Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-11-13
Short STORY
Of the DAY
IN A NIGHT RIDE.

Ephraim Weber in the Springfield
Republican,
Pete was on his way home. Not
having a trail, he took the wind for
his guide. The wilderness grew dark
and uncanny. In the unreasonable
solitude of his life, the thickening of
the dusk always uncaged his magma
ton for dragon flights Neither spurs
nor quirt could impcl his bucksIzin to
a speed that eased his spirit Riding
after him on the Black Camel came
the Dark; moreover, at hOme-Oh that
shivering ghost of home, his three
dear hens were roosting unfed and
slcepless on their stick. If he could
communicate his mood to his pony,
the little fellow could go a bit faster.
he was sure. For experiment he
reached to his hip-pocket for his
Sheep-shearS, and sure enough, their
Whack, Whack, whack, put the desired
witchery into the cayuse's nerves. He
Hoped like a wild thing. Pete hooted
light frightened delight
At last they struck trail. which
soon brought them to a cross-traiL.
where the cayuse switched off at right
angles. Pete was sure this was wrong.
for they must keep straight ahead.
facing the wind; so he neck-rained his
cayuse to put him back to the old
trail, but he would not obey. Sud
denly he flew into such a sDasm of
wrath that writhing and sizzling, he
Jerked and spurred the poor creature
most furiOuSly, SO that he soon had
him back on the old trail. Still hiss
ing like a mad gander. Pete clipped
off the tip of one of the pOny's ears
Into the dark they rushed Mile after
mile they fed. arriving nowhere
Fainter and DINNER grew the trail
until there was danger of losing it al
together. 1t was near midnight, and
Pete thought of his hungry hens and
the mysteries of the night He niDped
the TANKS of his pony and gained new
fieetness, when, quick as lightning.
the pony lodged to one side. letting
the unseated rider continue his wild
flight headlong into a wire fence sur
rounding a haystack.
Pete effervesced with impassioned
figures of speech. He had a time
gathering his senses and limbs to-
gether. He lay on his back one dis
tant foot hanging on barb of the ton
wire. Two loose ends of wire cOiled
around him as only barbed wire knows
how to coil, and when he felt its fangs
from head to foot, he imagined him
self in the antennae of a devilfsh. Be
SIDES. he had a constant dread of
imaginary snakes. After a frantic
CONFUSION he disentangled himself.
he 1eIt a hundred cuts and was
thankful the darkness hid his gore.
The wounds he did not mind: they
would soon heal; but his beloved blue
duck jacket and overalIs. which his
mother made when dying with heart
break-hoW would he ever mend them
fit to be seen in? And where was
Zebe, his pony? He listened. but
heard only his heart.
Here, Zebe! Zebe. Zebe," No re-
Spouse. Pete sighed and threw him
self against the haystack, rejecting
that the wind often turns suddenly in
that country, and is a treacherous
guide to ride home by. Perhaps the
pony was right after all at the cross
trail
Well, Pete" he addressed himself
how d yeh like this? Yeh mooncalf
next time yeh know enough to let the
httle sinner have the reins. He'll
smell the trail home, an if it's dark
enough to color yer skin black"
Then he prayed to have his ponv
back. Presently he heard him neigh
ABOUT two rods away. Whooping with
JOY, he made strides for him, and
1umbled him all over for a possible
wound. Finding one bleeding on the
neck, he rubbed a handful of dust into
it.
Whoo-a!" he yawned to the now
ers OF darkness, I'm tired 'nough II
die" In spite of his fears, he followed
OUT nest III the stack for a night,
ooglng, and tied his buckskin to ;
Willow tuft away from the wire. H,
Wrggled himself deeply into the hay
for his blood was now too scarce +,
feed million mosquitoes. However