Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-08-07

spent their summer. So it happened
that they were not found by the girl
with the salt bag.
But Lena went on and came to the
hills where she could see for miles over
the plain.
Yes, there is the herd?' she eX
claimed. Il can see the whole lot of
the CATTLE"
And she could. But she saw some
thing more than that. Far over the
plain was sauntering the familiar form
of her schoolmate, Anna. On her way
home from the railroad section where
her father was overseeing the men she
was taking her course directly in the
view Of the cattle herd.
At first there seemed nothing remark
able in that, but suddenly something
happened that made a difference. On
her shoulders was red shawl that
was not noticeable while it was worn
partly under her long curls. But the
insistent prairie wind took 1t in its fin
gers and wound it around the little
form and chen threw it far out in the
broad sweep Of the breeze.
1t carried it ON and on, and Anna,
running after it, was only the more
prominent a figure in the landscape.
1t was when she overlook it and held
it with the ends waving furiously III
the wind that she occupied the larger
portion of the view. Lena saw it and
the cattle herd saw it, too.
First one or two heads were lifted,
then more, and soon there was a little
sea of anxious faces ready for the nov
city and waiting to see what the lead
ers should decide to do. They seemed
to rest until one big white steer started
on trot for the front and was appar-
emily eager to make a closer investiga-
ton.
Look" cried Lena, from her station
of vantage; look, they are stampeding
on her"
She was right. The cattle were all
getting in motion and We're headed for
the defenseless girl, who was over
across the valley. Anna herself seemed
unaware of her danger and did not no
tice the oncoming herd which would
like an avalanche overtake her.
But Lena did not wait. She realized
something though not all of the danger
in which the railroad mans daughter
was. For moment there came the
thought, "Why should help her? Did
she help me?'
The answer was not far to seek.
Lena had been injured and snubbed by
the stranger; she owed nothing to her
on that account. But there came some
thing-another feeling overcoming the
first, and with sharp blow of her
spurs that sent the pony forward with
the greatest speed Bess had ever shown
she was off!
Down the long slope, across the level
plain below, through the tall slough
grass and the sunf1owers, then out on
the level buffalo -grassed prairie she
flew.
Could she make it in time? The
chances. were against it. She thought
she could ride to Anna and then help
her to the saddle and get out of the
way before the herd was upon them.
but that plan was becoming out of the
question. She simply could not with
all her sharp plunges Of the spur make
the patient Bess go any faster. What
could she do?
Suddenly like an inspiration there
came to her new thought AS she
galloped on she determined to put it
IN operation. Reaching down to the
cord that tied the sack of salt bobbing
before her ON the saddle she found that
it was all right. Then she turned Bess
and steered straight across the plain in
front Of the oncoming herd. To her
right she could see the frightened girl
enemy; to her left was the rushing tide
of horns and hoofs that meant death if
there was not change in their path,
for Texas cattle are no respecters of
persons.
Nearer and nearer they came togeth-
er, and Anna stood waiting the out
come with the quietness Of great fear
She held out her arms to Lena, but
there was no time for an answer-Lena
could not reach her and must utilize
every possible opportunity for success
in her desperate undertaking..
Then, as she came near the herd, and
just as she began dash in front of the
now excited and desperate cattle, she
pulled the string holding the sack
mouth closed, and there trailed behind
her a thin stream of whiteness that
sifted in long shower upon the short
grass.
1t flowed like a veil and made a
broad though rather faint mark on the
sod.
Faster and faster she went, and just
as the leaders of the herd came to the
stretch of white she rushed away be-
yond their reach, the empty sack flap
ping at her saddlebow.
But what of Anna? She stood as one
petrified with fear, watching the on
coming flood that was to engulf her
and which meant instant death if she
was reached.i
She saw the dash of Lena far away
and felt that her schoolmate had de-
serted her. Nor could she blame her
much after what had happened.
But wonder of wonders! What was
the herd doing? The first line of steers
went unchecked, but the second had
lowered heads, the third tried to stop
and couldn't, the fourth did stop and
licked the ground; then the bustling
crowd behind forgot its eagerness to
get ahead, and such pushing, hooking
and plunging as there was to reach the
appetizing salti
Tana turned her horse whom tho dam