Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1906-01-17
THE BIT
OF RE ID
By KONoGE WILLSIE
Copyright. 1906, By E. c. Parcels
By HoNoRE wILLsIE


Bruce sat alone at the head of the
herd trying to remember and to for
get, trying to remember her voice, her
face, her vivid beauty; trying to for
get the words that cut short his course
IS Il newspaper man and sent him out
en- the ranch. Was it, after all, only
a year since she refused him? Could
he never again close his eyes without.
seeing the red of her gown? 1t seemed |
half a lifetime that he had been guard |
ing these beasts. rounding up strag- |
giers, keeping watch lest the herd |
stampede for the river. Day after day |
of burning sun and night after night |
of stars the loneliness of the plain |
oppressed him; the cattle irritated him |
with their stupid docility The hot |
noon sun blistered down ON their
brown backs. The black flies buzzed
above them and their
The broncho raised his head suddenly.
1t was 50 unusual for Dick to show
signs of life during the noon hour that
the man was startled from his reverie
\ subtle disturbing wave seemed to
sweep through the herd. Here and
there head was tossed. and dilated
nostrils shifted the summer air. The
man, vaguely disturbed looked to-
ward the rear of the herd. Far out
on the plain was a blackboard with a
bit of red futtering in it. Good
Lord" he said aloud, zone of the fool
beasts has caught sight of that It's
hold tight now or the devil to pay"
His year on the plain had taught him
that the cattle herd is more sensitive
to panic than even the human throng.
A sudden movement, strange fiutter
of sound or color, and far down in the
grazing herd comes a sudden closing of
ranks, a slow moving forward of a
constantly augmented mass that. with
quick increase of speed. sweeps on, I'M
til a thousand panic stricken steers
| stampede across the plain.
Bruce sat rigid upon his broncho at
the head of the herd Alone, he knew
it was hopeless to attempt to make the
herd "circle." the one sure remedy for
a stampede. Even the slightest move
ment on his part might precipitate mat
ters, while absolute quiet might pre-
vent the breaking of the storm which
was slowly brewing.
A half mile out ON the plain the
blackboard and the fiuttering bit of red
drew nearer. More heads were tossed
in the air. On the outskirts of the herd
nearest the coming blackboard here
and there a steer ceased grazing and
novel hesitatingly toward the center.
Inquiring heads were lifted to see
what the movement meant. Those that
spied the 1uttering red followed quick
" to the center. Those that failed to
see the cause felt the vague wave of
terror and with short shorts Of fear
sought to move close to their fellows.
In rapid succession the animals were
struck by the panic wave With brain
clear and tense, as full realization of
his danger came upon him Bruce held
in his restless pony and thought rapid
". Facing him was the herd Behind
him, three miles out across the plain
was the river. If the stampede came
heaven alone knew whether the mad
dened cattle would plunge headlons
over the banks, those in front forced
on by the unseeing ones i'll the rear, o.
whether the leaders could turn all a
| right angles and follow the river bank
For one moment Bruce thought o
trying to turn the stampede and b.
whip and shout endeavor TO send tn
frightened brutes back, away from III
river. but danger to the nearing buck
board, now so close that he could see
II contained the figures of man and
'. woman. precluded that plan. Then a
power of controlling affairs was take
Il from him, for Dick, suddenly attacke
y by the fear contagion. gave a pitifl
> whinny of terror and, with the bit b.
tween his teeth, bolted toward the RI
err. The sudden sound and movemer
e were all that was needed and in I'll
E. next instant Dicks hoof beats wei
Sc drowned in the roar of hoofs in ma
flight about him.
i, Bruce, with knees that gripped Il
6. saddle like iron, gave one glance
Ct hind him. He was riding among IL
ra leaders,. but the heavy hurting ranl
.r behind them threatened at any m
ment to ride them down. If he cou
!. make an opening Dick had three mil
- in which to pull away from them, al
Il the roar of the maddened beasts, the
wv wild snorts, and the occasional shri
Of one OF their number. who fell al
was instantly trampled to death, ma
spur or whip or word unneeded for t
broncho. Trembling, with head thru
far forward and nostrils distended,
sped on with all the speed the beas
: crowded about him would permit.
y Could they turn at the river? If n
"a Bruce knew that death for him was
= matter of a few moments. And 81
81 denly life seemed very sweet to hi
4 Even life without her seemed suddel
bearable. The scent of the linden bu
the red Of the gown she wore, how V
id and how lovely even the memo
was And was this all that life was
5 on hold for nina few years of hope
,h.. ferred and early destroyed, then (