The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-02-12

not or would not let herself under
stand. But she thanked him rather
CURLY and declined the offer II
He smiled at her confidently as
she rode away. On what did 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-eesi" that were
growing nearer and coming up the
ridge.
"Madden's herders, for money!" she
heard Uri yell. But wen git in
nearer-they 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 a great rustling
among the trees and brush on the
west side of the ridge, opposite that
on which the first great billow Of
"W's" was beginning to appear.
From below came whooping yells,l
the barking of dogs, wild bleats and a
low roar as 10000 little feet beat the
ground and 5000 little round heads
were poked out from among the pines.
A great wave of Ms doomed for a
moment from over the way, ready to
rush in and become one with the bill
low of Tvs" which had charged up
the east side of the ridge just in time
to meet il.
stop 'em! Stop emf Head 'em
on Can't you stop emf was May s
frantic appeal to Zeke-
The old sheep man said nothing,
but reached back on his saddle for his
rife, and, raising it 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, it had
succeeded in preventing a hopeless
mess of two bands.
Zeke fred 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 IN" sheep leap into the air and
, fall fat 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 "W's" were scampering
wildly about among the MS" and the
ms" were threading through and
through the "W's," so that it seemed
in one wild moment, the dreaded. the
tragic, mix-up was as complete as the
mix-up of a well-shufied pack oil
cards.
Lew Madden rode over to where
May 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. it was mean of you" she de
clared, with wet cheeks and flaming
eyes, mean. mean!
This mix-up?" he said, smiling
softly "Oh, 1 don't know. They can sta!
mixed for all l care. It's all right
why, what makes you say that?'
she cried. dabbing her eyes with ;
hand kerchief. I'VE can't separate
them until the end of the season, un
less" she added. a little more hope
fully, I'VE could rig up a corral ant
a foot-gate here somewhere. l won
der if we could?"
"But 1 don't want to-" said he
2 1T would take a months work. ant
!. it isn't worth while, anyway"
d Well" she said, with forced firm
d ness. ''Tn do it, then"
Il But you don't want to, either"
- Why don't l want to-"
9 Because you're going to marry me
b Little Bopeep hasn't lost her sheer
J. They've just strayed in among he
:. lovers. And they are going to sta.
there and never be separated. Come
= | am yours, and so are all my sheepi
d He held out his arms to her. Neve
e had she seemed so weak in the fac
of the fine, strong, insistent master,
F? Of his presence. But she summone,
the protesting word at last, though
d it came out family.
d Mo-
He came nearer and put his grea
5 arms about her
You're taking me for granted. aft
!. er all You're just as mean as"
No: I'm taking you for a dear
D angelic little creature. who loves m
:. very much
t There you Sret You said it! II
not be taken for granted that way.
n 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
4 kiss, and, after q little struggle, he
head nestlad down nnon his shoulder