Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-08

cattle business, and If novel ideas could
have saved them. they would not have fail
ed. One Of their happy notions was to use
Pcindexter's coat of arms as brand, and
this was only abandoned when their fore
man declared that no calf so deliberately
marked could live. They finally devised an
insignium consisting Of the Greek Omega
in circle of stars.
There's a remnant Of the Poindexter
herd out there somewhere" Wheaton had
said to Saxton. THE fellow Snyder, that
1 put in a caretaker ought to have
gathered up the loose cattle by this time;
that's what l told him to do when l put
him there"
Saxton turned and looked out over the
rolling plain. few rods away lay the
river, and where.it curved nearest the house
stood group Of cottonwoods. like sentinels
drawn together for colloquy. Scattered
here and there over the plain were stray
Cling herds. On far crest of the rolling
pastures a lonely horseman paused, sharp
~ outlined for moment against the sky;
in another direction, blur drew his eyes
to where a group of the black Polied Angus
cattle grazed, giving the one blot Of deep
color to the plain.
Snyder reappeared, and Saxton followed
him into tho house.
1T isn't haunted or anything like that"'
John asked. glancing over the long hall.
mo. They have joke about that at
Great River. They say the only reason il
that there amt any idiot ghosts
There was much in the place to appeal to
Saxton's quiet humor. The house was Two
stories high and there was a great hall,
with an immense fireplace at one end. The
sleeping rooms opened on a gallery above
the hall An effort had been made to give
the house the appearance of western wild
ness by introducing a great abundance Of
skins of wild beasts-a highly dishonest bit
Of decorating. for they had been bought IN
Chicago How else, indeed would skins Of
German boas and polar bears be found in
a ranch house on the Platte river! Under
one wing of the stairway, which divided to
left and right at the center Of the hall, was
the dining room; under the other was the
ranch Office
Those fellows thought a good deal or
their stomachs,' said Snyder, as Saxton
opened and shut the empty drawers of the
s!deboard, which had been built into one
end of the western wall of the room. in
such manner that a pane of glass, IN
stead of a mirror filled the center Tho
intention of this was obviously to utilize
the sunset for decorative purposes, and
Saxton chuckled as he comprehended the
idea.
set. too" he SAID. Nearly every portable
thing of value had been removed, and ev'-
IDENTIFY In haste; put the heavy oak chairs
and the table remained. Snyder did his
OWE modest cooking In the Kitchen which
was in great disorder The floor Of the
Office was Uttered with scraps of paper.
The original tenants had evidently made
quick settlement of their business affairs
before leaving. Snyder slept here; mis-
blanket lay in. a heap on the long bench
that was built, into one side Of the room.
and a battered valise otherwise marked II
as his lodging place. saxton viewed the
room with disgust; 1t was more like ken
mel than a bad room. His foot struck
something on the floor; 1t was silver letter
seal bearing the peculiar Poindextsr brand,