Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-12-28


and village people-and the fruit farm
wound down the valley very close to
the sheep ranch of Jessie's father.
"Why, yes, you may" said Mrs. Har-
ris, Bessie's mother. did Jessie want
her to stay all night, John"
"Of course-as USUAL" replied Mr..
Harris.
But 1 guess you can spare her that
long, eh, mother?"
mo, need you, dearie. But you can
have a long day together and come
home in the evening"" said Mrs. Harris.
So next morning Bess shouted gay
good-by as Brandy danced around the
mounting block, and she whfrled the
long thongs of her quirt merr1ly around
his flank, which Brandy promptly re-
sented by bringing his four little hoofs
together, rising in the air and coming
down on his sturdy little legs with a
jar that nearly sent Bess out OF the
saddle.
"Oh, you'll buck, will your" she cried,
while the rest cheered Brandy. "Wait
till you want some sugar"
Brandy repented and stretched hdm-
self into a swinging, rockingham lope
that carried him swiftly down the
trail. The air was sharp and clear and
tingled through Bessie's veins, while
the cold turned her cheeks rosy.
"Frost tonight, Brandy" she cried
to the broncho, whose ears twttched
back at the sound of her voice. And
the frost came.
The girls had long, merry day, and
as the moon rose in clear purple sky
Bess turned Brandy's willing nose
homeward. She turned up the collar
of her heavy little coat and pulled on
her buckskin gloves, for the cold was
already growing sharp. And, calling
cheerily to Brandy, she few along the
trail toward home. 1t was cold and
clear and still, and she rode along
little sleepily, while Brandy's hoofs
made the only sound that broke the
stiffness. But soon another sound star
tied her into wakefulness. She had
reached the water gate on the big
ditch, and through the stiffness came
low tinkling and gurgHng that sounded
like fairy music. But the fairy music
sent all the color out of the girls
cheeks, and with frightened cry to
Brandy she slipped out of the saddle
and ran to the ditch.
Brandy meandered along after her
with lazy curiosity and found her
kneeling beside the gate with her arms
plunged down into the cold water. And
when she stood up her pretty bright
| face had grown still winter. For she
| had found a small "caye-in" near the
gate, and the water was trickling
| through in a steady little stream that
was steadily and quickly growing
larger as the earth broke and crumbled
and gave way around it. In very
short time that cave-in would send a
volume of water rushing and leaping
along all the bitches through the ranch,
and by morning-what?
"Oh, the fruit, the fruit, Brandyv'
Bess sobbed, wildly. "It will be killed
and mothers heart will breakW
She wrung her hands as she looked
| down the long road cleaning white and
| lonely in the moonlight. Too late for
| that. Before she could go mile to-
ward help the ranch would be flooded
and the ruin complete. Again she
plunged her arm into the water. If she
could only stop up that hole! She
looked on all sides helplessly, and
Brandy moved closer with sympa
thetic and inquiring whinny. She
looked at him despairingly, then sud
denly sprung forward. In a moment
she was tearing wildly at buckles and
straps, and then, to Brandy's profound
surprise, she dragged the heavy pig
skin saddle from his back and rushed
with it to the ditch. There she wen
down on her knees and plunged tn,
I saddle beneath the water. She fumblef
with it a minute or so, then listened
breathlessly.
The water gurgled and tinkled un
certainly, then slowly, very slowly, i
grew fainter. And soon there was onl,
faint whisper and drip from one o
two tiny waterfalls that slipped ans
slid down the bank. The weight of tn
water had sucked the saddle closel.
against the earth and the hole wa
stopped.
So much. But the night was cold
, her arms already ached and paine
cruelty, and she did not dare leave tn
saddle lest it slip. Would they scare
, for her? Or would they think she ha
stayed all night with Jess? If she coul
| only get word home.
: Again she looked at Brandy. The
! she called him to her, slipped the loo
of her quirt from the pommel Of th
: saddle, and, raising her arm out Of tn
e water, she turned Brandy toward hom
t and then brought down the lashes wit
$ stinging force on his flank.
4 Home, Brandy" she called. An
t Brandy, outraged and indignant, kicl
ed up his heels, bucked three time
: then tore down the trail toward hom'
resolved to tell Soda that his youn
e mistress had gone crazy.
b Fainter and fainter sounded th
n hoof-beats along the trail. And 500
e she could hear them no longer. He
arms ached cruelty, and sharp pain
p began to shoot through her body frol
t the cold. Now and" then she would tax
| her arms out of the water and swim
d them and beat her hands together ii
s they stung; but only for momen
then the saddle had to be held in plac
e The time seemed horribly long, b,
at last far down the trail there sounde
v low, thudding noise that quickly gre