The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1901-01-26
LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE HILLS
iii
BY MARTHA PIERCE.
For The Courier

Alfred rode out in the gray morning
and climbed up the tall red topped hill
southwest Of the camp. His father rode
in the other direction. He was going to
set traps for the wolves which had been
worrying cattle at the Bar NJ. Three
days ago word had come to ride to the
Bar NJ ranch with his traps and poison
This morning he had sent Alfred to take
ur all the traps still set in the hills
bordering the valley of Little Bear
creek. with instructions to bring them
to the Bar M in the evening. Had he
looked over lis shoulder he might have
seen the sturdy, shaggy little pony,
carrying the wild little figure up the
steep hill.
1t was gray morning. The mists
filled the hollows between the hills
usually Alfred could see miles up and
down the valley. But all he could see
at this hour was the shifting fog. Out
OF the silver sea the high hills reared
their crimson heads. The cool, delicious
morning air blew freshly across them,
and above, the eastern SUBMITS dim
gold, struggling through the gray, her,
aided the day. With whoop Of Joy,
born Of health and simple physical de-
light in the out-of-doors, Alfred began
the descent at racing gallop, which
was reckless enough, considering that
the pony might at any moment put one
OF his sure little feet into a gopher's hole
aud send his rider head-long. But AL
fred was not terrified by any possible
danger, and no experience had taught
him caution, and that hard teacher had
mercy on him this morning.
When he topped the farthest hill, the
sun had turned all the silver to gold. A
meadow lark flew up at his feet. whist
ling clearly. He initiated it gayly. and
chuckled at his own success, when the
puzzled bird answered him again and
again. Shy rabbits stood on their hind
legs, cooked forward their long ears and
surveyed him intently. A brown doe
leaped up from hollow, where she had
slept. and fled before him. He gave
chase with loud hallooing as long as she
ran in his assigned direction. When
she turned aside he reluctantly forsook
her. Alfred carried no gun when alone.
That, bis father would not allow, lest
worse disaster should come upon him
than any threatened by the wild crea-
lures of the bills.
So, Alfred rode until he came at last,
when it was near noon, out upon the
hilltop from whence he could see all the
valley of the Little Bear. The hills
half mile across the valley seemed SO
near that he might have tossed peb-
BILE across. But the cattle drinking in
the clear stream in the midst Of the
green meadows looked small and far
away. Alfred took his bearings. and
struck into the hills again. following the
course of the valley farther north.
When he had found the traps. he
dropped from the saddle, threw the
reins over the pony's head, letting them
trail on the ground. Every bill horse
knows that this means, "Wait here un-
til | come" Then, having eaten his
lunch, he crossed email hillock and
took up the first trap. Leaving it, he
went still further on and found the Sec
ond. He took this one. and, returning.
brought both and hung them over the
saddle. There was still third, which
be found with little difficulty, though