The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-08-22
BY n. S. CANFIELD
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
In the Land Of No Twilight.
Long days and nights Of railway
travel; visions of wide brown fields,
bare in the early winter, and snug
farm-houses. with smoke-coils. nestled
among the hills; the roar Of large
cities in which soft coal was burned
and the air heavy with pestilential
odors; W the sunshine growing
warmer and the sky, 9 in little
through the car-window, growing
bluer; ever a change of faces among
fellow passengers and an occasional
change OF train-crews; ever a success
sion OF flashing landscapes and eye
balls strained with gazing at them;
ever the clank and rattle and roar and
throb and jar Of the moving monster
which bore her; then wider fields,
which were prairie, and darker woods,
which were forests, and Lois English
had crossed the Texas line into a coun-
try as dissimilar from that in which
she had been reared as IL it had be-
longed to another world. All railway
travel, after q time, becomes alike
monotonous and depressing, a weari-
ness to the flesh.
On the NTH day after leaving Gray
borough she stepped from the dusty
train to q little station platform nor
than a hundred miles west of San An
tonic Around her, far as the eye
could reach, rolled a brown sea OF
grass. Near to the station grew q half
dozen discouraged cottonwoods. There
were q well and q MINDLESS. q little
frame-house nifty yards away. about
which wandered q score Of tired chick
ems; three or four bridleless, riderless
donkeys. apparently eating dust; on
the far western horizon q thin line Of
trees. marking a w~ater-course: over
head q brilliantly intensely blue sky
dominated by . glaring sun. The air
thin and dry and cool, however,
and the girl felt . certain exhilaration
from 1t a. she stretched her tired limbs
BY : rapid walk up and down the plat
form. The station agent and telegraph
operator. ~shirt-sleeved and smoking to-
bacco rolled In Z corn-shuck, came to
her and said with mild interest:
."You are Miss Lois English, amt
your"
She said she wa. &
WELL" he went on, II got . tele-
gram last night from Fort Clark, sent
BY Mr.. Glynn. the BALCONIES boss, and
he told me to tell you that the mules
will be after you to-day"
THE mules?"
Yep. The ambulance. you know
the rancho trav'lin' rig. It had orter
show up pretty DON Won't you walk
over to the house! My wife's there.
Been married most q year."
Thanking him, but declining this in
vitation. Lois resumed her walk. Her
three trunks were piled ct one end OF
the platform and a. she passed and re-
passed them she noticed that they were
much worn and battered. Evidently
some Of the men up st. Louis way had
been IN = hurry. After . half-hour OF
exercise she began TO feel hungry.
Then away to the eastward her eye was
attracted BY q small cloud OF dust. So
faint that It was scarcely discernible.
It grew rapidly larger. Fifteen min
utes later It resolved itself into q large
vehicle. with q canvas top and sides.
drawn by four mules. On the front
seat was q Mexican driver doing moth
ing. BY him sat . slender young fell
low who held the. reins carelessly in
one hand while the other swung a whip
with q long lash. His feet were braced
and his elbows were squared. He was
's~t0oling'' the OUTFIT In approved Lon
don fashion. The mules dashed up to
the platform at q swinging gallop. half
circled and came to q dead stop. the
ambulance not q foot from the boards.
The young fellow shifted his whip to
the left hand, raised q huge gray SOM
brero. heavy with silver tinsel, and
bowed gravely. There was a flush az
pleasure on his face. Mr.. TON" AL
lyn. OF Devonshire. rather fancied his
driving. Lois returned the bow. Al
ready she liked the dash and swing OF
the arrival and the frank blue-eyed
face Of portentous gravity which
looked at her from under the sombrero
IL WIZ Ia ~ OAA4AO OI0y AL
this moment the station agent reau-
peared and announced that "the
mules had come. Seeing that all four
OF them were within twenty feet Of her.
Lois looked at him . moment In aston
ishment, them thanked him g~ushingly
tor the information. The young fell
low with the reins laughed gaily and
tossed them to q side OF him. The
sleepy Mexican had sprung to the head
Of the leading pair Of animals and held
them by the pits. Allyn leaped to the
ground. remarking: That's one on you.
Ransome. Bear q hand with these
trunks, will your" Together the lug
gage vas piled into the rear end Of the
vehicle and the tail-gate put in place.
Only then did the director Of ceremon-
les turn to Miss English. remove his
hat and hold out his hand with q frank
smile. and q look Of unconscious ad-
miration In his eyes:
II am delighted to welcome you. Miss
English" he said. I'VE are q little late
because coming alone one Of the mules
took It into his head to climb On an