The Opelousas courier., 1899-05-06

NMF and rocked the palac,
W. stock cars to and fir,
~ upon the siding. TIL
air reverberated will
artillery-like reports as the dense ic'
snapped and cracked with it's owl
weight and the intense cold, while tn
rickety old hack that conveyed pas
sengers IN winter from the eastern
bank of the "Big Muddy" to tn.
sleepy little town Of Riverside (tht
county seat of Gumbo County ant
emporium of the vast stock range thai
stretched away to the westward) rat
tied noisly along with its scanty bur
den.
In the principal store Mr.. Meggs,
merchant and postmaster, was busily
engaged in sorting out and tying uI
packages of mail for the lonely
ranches that did duty as p~ostofices
along the star route that extended
some two hundred miles farther into
the interior.
Across the street Maverick Bill,
stage-driver, was fortifying his stom-
ach preparatory to a sixty-mile ride
over the aforesaid star route. At one
Of the green-baize tables at the far
Their end of the room a little coterie of
ranchmen, cowboys and gamblers had
gathered. Bill eyed the group long
ingly as he remarked to the host
who was also the Sheriff of Gumbo
County and Deputy United States
Marshal: twenty-five below, an
the north wind a howlin' like a pack
coyotes. I tell yer, it's a picnic,
paokin' mail on a day like this. Mix
me up a bottle of your best OIL rye an
Jamaica ginger"
yes" replied the Sheriff consoling-
~, Sits sure pretty rocky weather;
nobody but fools and mail-carriers will
be outside to-day"
The stage-driver growled something
incoherently a little later the host
observed, from his post at the win
dow, "You'd better get a wiggle on
yourself, Bill, Old Meggs has just
hove the mail-sack out on the side
walk and Mike is waiting for the
team"
Bill thrust the bottle into his over
coat pocket, and hurried with some
what unsteady steps across the street.
He had just finished tying the mail
pouch to the blackboard when the
hack driver from the depot halted his
painting team beside the vehicle.
"Train just got in, Bill" said he.
"Cuts are full-Rotary busted-got a
passenger and some express for you.
Will you wait for this mail?"
"Not as anybody knows on" re-
turned Bill, "three OF four days won't
cut no fgger with them fellers up the
creek"
The hack driver opened the door of
the carriage, and a tall, stylishly:
dressed young lady emerged from its
dingy interior.
"Good morning, Mr.. Harris" said
she in a low, musical voice; Il was
SO afraid that we would not get here
on time! I want to go out to the
ranch with you to-day"
Bill stared at the new arrival for a
moment in open-mouthed astonish-
ment and then exclaimed: "Why,
Minnie Orawley! is that you? You
sure don't think Of trying to ride
sixty miles on a day like this! You'll
be plumb froze to death"
ooh! I must go, Mr.. Harris; I
haven't been home for nearly two
years, and Mamma will be SO disap-
"She'll be a whole lot more disap-
pointed if I bring you in froze sitter
an a dogie. But if you must go,
come inside and get some more buds.
That rig may do in Boston, but it
aint no account out here on the
pralries."
When they emerged from the store
> little later, Miss Crawley wal clad
a huge coonskin coat that reached
nearly to the ground. A fur cap was
upon her head and a pair of thick
German socks over her dainty little
boots. Maverick Bill helped her into
The buggy, tucked the robes carefully
about her, then presenting her with a
;hick, dark-blue, wooden blanket,
inscribed with the well-known
character q. s. I. D., he politely re-
marked:
"Pull that wakapomany blanket
your head an keep your mouth
'hut until we get to the road-ranch. '
I hope the lady'l have q good hot ]
Inner ready when we get there, fer
veil sure need it," {
Then taking the lines from Mikes
hands, he sprang into the seat 4,
beside his fair companion, and with . &
'harp cut of the whip sent the horses
galloping down the street. The town, ]
With its huddle of squat, implanted
'ouses and its single deserted street, l
vas quickly lost to view. Instead ap-
'eared a long, winding valley, bounded I
N either hand by bleak, desolate
hills and snow-covered ridges
md ravines. The snow creaked and
'rackled under the wheels of the
,uckboard. Long icicles attached I
to the horses nostrils and
heir sides became covered with frost a
Is they sped along. t
Minnie obeyed instructions to the
etter by keeping her face covered
md her mouth firmly closed, although
It times when the vehicle swayed and t
cited about, crossing deep, narrow {
'reeks with the horses at their top r
most speed, she felt an almost ire U
istible desire to scream. Fifteen i
niles out they stopped at an Indians
abin to change horses, and two hours t
Maverick Bill pulled up his tired 8
cam before the door of a long, low, a