The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-12-30
CHAPTER vi.
FAcILIs DECENsUs AVERNT.

vices after the spack-luncheon end
went his way hillward to look for
strays in the northern gulches.
'1f you feel like riding a few lines
after awhile, have Andy saddle
'Clubfoot' for you He's forgotten
how to buck and if you can keep
him from breaking his leg n q dog
hole he'll bring YOU bacl. an righC"
he said, al partum addiug. as a.
stirrup-word. "But } shouldn't ride
too far if we're yoo- You're gan-
jng by lanraroo-mmps now and
you mustn't get % ct back
So much for well maD's advice TO
an in cue who, having Ridden moro
than was meet the previous day. was
minded 10 stay az home and let the
saddle-bruises heal But in mid
afternoon one Of the microscopic IN
cidents which change The courses Of
rivers, decide the Gate OF nations,
and reverse the plans OF mice and
men. came between. and the horse
with the cpitheticai name had his
amble afeld-
The incident was the inability OF
Andrew the Desperate TO maintain
his fair share of any conversation.
BY two O'Clock he was answering in
monosyllables; by three direct
question elected no more than nod
or Il hesd-shake; al half-past he was
quite dumb--a mute and inglorious
] camp-ccok. lit company for neither
gods nor men Al four louaacity
surrendered at discretion, The animal
with the opprobrions namc was put
i'm requisition, and rode away 10 be
with silence Of natures making.
Behold now, how great a matter
little fire ldndleth, II the Nell-in-
tentioned desperate had possessed
few more phrases to- be rehearsed at
need there would have been for his
would-be gossip no meditative amble
up the valley i'm the cool of the day;
no attack of unreasoning and alto
gether uncalled-for curiosity; no
meteoric descent into the Torolitan
Avernus; and no-but let us not am
ticpate.
Barring the sadale-bruise remind
ers, and the prickings OF the thorn
in the flesh of illness which use and
time viii finally dun for the least
heroic sufferer the ride up the val
ley was pure delight Tie after
noon was perfect The atmosphere
was like draught of fine old wine;
the tumbling thunder of the river
was sweet '~--@ic 10 any traffic
bruised ca. ot .e cities and the
color-scheme of 'l,e mighty noun
tans on either hand was full OF soft
grays and soothing browns. The
completeness Of il was soul-sat tisfy-
ing. and IL was easy to understand
how upon such a day and with such
encompassments, a we'll man might
re iOce in the mere fact of life Also,
il was less difficult 20 comprehend
the reluctance OF one Angus the
First to abdicatc and go into exile at
the decree of any syndicate Of them
all II was a hopeless lapse into
medioyalism, ono would say. but at
the moment 7 could cheerfully have
seen the plans Of fhc land company,
with all the prospective benefits ia
the many which they contemplated.
come TO naught 10 the end that this
sequestered corner of great natures
domain should not be narred by dis
figuring plowshares.
This thought and rs entail rang
the reflective charges what time the
bronco was topping the swell from
which the settlement at Valley Head
came into view. CuriouslN enough.
the clustered farmsteads aud titled
fields of the small colony were far
from suggesting that they were thc
precursors of Che tidal wave OF ag-
riculture and banality which wpll'd
presently sweep down the pleaunt
valley in the wake Of the great irri-
CATION canal. The line between Wild
howers and weeds is not sharply
drawn. The bull-thistle ia thing OF
beauty rs single plant, and IL is
only when il becomes a ruthless In
vader that we wage war upon il and
strive to stamp it out. Macpherson 5
cattle on the rolling swells, and this
small seasoning Of humanity at the
meeting point of the mountains, were
the artistic accent in great natures
| IANtAtNs bhA Tue ahAiN'h'
AT the summit of the swell COM
manding a view OF the mountain
guarded strath of the settlers, / was
minded TO turn back; but the club
footed one shifted the cool breeze
pouring down from the uppeF cam
yon and asked. horsewise, with
gentle tuggings and ohampings, for
n free rein IL was given and we
drited on, past the deserted school
hoase. ACROSS the freshly turned fur
rows Of the land company's canal
aud. in due course Of leisurely equine
stumblings beyond the last farm
house and 70 on up 20 the dam az the
canyon gateway.
Here was the battlefield upon