The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-10-26

lHe LlTaiFle lJOnus nnd btl1d knte.d deep
In tiem. eating the sIcculent marsh
plants Most Of the plains rivers dow
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 10 eat
Al times the Whitehall win lie 50
close that II may almost lie trodlen on
Cue June morning was riding down
along the river, aud came to long
bottom. crowded with rosp-busiies. ali
In blnom 1t was crossed In every d..
rection by cattle paths. nndn drove Of
long-horncd Texans were scattered
over II A cow-pbry gers accustomed
TO. travelling ut speed along the t('ttle
trails. aud the one bestrole threaded
its way among the twisted narrow
paths With perfect ease. looping rlpldl,
onward through a 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 thu
yellow-breasted meadow lurks. rs they
perched on the topmost sprays Of thu
little trees. Suddenly Whitehall doe
sprung up almost from under fh(
horses feet, and scudded OF With bel
white ting Haunting. There was no
reason for harming her, and she nude
a pretty picture as she bounded lightly
on among the rose-rcd flowers, pass
ing without heed through the ranks Of
the long-horned and strengthening
steers
Doubtless she had a little spotted
fawn not far away. These wee fell
lows soon after birth grow very Gun
ming and able to take care OF them
selves. keeping IN tlip drnSest pnrt o!
the brush, through which they run and
dodge Ike rabbit II taken young
they grow very tame and are most
daluty pets. One which we hud rOuu,l
the houGc answered well to It's name
It was at first fed With nik. which
1t tapped eagerIy from saucer, shar.
ing the meal with The two eats. VIII
rather resented its presence and cuff.
ed 1t heartily when they Thought u
was greedy and was taking more than
Its share. As It grew older 1t would
eat bread or potatoes from our hands.
and was perfectly fearless AT nIghl
1t was let so or put In the cow.shel
whichever was haudiest. but It was
generally round In time for breakfast
next morning. A blue ribbon with q
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 of and
never came back again.
Only once have ever killed white.
tail buck while hunting on horseback;
and at that time had been expecting
to fall in with black-tail.
This was while we had been making
a wagon trip to the westward follow.
ing the old Keogh trail, which was
made by the heavy army wagons that
journeyed to Fort Keogh In the old
days when the soldiers were. except
q few daring trappers, the only white
men to be seen on the last great hunt.
ing-ground Of the Indians. 1t was
abandoned us military route several
years ago, and Is now only rarely
travelled over, either by the canvas.
topped ranch-wagon OF some wander
ing cattle-men-like ourselves-or else
by small party of emIgrants. in two
or three prairie schooners, which cou.
tain all their household goods. Never.
theless, It Is still us plain and distinct
as ever. The two deep parallel ruts
cut into the sod by the wheels OF the
heavy wagon. stretch for scores Of
miles 10 straight line across the
level prairie, and take great turns and
doubllngs to avoid the impossible por.
tons Of the Bad Lands. The track Is
always perfectly plain, for in the dry
climate Of the western plains the &C.
ton Of the weather tends to preserve
rather than to obliterate It: where Il
leads downhlll, the snow water has
cut and wldened the ruts into deep
gullics. so that wagon has at those
places to travel alongside the road
From any little rising In the prairie
the road can be seen a long way OF,
rs dark line, which. when near. re.
solves itself into two sharply defined
parallel cuts.
On the trip in question we had at
first very bad weather. Leaving tho
ranch in the morning. two Of us. who
were mounted. pushed on ahead to
hunt, the wagon following slowly. with
a couple Of spare saddle ponies leading
behind 1t. Early in the afternoon. while
riding over tho crest Of great divide
which separates the drainage basins
of two important creeks. we saw that
a tremendous storm was brewing with
that marvellous rapidity which is 50
marked characteristic Of weather
changes on the plains.
/ We spurred hard to get out Of the
open, riding with loose reins for the
creek. The center Of the storm swept
by behind US, fairly across our track,
and we only got a wipe from the tail
Of 1t. Yet this itself we could not have
faced in the open. The first gust caught
US few hundred yards from the creek
almost taking US from the saddle. and
driving the rain and hail in stinglng
/ II. a NJ.