The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1903-11-19
ARMsrRosc's CHANCE.

take The Kiliy mere std 90 down "
reed stlii yoa meet Msrntl GouH,hr co
6i he started from L-rIsbnfs siy day
csc. 90 yoa oasht TO nrd tin Of sbou
iofks branch. Joe nctics psriiccl,rl.
vhere Jon meet him, sod ssk biu 10 bu
~ ep. He's got soue h,1f se reed
Joe Arnstross bed bsen locking tor thi
order. Ever since be had besn t.hen iLt.
'he en- ploy Of the eonpspy be bsd beer
sert 90 these missions. IGvsfisbiy tbres
or iour days before the end Of the noctt
be spd the KITTY msre bad been sent ssl'
iopins dosn the L,rdsbuss road TO meet
this freisbisr or thsi and tell him 10 hur
~ up.
II sss eighty miles 10 Ldd,bnrs. and
ell tbs company = freight hsd to be drawn
10 Orleans from the rsilssy at that
point,
The humor OF sskips that % oI-!esm
harry vss not lost on Joe. He knew II
took eight or ten days Tor the ploddina
cattle TO drsg the grest wsaons seross
tbs desert snd over the tilie, and he
knew. TOO. thst there vas plenty Of aour
10 tho var ,use.
Bot Joe Armstrong also knew enough
to hold bis tongue and obey orders
IL vss not that the mission displessed
bin; 90 the contrary. be wss delighted -
vbst healthy boy would not Welcome the
change from the dull roniine OF the COM
psnys store TO ride on K'tty9
/, vas sunset when be reached York's
ranch, where be stopped for supper. There
vere three other travellers Ut the ranch
msn's tsbls. One Of them be knew. Mr..
L,mpson bad been . bookkeeper 10 the
oompsuy's oflse. end bsd been disobsra
ed for reason joe bad never learned |
and the two Strangers we're 10 bis CON
psny.
Going to stop over, Joe. asked l. ,mpsop.
IS they stood st the washing trough.
Why, no. Mr.. L,mpson. snswered the
boy. I've go. bit Of business down the
road. It's moonlight. and ! guess l will
push on 3 way, Are you soipg on?
L,mpson thought not, and chsnged
the subject. and the bookkeper and bis
two oonpsni,ns we're still d York's when
Joe ssddled up and started on.
KITTY, iresh from her rest and feed OF
grain. wss 10 80 good trim a. il she nsd
not alresdy come score OF miles, bat Joe
would no. lei her gsllop.
Soon she found her stride, the long,
swinging lope OF the Gov ponies tbst be
knew ste could hold for fisy miles il nec
esssty' Tho brilliant moon almost direct
ly overhead csst Q shadow like . purple {
blanket E,capt for the booibests. there
vse 20 sound
Joe loved 10 ride 1t night He knew Z
every inch Of the way. and esch toll.
cactus that stood oct 10 the I
moonlight wee Is good % . mile post 10
him r
Soon ho noted . shsdov 10 The br1sh {
BY the rosdside keeping pace With bin,
Hall mile farther . companion shsdov q
90 the other eide OF the road drew bis i
sttention.
He knew that they were Wildcats. obey !
lug the same instinct that makes their b
lsme songeners follow . men 10 the city Z
streets 10 the moonlight. he knew be
sould send them scu,ryips swsy into the
brush With shout, bot With the hsbit OF o
those who live 10 the wild pIsces OF The b
ssrtb. be bad no desire to molest any thing b
|hst did not molest him. b
Besides. The Iespinc shadows we're com .
pauy OF SORT. and their presence vas b
'usrsptee thst no larger savsee beast or 1
Isv, ge mao wss pesr. V
Joe lost the co npsnion shadows st the
iils River. when be and Kitty splsshsd O.
|cross IL. b
he bad not yet found Mspuel Gofzs.
sz train Of ox.tesms, but be knew they o.
nu's be comparatively near probably Il
snped st TIE spripg hsli dtz,n miles
srthsr on. There vss nothing to be gain Ia
d By coming upon u . n st this time OF "a
light. There ere certsin rules on the b,
roo.ier. % 10 the cities. % 10 bresking .
iredmsn's sleep unnecessarily. So Joe On
ecided 10 csmp near the river and hurry OF
o st day bresk With bis message.
Hs unsaddled KITTY and turned her r
pose 10 gr.z 10 the river bottom. know ,r
,s that she would remain close BY. Then
ndips place where the brush wss thick th
roush to screen bin from The sight Of bl
be road. be broke through this lsIiy ls
ell.
A branch used - broom sufioed 10 th
blitefste The tracks thst showed . ride vi
I'd ended there. snd behind bis screen 90
mesqait bfosh be Icy down 10 sleep. III
!. ssddie for . pillov. the soi. earth for in
bed. he needed no covers. for on thst
eh msss q the Gils there 10 no dev. 90
A CITY boy might wonder tbst be took th
lins 10 hide bimself from tie road snc 10
dissuiss sbe trsoes Of bis camp. bat TO b,
'e IL vss IS ns'u,sl - II is 70 The town iul
'ei led 70 lock bis bedroom door st .
range hotel. 90
Joe sa'd his little prayer. tsushs him be
! toe mother whose death he'd left bin eft
nsts hs wy alone tvo years before. op
"a closed b" eyes A boy 10 nos likely
iorss, h.s prayers when The only roof b.
'ose bin Is The sky.snd every stH seems
he brisb' eye seeing elesr throusb 70!
m. Joe q not have 10 vsit for sleep, pal
J ." on - soon - bic eyes we're shat
6oade1iy he o. brood sssks sgsin. ho
be moon vss sone. bot the stsss we're bin
III shining, srd by them he kueV dsy OF