The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-06-30

One June morning ] was riding down
along the river. and came TO q long
bottom. crowded with rose bushes. all
In bloom. Il was crossed In every d.
rection by cattle paths, and drove Of
long-horned Texans were scattered
over H. 4 cow-pony gets accustomed
to travelling at speed along the cattle
trails. and the one beatrcds threaded
its way among the twisted narrow
paths with perfect ease, Looping rapidly
bushes. covered with the sweet. pink
flowers. They care bright color to
the whole plain. while the air was
filled with the rich. full songs Of the
yellow-hreasted meadow larks. - they
perched on the topmost sprays Of the
little trees. Suddenly Q Whitehall doe
sprang up almost from under the
horses feet. and scudded on with her
white Dag haunting. There was no
reason for harminS her. and she mads
pretty picture ~ she bounded lightly
OF among tho rose-red flowers, pass
ing without heed through the ranks Of
the long-horned and savage blocking
steers.
Doubtless she had little spotted
fawn not far away, These wee fel-
lows soon after birth grow very cum
ming and able to take care Of them
selves, keeping IN the denssst part at
the brush. through which they run and
dodge like rabbit II taken young
they grow very tame and arc most
dainty pets. One which We had round
the house answered well to its name.
1t was at drst ted with milk. which
1t Tapped eagerly from saucer: shar-
Ing the meal with the two cats, who
rather resented its presence and cuff
ed it heartily when they thought II
was greedy and was taking more than
Its share. AZ it grew older Il would
eat bread OF potatoes from our hands.
and was perfectly fearless. At night
1t was let 90 or put In the cow-shed.
whichever was handiest, but it was
generally round IN time for breakfast
next morning. A blue ribbon with
bell attached was hung round its neck.
80 as to prevent its being shot; but
In the end 1t shared the fate OF all
pats, 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 I had been expecting
10 fall In With black-tail. 50
This was while We had Oeen making
q wagon trip to the westward follow.
Ing the old Keogh trail. which was
made by the heavy army wagons that
journeyed. to Fort Keosh 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. It was
abandoned ~ q military route several
years ago. and n now only rarely
| travelled over. either By the canvas
Topped ranch-waGon Of come wander
Ing cattle-men-like ourselves--or else
by a small party Of emissants. In two
Of three prairie schooners. which con-
| tain all their household goods. Never
theaess. 1t II still ~ plain and distinct
a. ever. The two deep parallel ruts.
cut into the sod BY the wheels Of the
haavy wagon, stretch for scores Of
milcs IN q straight line across the
level prairie, and take great tuYns ana
| doublings to avoid the impassabie por-
lions of the Bad Lands. The track II
always perfectly plain. for In the dry
climate Of the western plains the &C.
| ton Of the weather tends to preserve
rather than to obliterste It; where 1t
| leads downhili. the snow water has
cut and widened the ruts into deep
| gullies, so that a wagon has Mt those
places to travel alongside the road
From any little rising in the prairie
| the road can be seen long way on.
as a dark lire. which. when near, re-
| solves Itself into two sharply defined
| parallel cues.
On the trip In question We had ut
| flrst very bad weather. Leaving the
ranch In the morning. two Of -. who
were mounted, pushed On ahead to
hunt. the wagon following slowly. with
a couple OF spa9e saddle ponies leading
behind 1t. Ear.3 In the afternoon. while
riding over the crest of great divide,
/ which separates the drainage basins
Of two important creexs, We cav thaf
| . tremeadaas storm was brewing with
that marvellous rapidity which - %
marked a characteristic Of weather
changes on the plains.
| We spurred hard to set out az the
opsn. riding with loose reius for thu
creek. The center Of the storm swept
/ by behind Us. fairly acroes cur track.
and We only got wipe from the tail
| Of It. Yet this itself wo could not have
/ faced in the open. The Arst gust caught
us few hundred yards from the creek,
/ almost taking IN from the saddle. and
driving the rain and hail In stingius
level sheets against us- We Saliopeta
/ to the edge of deep wash-out. sefsu'
bled into II at the risk of 0ur necks,
/ and hrddled mp With ocr horses undse.
| naath the wiHdward bank. HeFe ~ -.
manned pretty well sheltered Until thu
| storm was ovor. Although It WAS Au'
| gust. the air became voFy cold, Tbs
/ wagon was fairly caught, and wouid
have been blown over II the top had
bean on: the driver and hcrses escaped
| without iEjrFy. pressing uEdef the lee,
/ ward side. the storm coming 30 lcre,
that they did not need . root 70 peotec,
| them frpE, the hail WhcFe the ceuser
| of the wshiriwind struck II did xreas
4 damage
/ The. wagon eame on to the creek.
u