Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-22

III WIS u hlIhuEt Slkui 10 ltuEn W emit
worth. this brisk girl, IN her suit Of
rough cloth and leather. carrying
rife In one hand and with the other
holding a bride by which she led
shaggy pony along the rocky bed OF
the canyon.
He was making his way up to the
Ruhamah mine, and she was coming
down toward the plain. He had ridden
from Tip Top that day and his horses
tgct being unshod the animal had be-
come 80 lame as To be almost unable
to walk, Hugh, therefore, had dis
mounted so as 90 relieve his ateed Of
the burden OF carrying tG0-pound
man. The horse had groancd and
shaken himself aud appeared deeply
grutful for this mark of consideration.
iIughs astonishment increased when
he had come nearer to the queerly
mated pedestrians He saw that the
girl was Young and almost beautiful.
though her skin was tanned to a dark
brown and her nose was rctrouase to "a
lault. But her eyes were blue and
bright and her quick smile was a flash
OF Joyous light
WIN swift, strong steps she strobe
along, jumping over cumbersome bowl
| doris detouriug 30 avoid stif rlumps of
/ oak underground, ana all the time pull
ing ON the rein and urging her lazy
| pony along. In a half-jocular half
| impatient way.
Come up sancho. you little good
| e uothiu soruhl Whas the matter
| with you, anyhow D'you think I'm
| goln' to pull you all the way down to
! Horns Ranch p
And thus she went on, the pony
| hanging back with head outstretched.
lower lip dropped and eyes half shut
| and frownlnE.
Good morning, Missr said Hugh.
| when she had come within ten yards
OF him and he had begun to wonder
| how these small caravans would be
able to pass each other In the narrow
| deGle.
The girl had been go much occupied
| with her conversation with Sancho that
HIS salutation made her start and
| throw up hnr head, while a wave OF
| color rose about her white forehead,
from which the broad sambrero she
Wore was lightly tilted
| on, hello' she answered, dauntlcss,
although slightly confused 81 seen
| YOU comm while ago, but thought
YOU was some McNiliin OF 'nuther.'
II had been many months since
| young Wentworth had seen "a white
woman, lie had been sent by a New
| York syndicate to examine the output
Of several mines in Arizona and New
| Mexico, lie was an expert metallur-
gist, and the Eastern capitalists had
unlimited faith In his capacity aud
integrity Hut Wentworth had found
lonely ana monotonous work. True,
the vast plains. the blue-topped noun
tnins Bwelteriug I'm the heat OF the
southern sun, the tall soap weeds and
the myriad mesquit mounds and
| Clumps were interesting FOR a time, but
they grew tiresome TO him, and the few
human beings he met at the isolated
mines he had visited were merely
rough laborlng men or old prospectors
who hung about the gin shops OF the
..I..sss Loo o. -
wonders OF the old days. So his whole
soul lcaped with sudden and unusual
pleasure at meeting this hardy young
beauty OF the wilderness.
80. you thought I was Mexican,
eh 7' said he, smiling and going up
closer to her she smiled back into hts
handsome face and her eyes glistencd
with unconcealed admiration He put
out his hand and said:
Won't you shaker
She laughed cheerily and put her lit
tie brown, hard palm into his far
good-looknv whar' a you come
| frum?"
''Boston-but tell me how YOU happen
ed 10 be out in these wilds yoursolfY
"Oh. me" said the girl In depre-
oatory way; but say. whars Boston
ITS q long way from here, my little
girl hut that Is not what Is interest
ing me now. You see, night II COMING
on, and II N long way from mere u
the Ruhamah Where are YOU going
I'm goiu home. O course. but you'll
never git to IN Ruhamer { night
.Why pot"'
cause It's leb'n miles fMder an 70
boss can't Git thar, that's all-his teets
too sore
but I've got to get there; ! Know Of
nowhere else 10 lodge tonight, and ~
have to push ahead, even it i am Kept
on the road half the night
NO said the young girl, with 1u
diclal twist % hor head, YOU better
not try TO do sech a thing You never
could make It an they amt no use o
your trampin' all night You bette
come on over with me { our ranch an
IN the mRwnin' you en- go on np thar
but where Is your homef | haven
seen n Sign OF house or any evidence o.
human habltation all d0y long.
The girl laughed again That
cause you never looked up Black Can
yon, II you'd n took one sQuint up thar
you'd n seed our corral an our dugout
too, maybe"
Wentworth acknowledged that h
I had not looked IN Black Canyon, and
IN fact. had not noticed that there hag
been any branches 10 the big gorge h
was following
I roh yes, hut It ain't very fur I'm
here-come on" And she led the way