Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1904-01-29
ARMSTRONG'S CHANCE
nY cHARLEs NICHOLSON.

, you meet Manuel Gonzalez outfit
He started from Lordsburg siN
days ago, so you ought to find him
about York's ranch. Just notice
particularly where you meet him
and ask him to hurry up. He's got
some flour we need
Joe Armstrong had been look
ing for this order. Ever since hc
had been taken into the employ %
the company he had been sent out
on these missions. Invariably
three or four days before the end
of the month he and the Kitty
mare had been sent galloping
down the LOrdsburg road to meet
this freighter or that and tell him
to hurry up.
1t was 80 miles to Lordsburg,
and all the cOmpany's freight had
to be drawn i'm OX-tcams from the
railway at that point.
The humOr of asking that an OK
team hurry was not lost on Joe.
He knew it took eight or ten days
for the plOdding cattle to drag the
great wagon across the desert and
over the hills, and he knew, too
that there was plenty of flour in
the warehouse.
But Joe Armstrong knew
enough to hold his tongue and
obey orders.
1t was not that the mission dis
pleased him; on the contrary, he
was dclighted-what healthy boy
would not welcome the change
from the dull routine Of tine com
pany's store TO ride on Kitty?
1t was sunset when he reached
YOrll's ranch, where he stopped
for supper. There were three 9th
err travellers at the ranchman's ta-
bic. One of them he knew. Mr..
LampsOn had been Il bOOkkceper
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 10 stop over, Joc?" asked
Lampson, as they stood at the
washing-trough.
"Why, no, Mr.. Lampson,' an
swcrrd the boy. give got bust.
ness down the road. It's moon.
light, and ! guess III push on
my way. Are you going on?"
LampsOn thought not ana
changed the subject, and the book
keeper and his two companions
were still at YOrli'S when Joe sad
died up and started on.
Kitty, fresh from her rest and
frd on grain. was in as good trim
as if she had not already come a
score Of miles, bu! Joe would not
let her gallOp.
Soon she found her stride, the
long. swinging lopc of the cow
ponies that he knew she could
hold for fifty miles if necessary.
The brilliant moon almost direct
ly overhead cast a shadow like
purple blanket Except for the
hOOfbeats, there was no sound.
Joe loved TO ride at night. He
knew every inch of the way, and
each tall, branching cactus that
stood out in the moonlight was as
good as a mile-pOst to him.
Soon he noted shadow in the
brush by the roadside keeping
pace with him. Half mile far
Their companion shadow on the
other side of the road drew his at
tcntiOn.
He knew that they were wild
cats, Obeying 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 awayintO the
brush with a shout, but with the
habit of those who live in the wild
places of the earth, he had no de
sire to modest anything that did
not modest him. Besides, the leap
ing shadows were company OF a
sort, and their presence was u
guarantee that no larger savage
beast or savage man was near.
Joe lost the companion shad-
Ows at the ella river, when he and
Kitty splashed across it.
He had not yet found Manuel
Gonzalez train of OK teams, bur