Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-01-13

0OB," said the superintendent Of
oil the Montezuma Copper Com
" pany, you're to take the
Kitty mare and go down the road I'M
til you meet Manuel Gonzales outfit.
He started from Lordsburg six days
ago, so you ought to find him about
York's ranch. Just notice particularly
where you meet him, and ask him 10
hurry up. He's got some flour we
need"
Joe Armstrong had been looking for
this order Ever since he had been
taken into the employ of the company
he had been sent ON these missions. In
variably three or four days before the
end of the month he and the Kitty
mare had cen sent galloping down the
Lordsburg road to meet this freighter
or that and tell him to hurry up.
1t was eighty milss to Lordsburg,
and all the company's freight had to
be drawn In OK teams from the railway
at that point.
The humor Of asking that an OK
team hurry was not lost OH Joe. He
knewit took eight or ten days for the
plodding cattle to drag the great wag-
on across the desert and over the hills,
and he knew, too, that there was plenty
of -four in the warehouse.
But Joe Armstrong also knew enough
to hold his tongue and obey orders.
It was not that the mission dis
pleased him; On the contrary, he was
delighted--what healthy boy would not
welcome the change from the dull rou-
tine Of the company's store to q ride
or Kitty.
It was sunset when he reached
FORKS ranch, where he stopped for
supper. There were three other trav-
elers at the ranchman's table. One Of
them he knew. Mr.. Lampson had been
q bookkeeper In the company's office,
and had been discharged for a reason
Joe had never learned, and the two
strangers were in his company.
"Going to stop over, Joe?" asked
Lampson, as they stood at the wash
ing trough.
''Why, no, Mr.. Lampson," answered
the boy. eve bit of business down
the road. It's moonlight, and l guess
I'll push on a way. Are you going
on?"
Lampson thought not, and changed
The subject, and the bookkeeper and his
two companions were still at York's
when Joe saddled up and started on.
Kitty, fresh from her rest and feed
Of grain, was in as good trim as if she
bed not already come a score of miles,
but Joe would not let her gallop.
Soon she found her stride, the long,
swinging lope Of the COW ponies that
ne knew she could hold. for fifty miles
Il necessary. The brilliant moon almost
directly overhead cast a shadow like
q purple blanket. Except for the hoof-
beats there was no sound.
Joe loved to ride at night. He knew
every inch of the way, and each tail,
Branching cactus that stood out in the
moonlight was as good as a mile post
to him.
Soon he noted a shadow in the brush
by the roadside keeping pace with him.
Half q mile farther companion shad-
ow on the other side of the road drew
his attention.
He knew they were wildcats, obey
ing the same instinct that makes their
tame congeners follow a man in the
city streets in the moonlight. He
knew he could send them scurrying
away into the brush with a shout, but
with the habit Of those who live in the
wild places of the earth, he had no
desire to modest anything that did not
modest him. Besides, the leaping Shad-
ows were company Of sort, and their
presence was guarantee that no
larger savage beast or savage man was
near.
Joe lost the companion shadows at
the ella River, when he and Kitty
splashed across 1t.
He had not yet found Manuel Con-
zalez' train of ox-teams, but he knew
they must be comparatively near
probably camped at the spring half
dozen miles farther OH. There was
nothing to be gained by coming upon