The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-08-14

me to attend to the mare, and then ledt
the way to the house. The door openedi
directly to the kitchen, where a cheer-I
full fire was blazing, n his wife and
two or three children were gathered
round it.
| The universal and cheerful hospita1i-t
ty Of the Welsh was busted at once to-
make me comfortable. I was placed IN
q chair in the snug chimney corner,i
n the good wife at once set a small
round table at my elbow, and arranged
food upon it. No one had any English,l
except my host, and his was so fluent!
but that occasionally we arrived att
cross-purposes. Still, when we came
to a fix, we tried back and sterted
again, and in the end managed to find
where we were. s.
"Nant-y-Bryn," said he, on hearing OF
my destination. II am taking sheep to-
morrow, and must to go that way. We
shall go, the two, now"
This was welcome news to me when
I found that he was bound to q spot
within a few miles Of my jourfieyha
end and I gladly agreed to accompany
him.
The next morning I arose to find thad
the fine weather Of the past few days
had departed and that a sharp, sleety;
drizzle was falling. AS I stood looking,
at it through the window of the great
hlLClen, my uOSC joined me-. WueIo
is the big coat with your said heg
Spoil the fine clothes, this weather"
and he rubbed his finger, smilingly, up
and down the silver lace of my riding
suit. !.
"oh," I replied, perhaps it will get
better soon.'
mo-" said he, decisively, sit shall go
worse and worse through the lay. .
am sure of 1t. But no matter. I will
find you a coat.
He said a few words in Welsh, and
his little boy ran out Of the house, to
return in five minutes laden with a
great blue-gray homespun coat, quite
new, and of a texture to withstand the
f~iercest storm that ever blew. He K
planned that it was borrowed from III
shepherd, who would not be going from
home that day.
At once, upon seeing it, I formed al
design of purchasing it, as I knew not
now when I should see my cloak again.
and the shepherd was fetched to strike
a bargain. This was easily done to his
great satisfaction, and I rode away
that morning across the hills, fenced
as securely from the biting, driving
sleet as Il I had been in a castle.
Our progress was very slow, since tt
was timed to the pace Of the slowest
sheep, and when we came to the ham,
let where my guide was to deliver his
flock, the dusk was falling.
There was no inn at the place, but
one Of the houses provided some acI
commodation for travellers, and I de-
termined to stay rather than push for,
Nant-y-Bryn in the darkness. My kind
friend spent the night there also, and
the next morning we parted, with
} hearty expressions of goodwill on both
sides. He had given me suck partic-l
ular directions for finding my way that
> I doubted not but an hours ride would,
! see the end OF my journey.
I had gone some two miles on my
} way and was crossing a patch Of bro-
: ken, healthy land, when I saw an,
!, other horseman some distance away to-
1 my left. He was following a road
which gradually ran TO meet mine, and
step by step we drew nearer, like men!
> marching down the arms of a great "
He was a young man, looking much
{ Of my own age, riding a tall, thin,
black horse, Of no great quality, hand
= somely dressed, and carrying a sword,
: but, SO far as I could see, no pistols.
, He looked me owe with an air Of great
superiority, for which I could see no
, grounds, till I remembered myself OF
. the coarse gray coat I was wearing.
: We reached the meeting place Of the
two roads within half-a-dozen yards OF
each other, he in front. He spoke to
me In Welsh. n I bad him good
morning.
you are English, then," said he
coldly.
IT am" said I, land have no Welsh -
u All the time his eye was running over
my mare and he drew his horse away
. to put the whole width Of the road be-
u tween us.
Does he take me for q highway
q MANI" I thought, and I smiled, for my
70 combination Of coarse T coat and a
= nag under me fit for a prince certainly
;. pointed in that direction, had we been
on a more travelled route.
D. tn th{c cr,i1n r ~o5 - 53r~IaorI
Il him, for it timed with a false step OF
= his sorry horse, and he thought
~ laughed at him.
~ The color shot up into his thin, dark
= handsome face, and his big black eyes
n flashed at me fercely. I looked before
= me, as If I had observed nothing, and
= now saw In front, a large house stand
= ing half way UP a steep slope.
- Continued Next ,Week.)
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