so intense
as to scorch even Bills bronzed skin,
and he rode back to the mess wagon to
call a halt, with two hours rest thrown
in, that the men and beasts Of his outfit
might ENJOY a two hours cessation of
labor, and a brief respite from the
scorching rays Of a July sun, which
Slapped the vitality of every living thing
and left it painting, breathless, and COM
pletely enervated and depressed.
***
Two O'Clock, and the sun shone fercer
than ever, while a dark cloud hung sus-
pended just over the horizon, and began
to spread rapidly. The heat grew more
oppressive, the air was heavy and stlll,
and a low muttering Of thunder presaged
a storm. The heavens grew dark, and
an occasional fash Of lightning darted
across the heavens, glazing wildly in re-
lief against it's darker background. The
cattle, rested from their exhaustion,
arose and shifted the air uneasily, and
soon a sea of tossing heads and horns
proclaimed bovine and un-
%easiness. Bill arose from the shade OF
a clump of willows on the edge of q
sluggish creek, and made for his horse.
A flash of lightning more vivid then
ever fastened his fc otsteps, and a crash
OF thunder had hardly died away, ere it's
noise was ontrivaled by the roar Of two
thousand pairs Of hoofs, and the cattle
broke and ran madly over the plain.
They had stampeded and in less than a
moment Bill had mounted his mustang.
and was laundering madly after them,
followed by a half dozen others of the
riders. Faster and more furiously they
rode, until they had reached and passed
the main body of the herd, and were
riding side by side with the leaders.
Suddenly Bills horse gave a snort and a
lunge, and pitched forward on his head,
in the midst Of the vortex Of hoofs. The
riders behind were horror-stricken, and
gazed i~ntently in the direction where
horse and rider had disappeared. Then
a great cloud of dust arose, and every
thing was enveloped and obscured from
view.
*
1t was evening again, and a refreshing
GOODNESS had followed the storm. The
cattle had been ''milled," and were lying
quietly down, a hundred yards from the
white-topped mess wagon. No trace of
the afternoons excitement remained, but
beneath the wagon there was q some-
thing, whose irregular outlines were
covered by a saddle blanket. II wonder
said n of the riders abruptly, as he
lighted a fresh cigarette, "if Bill ever
knew what hit him." And then there
was a period of silence unbroken, which
lasted a full five minutes. A neigh from
an approaching horse aroused the camp,
and a CHEEKY, boyish voice broke the
silence. lis my dad here?" queried the
rider of the horse, and a "Who is her,
foated back from the riders scattered
around the wagon. The boy rider loosed
his reins, and allowed them to bangle
from the neck OF his pony. He was a
bright looking little fellow Of about Is,
attired in the usual rough costume Of
the locality, and there was an eager ex-
preston upon his face which touched
those rough knights of the .qulrt and
spur. "Why, Bill Jenkins is my dad"
responded the boy. "You see" he went
on, eagerly explaining, she and my ma
had some trouble a year ago., and dad
quit the ranch. Ma thought he was
wrong and he thought ma was wrong.
But it's all right now, cause ma says she
was wrong, and she sent me out to meet
the outfit and fix it up with dad and
bring him home" The boy paused, and
the riders who had arisen while he spoke,
greoaned involuntarily. why and
the boy stopped suddenly. "A gust Of
wind ;tugged at the blanket which GOV
cred that inanimate macs beneath the
wagon, and lifted it from it's place, re-
vealing what it had hidden. The boy
saw it, and it struck him with an awful
fear. One glance at the white face, and
q piteous moan struck sorrow to the
hearts Of the x bar outfit. An hour later
and 9 solemn procession wended its way
to the Jenkins ranch, where q wife
awaited anxiously the return OF the child
whom 4 had sent forth on q mission OF
reconciliation. The boy had returned.
He was bringing dad home"
= = %@S
A sad faced woman, il deep Grape,
attracts attention from strangers, at the:
little townSof#R----- There is a some
lthiDg in her manner which inyoluntarily