The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1906-12-27

not or would not let herself under !,
stand. But she thanked him rather |
CURLY and declined the offer.
He smiled at her confidently as
she rode away. On what lid he base
his confidence?
The spirit OF the range was strong
in May. Her blood mounted warmly,
and her horse pressed sharply upon
the sheep, while her voice rang loud
and clear
But when the rapidly moving mass
of white backs scurried through the
scrub pines near the top, not half
a mile away over the hill. she heard
faint sounding "Coo-ees!" that we're
growing nearer and coming up the
ridge.
Madden's herders, for money!" she
heard Uri yell But wen git In
ahead. They won't dast come much
nearer-'hey won't risk a mix-up."
The WIS" were bounding up the
slope and the advance line was all
but topping the ridge. From a little
knoll on that part of the hog back
farthest from the meadow, May out
of breath from her hard ride and her
cries, sat her horse for a moment OF
triumph
Suddenly she heard great rustling
among the trees and brush on the
west side OF the ridge. opposite that
on which the first great billow OF
WIS" was beginning TO appear
From below came whooping yells,
the barking of dogs. wild bleats and
low roar as 10000 little feet beat the
ground and 5000 little round heads
were poked out from among the pines.
| 4 great wave of MS" doomed for a
moment from over the way. ready to
rush in and become one with the bill
low of WIS" which had charged up
the east ;ide of the ridge just in time
to meet 1t.
Stop EN-. Stop EN- Head EN-
OFF! Can't yC / stop emf" was Mays
frantic appeal to Zeke.
The old sheep man said nothing.
but reached back on his saddle for his
rife, and, raising 1t quickly and point
ing along the hundred-foot gap that
remained between the two great
herds, sent bullet whizzing low over
it, May had heard of this trick
before Sometimes, she knew, II had
succeeded in preventing hopeless
mess of two bands.
Zeke fired shot after shot, but the
two lines. forced by the fatal up
sweep from behind, neared each other
by little starts and bounds. May saw
an M sheep leap into the air and
fall fiat. She rode over to Zeke and
made him stop his shooting
When she looked again the two
great tides of sheep had met and min
gled The WIS" were scampering
wildly about among the MS" and the
MS" were threading through and
through the VS." so that II seemed
In one wild moment, the dreaded, the
tragic, mix-,p was as complete as the
mix-up of well-shufiled pack OF
cards,
Lew Madden rode over to where
NAV stood leaning against a pine
crying. The rest had all run up the
ridge chasing the sheep toward the
meadow. Lew got of his horse and
was close TO her before she saw
him.
.Oh. IL was mean of you" she de
clared. with wet cheeks and flaming
eyes, mean. mean
This mix-up?" he said, smiling
softly "Oh, don't know. They can stay
mixed for all care. It's all right.
"Why. what makes you say thatE
she cried, dabbing her eyes with
handkerchief. We can't separate
them until the end of the season. un
less" she added. little more hope
fully. we could rig mp a corral ant
a foot-gate here somewhere. won
der II we could
But 1 don't want to" said he
at would take a months work. ant
Il isn't worth while. anyway
|, Well" she said. with forced firm
, ness. I'm do ii. then.
, But YOU don't want TO, either.
. why don't ! want to-?
Because you're going to marry me
+ Little Bopeep hasn't lost her sheep
They've lust strayed in among he
lovers. And they are going To sta!
here and never be separated. Come
am YOURS. and so are all my sheep
\ He held out his arms to her. Neye
. lad she seemed SO weak In the iac'
NJ the fine. strong. iDsistent master.
D., az his presence. But she summoned
the protesting word at last. thougl
A IL came out family
4 Mo-"
He came nearer and put his grea
: arms about her.
You're taking me for granted. all
or ALI You're just as mean as
No: I'm taking YOU for a dear
angelic little creature. who loves ID
, very much. 70,
;, There you are You said IT. II
,ot he taken for granted that way
-, How will you be taken. them
: Not at all. You don't understan'
YOU don't deserve-you're Just a
, mean as
But he stopped her words with
, Kiss and. after little struggle, ne
head nestled down upon his shoulder
uu. hunting for his mistress 81
,,.d her sitting on a rock beside Lew
and scrambled back to Zeke.
. There's another mix-up over there'
y he said. grinning and pointing to~Af,
I, .ha mines Guess them sheepu a.