Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-26

|
| don't you call back your dogs? They
will chase my pony beyond all reach
| She lifted her little head, shook back
her masses of brown red hair, looked
at me as if l We're quite beneath CON
tempt and said, mo. they will kill HIM"
Then said L. for | was very angry,
81 will kill them" pulling at the re-
volver in my belt
Then" she said, and for the first
time noticed her eyes blue black, with
gray rims, Il will kill you and she
whipped out an ugly looking revolver.
From her face had no doubt that she
would not hesitate to do as she had
said. l changed my tactics, for l was
anxious about my pony, and said, with
my best smile:
Cant you call them back? Won't
they obey you:'
Fer face changed in moment.
rs it your pony? Do you love him
very much?'
"Dearly!' l said. persuading myself
of sudden affection for the cranky
little brute.
She sprang upon her pinto and set off
| down the trail The pony was now
coursing up and down the slopes,
doubling like hare, instinctively
! avoiding the canyon, where he would
be cornered He was mad with terror at
! the huge brutes that We're silently but
| with awful and sure swiftness running
| him down.
| The girl on the pinto whistled shrilly
and called to her dog: Down. Wolf!
| Back, Loo" But. running low, with
long, stretched bodies. they needed not,
but sped on. ever gaining upon the
pony that now circled toward the pinto.
AS they drew near in their circling, the
| girl urged her pinto to meet them,
loosening her lariat as she went. AS
the pony neared the pinto he slackened
gathered herself in two short jumps
and sprang for the pony's throat. But,
even as she sprang, the lariat whirled
round the girls head and fell swift
and sure about the dogs neck, and next
moment she lay choking upon the
prairie. Her mate paused, looked
back and gave up the chase. But dire
| vengeance overlook them, for. like one
possessed the girl fell upon them with
her quirt and beat them one after the
other till, in pity for the brutes, in
| terposed.
'.They shall do as say or l shall
kill them! shall kill them!' she cried,
raging and stamping.
Better shoot them," suggested,
pulling out my pistol.
Immediately she flung herself upon
the one that moaned and whined at
her feet, crying:
IF you dare. If you dare!" Then
she burst into passionate sobbing.
You bad Loo! You bad, dear old Loo!
But you were bad-you know you were
bad!" And SO she went on, with her
arms about Loo's neck till Loo, whin-
! ing and quivering with love and de-
light, threatened to so quite mad. and
Wolf, standing majestically near, broke
into short bowls of Impotence for his
turn of caressing They made strange
group, those three wild things, equally
fierce and passionate in hate and IN
love.
Suddenly the girl remembered me,
and standing up she said, half
ashamed:
.srhey always obey me. They are
mine, but they kill any strange thing
that comes in through the gate. They
are allowed to-
cit is a pleasant whim."
WHAT"
II mean, isn't that dangerous to
strangers?'
ooh, no one ever comes alone ex-
ccpt the Duke. And they keep off the
| wolves"
The Duke comes, does he"
"Yesr' and her eyes lit up. HE is
my friend. He calls me his princess.
and he teaches me to talk and tells
me stories-oh, such wonderful stories!"
I looked in wonder at her face, 80
gentle, SO girlish, and tried to think
back to the picture Of the girl who
| few moments before had SO cooAy
| threatened to shoot me and had SO
| furiously beaten her dogs.
| / kept her talking Of the Duke as we
walked back to the gate, watching her
| face the while 1t was not beautiful;
it was too thin and the mouth was too
large. But the teeth were good and the
ewes. blue black with gray rims, looked
straigi.. at you-true eyes and brave,
| whether in love or in war. Her hair
was her glory. Red it was. in spite OF
HIS denial. but of such marvellous, in
| describable shade that in certain lights.
as she rode over the prairie, it streamed
behind her like purple banner-a
most confusing and bewildering color,
but quite in keeping with the nature
of the owner.
| She gave her pinto to Joe and, stand
ing at the door, welcomed me with
dignity and graciousness that made me
think that the Duke was not far wrong
when he named her princess"
The door opened upon the main or
living room 1t was long apartment.
with low ceiling and walls OF hewn
logs chinked and plastered and all
WY a a tn TTT1