Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25


were furnishing, and the horses were tired
and hungry; so, as it is customary in the
western ranching country for visitors to
make themselves at home whether their
hosts are or not, the girls managed to get
the team embarrassed and turned into the
pasture, and they, themselves. went into
the house. There was fire anywhere,
except in the kitchen, so they sat down
there.
The young woman was not at all hopeful
looking. and her mother. an evl-faced old
half-breed Indian sSIuaw, who was sitting
by the stove as they went in, was positive
~ alarming IN appearance. AS the visitors
sat down she muttered angrily, I'VE don't
want no spies in here" and eyed them sui
lenly.
This was, to say the least. chilling. Olive
ignored the remark. and asked the young
woman II she could get them something
10 eat or even cup of coffee, saying that
they would start back soon as they were
little rested and refreshed.
Yes" growled the old woman you'll go
off an say l break in Mr.. Browns room
an steal whisky. l know. l been drunk
as this many time, an didn't have none
o Mr.. Browns whisky. 1 make heap
trouble when I'm like l feel now Folks is
fraid of me- and she broke into cackling
laugh.
II wish said Olive to the young woman
that you'd have some of the men come
and hitch up our horses, and then you can
just give us a bit of bread and butter, or
something, and we'll go"
IL,
do anything with her mother, and was
even little afraid of her, had long since
abandoned any attempt to get dinner, or
even to quiet the old woman.
Ihey hahn a man on the place" she re-
piled, as she sat whimpering and rocking
her baby, nor soul but mother an me,
an the baby. The cowboys is all gone to
town Ter Christmas, an the boy what does
chores, he's gone, too"
Adele started to her feet. Come right
on she cried, well harness up, our
Selves
I'll make you some troubles before you
gifts away" shouted the old woman after
them, as they sailed forth to the pasture
to drive the reluctant Redeye and the I'M
consentins Fiddler into the corral.
I'm, me pair had gotten into the bunch of
fifteen minutes of breathless running
heading off and shouting that they were
finally brought up to the corral gate.
When they had at last been laboriously
gotten there, 1t was found that the gate
was shut, and the old woman whom they
had left at the house. and almost forgotten
IN the excitement of the chase stood be-
fore it and vigorously "shooed'' the team
away, and then Knocked the girls anguish.
oh! walled Adele, Il don't see what
We can do, unless we jump on the horses
and ride off"
Olive gave Ter glance of dsdan. ooh.
yes. she agreed, you jump on Fiddler
you'll only have to jump fifteen feet or
so to do it-and I'll leap gracefully onto
Redeye!"
Just then they discovered that the young
woman had by some means lurcd her
mother away, and coaxed their two horses
through the corral gate.
Come on" cried Adele briskly, "we'n
just harness up now and go right home
oh. I'm so glad, Thank you" Aad she
quite beamed upon their deliverer
Harness up! They could quite as sue
cessfully have harnessed up streak of
lightning and the north wind. they ran
G6 al ah no
er Enclosure, and the horses got wilder and
snorted louder every minute.
At this juncture Adele came forward
with one of her inspired suggestions
We'll rope en- she declared
Lasso them, do you mean?" queried
olive, who was not quite familiar with
Texas cattle vernacular. why. can you
throw lasso?"
NO, but l can sit up here on top Of the
corral fence, and hold this moose out: and
you can chase EN- around the corral; ard
when they run their heads through the
moose, why we'll have 'em, don't you see?'
YES, oh, yes" jeered olive when a
horse runs his head through there-which
he'll never do unless he's stone blinl-hel IL
jerk you off that fence. and far, far into
a vague and equivocal future"
mo, no." protested Adele, III pay out
the rope gradually. 1 understand it. You
go on
Olive laughs> yet over the remembrance
of that picture. Adele, who was a slender
little thing, with masses of dead black
hair. and solemn big black eyes, perched
on the fence, white as death and trem-
Ling, but resolved. her great black eyes
blazing, and every big freckle showing out
against the blank pallor of her little face
holding that dangling moose out at arms
length, waiting for those wild horses TO
come up and run their heads through it!
She was tempted to sing out, billy billy
come up and be klledr' But Adele's in
tense earnestness discouraged any flip
pancy, SO she gathered her impeding skirts
in one hand, and, feeling like a clown
In a circus, chased those horses around
and around the corral, they snorting and
going twenty feet wide every time they
came to the dangling Moose, and Adele ask
ing fiercely why she didn't drive them right
up through 1t, while the young woman
argued and advised the baby howled and
the old woman screamed and cacked like
Il witch.
Finally Adele suggested, pointing to a
little chicken house at one end of the cor
raj Cant we drive them into that?"
Olive thought the idea a good one Though
she had begun to regard with suspicion any
suggestion that came from Adele, and
they both made sudden, savage dive at
cid Redeye, who was just approaching the
little she'd and in he went.
She had barely slammed the Tapping
door to and opened her lips to shout self
congratulations. when something went off
like cannon. The door burst off it's
hinges and knocked both of the girls down
flat; the sides of the house flew out in
every direction. plank by plank. with the
sounds of brisk musketry, and, with final
kick, In which he almost stood on his
nose, old Redeye tossed the fimsy roof
skyward ard bounced off
AS the girls crawled out from under the
mangled door, and while Redeye was dis
seIninating the fragments of the chicken
house, they saw the Flying M garrison
withdrawing from the corral. They swarm
ed up over the fence. baby and ALL and
shot cut across the pasture to the house.
And they stood not upon the order of
their going, for the dreadful old woman
led the procession, clearing the fence like
d sailor, and running like a mustang, her
wicked cackle silenced for once.
When Olive gor to her feet and surveyed
Adele as central figure of this scene
grotes4ue. despite its close approach to
tragic-she felt deep sense of gratitude
that at least Phillips Adams was not there
to See. Yea, thrice better were it to be in
danger and distress with none to help,
than to be rescued from such absurd ca
lamity by him, and. as result. have all
her romantic plans ''nipped in the flower
and faded in the bud"
I'm going to the house." she announced
when they had made sure no bones were
broken. I've left my wrap there. and