Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-05-25

wide prairie, and the stars were just be-
ginning to show like glittering diamond
points. Just the suggestion of the au-
tumn was in the cool night air. The still
ness as Jim and Miss Waring drove
along over the silent plain was broken
now and then by sharp, startling rattle,
a sound once heard never to be forgotten,
the danger-signal of the deadly rattle
snake coiled up in the long, brown grass.
''EIit appears to me-" Jim was saying,
E'that that air wind don't bode any good
to the settlers round about these here
parts
''Why so. Jim??
Guess you hain't ever ben on one of
our Dakoty peraries afore, Miss Warning,
or you wouldn't have asked such a ques-
ton. There's two things out hyar that's
more feared than the Old Nick himself
one on ems perarie fire and anothers
q perarie fire with the wind a-blOwin' a
40-mile-an-hOur gale
They rode on again in silence. Agnes
Warning had come from the far great city
to visit her brother on his Western ranch.
Jim, the man-of-all-wOrk. was driving her
out from the station, fifteen miles from
the ranch.
by the IOng-horned spoonsi" said Jim
suddenly, rising IN his seat and stopping
the horses with a tremendous jerk; ''lOOk
over there, will you? Thar's bizness for
us, sure's you're a foot hight Git up
there" he yelled to the horses and, giving
one of them a singing blow with his
whip, they sprang into a run. Across the
level plain shOne light, the light at the
ranch headquarters nearly mile away.
To the left of it dull, reddish glow had
come up and, now and then, at the hOri-
zon line, where the darker part of the
sky was lost in the prairie, sharp flames
were darling up.
''Don't you be skeered,'' Jim ejacu-
lated, as he whipped the horses into yet
more furious pace; there amt any dan
ger-leastwise for u.s."
Alice was self-possessed city girl with
a generous stock Of old-fashiOned common
sense; but she was startled at Jim's ac
tons and her face had grown pale.
''Everything's all right" said Jim, as
reassuringly as he could under the cir
cumstances; don't you be skeered." He
had seized the reins between his firm
strong teeth and now with one hand,
was whipping the horses into still greater
speed. 'Hate-ter-lick a team-like
this''-as the wagon bounced and tum-
bled and ratified along: hate ter do hit
but hit-can't be helped-When there's life
depends on it,
dashed up to the big ranch headquarters
house. Jim threw the lines to the ground.
and, seizing Alice by the waist, jumped
UP with her.
''Sorry to be so unperIite, but there
amt any time to wait-kin you ride boss
backT'
Barely waiting for an affirmative an
Swer from the girl, who was passionately
fond of riding and who mOdestly owned
the gold medal for superior hOrseWoman-
ship in her city riding club, Jim ran to the
barn flung a mans saddle on a beautiful
hnfn a h06 fiT11n fn 70
cover from her surprise at this novel in
PRODUCTION to her brothers establishment,
the horse was before her.
''You say you kin ride; wa'al, here's
the best chance to show hit you ever had
in your life. There's the best boss in
Mcleod county-ra Gin blood for five gin
erations; there amt nothin' but a perarie
fire kin ketch him. Jump him. Miss
Warning, ride straight toward the fire
yonder; thar amt no danger now till you
git ter Mule Crick. Jest over the crick
a quarter of a mile or so thar's a Russian
woman an her 6-weeks-old baby. She's
all alone, fer l saw her husband in town
when we left. They hain't backfred an
inch, and you've got to git the woman
and her baby over the crick. See? I'd
go myself, bEt the wind is shifted, and
this hull ranch'll be in danger afore long.
You'll pass your brother and a parcel o
men backfrin' along the line; don't stop
fer any explanations, but ride fer the
crick an ride as if the Old Harry wos on
yer track! You bent Altered, be you?"
The blood had come back to the pale
cheeks.
you say there's little danger of my
losing my life, Jim?''
Not bit-ef you only git the woman
across the crick in time; but don't wait
jump quick. fer the Lords sake, or you'll
be too late
With a rude toss he threw her into the
cIo boI
handed her the reins. AS he did so he
thrust a short, cruel rawhide into her
hand.
Don't lit him with that unless you
have to-ne's never been licked in his life;
but he kin outrun a cyclone. Eff you
have ter hit him, give it to him red-hOt."'
1t is long, sometimes before a horse and
its rider become acquainted with one an
other; but it seemed but u few seconds
to Alice before she and the noble animal
were old friends; Jim was right. Prince
Hal could run; and after the first few
tremendous jumps and Alice had steadied
herself III the saddle, the thrilling excite
ment stirred her blood like an intoxicant,
and she realized that jim had told the
truth; it promised to be the race of her
life.
"Je-ho-sa-phatr' exclaimed a man who
was ploughing fire furrow along the
edge of the ranch where the men were at
work, Mr.. Waring, look, will you! Look
at Prince Hair
Mr.. Warning had not more than time
to look up before he saw his choicest
mount pass by him like the wind, girl
with hair flying behind her on his back
the horse flying at pace that not his
fastest Kentucky ancestor ever matched
On the horse went as if he. too, knew
of the life-saving mission of the hour
The foam came back from his teeth, and