Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1908-10-02

the prairie ponds and stand knee-deep
In them, eating the succulent marsh
plants. Most Of the plains rivers flow
through sandy or muddy beds with nc
vegetable growth, and to these. OF
course, the deer merely come down to
drink or refresh themselves by bath.
ing, as they contain nothing to eat.
At times the Whitehall will lie SC
close that it may almost be trodden on.
One June morning was riding down
along the river, and came to q long
bottom, crowded with rose-bushes, all
in bloom. 1t was crossed in every di-
rection by cattle paths, and a drove OF
long horned Texans were scattered
over it A cow-pony gets accustomed
to travelling at speed along the cattle
trails, and the one I bestrode threaded
its way among the twisted narrow
paths with perfect ease, Looping rapidly
onward through sea Of low rose,
bushes, covered with the sweet, pink
flowers. They gave bright color to
the whole plain, while the air was
filled with the rich, full songs Of the
breasted meadow larks, as they
! perched on the topmost sprays of the
little trees. Suddenly a Whitehall doe
| sprang up almost from under the
horses feet, and scudded off with her
white flag Haunting. There was NO
reason for harming her, and she made
a pretty picture as she bounded lightly
off among the rose-red flowers, pass.
ing without heed through the ranks OF
the long-horned and strengthening
steers.
Doubtless she had little spotted
fawn not far away. These wee fell
lows soon after birth grow, very cum
ming and able to take care of them
selves, keeping in the densest part Of
the brush, through which they run and
dodge like rabbit. If taken young
they grow very tame and are most
dainty pets. One which we had round
the house answered well to it's name.
1t was at first fed with milk, which
1t Tapped eagerly from a saucer, shar-
ing the meal with the two cats, who
rather resented its presence and cuff
ed it heartily when they thought it
was greedy and was taking more than
1l6 Suulc. Iao IL S1CW oAuCl IL WVu1IA
eat bread or potatoes from our hands,
and was perfectly fearless. At night
it was let go or put in the cow-shed,
whichever was handfest, but it was
| generally round in time for breakfast
next morning A blue ribbon with a
bell attached was hung round its neck,
SO as to prevent its being shot: but
in the end it shared the fate of all
pets, for one night it went off and
never came back again.
Only once have I ever killed a white
tail buck while hunting on horseback;
and at that time had been expecting
to fall In with black-tail. zs
This was while we had been making
| q wagon trip to the westward follow
ing the old Keogh trail, which was
| made by the heavy army wagons that
4 journeyed to Fort Keogh in the old
/ days when the soldiers We're, except
a few daring trappers, the only white
| men to be seen on the last great hunt
ing-ground Of the Indians 1t was
/ abandoned as a military route several
1 years ago, and is now only rarely
travelled over, either by the canvas
topped ranchwagon of some wander
ing cattle-men-like ourselves-or else
by small party Of emigrants, In two
4 or three prairie schooners. which con-
4 tain all their household goods. Never
theless, 1t is still as plain and distinct
as ever The two deep parallel ruts,
cut into the sod by the wheels Of the
4 heavy wagon, stretch for scores of
4 miles in straight line across the
4 level prairie, and take great turns and
4 doublings to avoid the impossible por-
i lions of the Bad Lands The track is
4 always perfectly plain. for in the dry
climate Of the western plains the ac-
4 ton of the weather tends to preserve
rather than to obliterate 1t; where 1t
leads downhill. the snow water has
a cut and widened the ruts into deep
A gullies, SO that wagon has at those
d places to travel alongside the road.
4 From any little rising in the prairie
j the road can be seen long way off,
z as a dark line, which, when near, re.
solves itself into two sharply defined
parallel cuts.
On the trip in question we had al
II nrSl very DdQ WeAtuST.S1sL Lea Wig LIZ
ranch In the morning, two of us. who
were mounted, pushed on ahead t.
hunt, the wagon following slowly, witt
\ couple Of spare saddle ponies leading
# behind 1t. EARLY in the afternoon, while
] riding over the crest of great divide
which separates the drainage basins
/, of two important creeks. we saw tina
q a tremendous storm was brewing witt
( that marvellous rapidity which 10 q
!, marked a characteristic Of weathe
9 changes on the plains.
g We spurred hard to get out of tn
g open, riding with loose reins for tn
creek. The center OF the storm swep
> by behind us. fairly across or track
and we only got a wipe from the tai
of Ii. Yet this itself we could not hay
= = faced IN the open. The first gust caugh
3 as a few hundred yards from the creek
"a almost taking us from the saddle, an
driving the rain and hail In stingfn
lever sheets against MS. We gallope