The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-28
THE WAY
 OF A MAN
By EMERSON HOUGH
Copyright, 1907. by the Outing Publishing
 Company

belle of civilization 1 ma de some com ment on this. She responded by sit ting the more erect in her saddle and dra wing a long. deep breath.
 ''I think l shall throw away my gloves" she said. and hunt up some brass bracelets. I grow more Indian every day. Isn't it glorious. here on the plainsY'
 It so seemed to me. and so advised her. saying l wished the western jour ney might be twice as long.
 But MJ. Orme was saying that he rather thought you might take an es- cort and go back down the river"
 ''1 wish Mir. Orme no disrespect," answered. "but neither he nor any one else regulates my travel. l have al ready told you how necessary it was for me to see your father. Colonel Meriwether.''
 I began to hum to myself the words of an old song. then commonly heard: "Oh. come with me and be my loveI For thee the iunEle's depths I'll rove I'll chase the antelope over the plain, And the tigers cub I'll bind with a chain, And the wild RazeIIe with the siIvery feet I'll give to thee for playmate sweet
 Poets" said 1. 'can very well sing about such things. but perhaps they could not practice all they sing. They always'-
 "Hushr' she whispered. drawing her horse gently down to a walk and final- ly to a pause. Look! Over there is one of the wild gazelles.''
 l followed the direction of her eyes and saw peering curiously down at us from beyond the top of a little ridge something like hundred yards away the head. horns and neck of prong horn buck. standing facing us and seeming not much thicker than a knife blade. Her keen eyes caught this first, my own, I fancy. being busy else where. At once l slipped out of my saddle and freed the long, heavy rife from it's sling. l heard her voice. hard now with eagerness. I caught a glance at her face. brown between her braids. She was n savage woman!
 "Quickr' she whispered Hen run.'
 Eager as she. but deliberately, raised the long barrel to line and touched the trigger. l heard the thud of the ball against the antelope's shoul- der and had no doubt that we should pick 1t up dead. for it disappeared. ap- parently end over end. at the moment of the shot. Springing into the saddle. l raced with my companion to the top of the ridge. But. To: there was the antelope 200 yards away and going as fast on three legs as our horses were on four.
 "Rider' she called "HurryT' And she spurred of at breakneck speed in pursuit. myself following.
 We should perhaps have continued this chase until one or the other of the horses dropped. but now her horse picked up a pebble and went some what lame. She pulled up and told me to ride on alone. After pause l slow ly approached the top of the next ridge and there. as l more than half suspect ed. I saw the antelope lying down, it's head turned back. Eager to finish the chase. I sprang down. carelessly neg lecting to throw the bridle rein over my horses head. Dropping fat. rest ed on my elbow and fired carefully once more. This time the animal roll ed over dead.
 Alas for our joy of victory! Our success was our undoing. The very motion of my throwing up my hat. boyish as it was. gave fright to my horse. already startled by the shot. He flung up his head high. snorted and was off fast as he could go. I follow ed him on foot rapidly as l could. but he would none of that and was all for keeping away from me at a safe dis tance. Tbs the girl saw. and she rode up now, springing down and offering me her horse.
 Stay heTe," I called to her as Il mounted "IIl be back directly And then with such speed as l could spur out of my new mount, I started again , after the fugitive.
 It was useless. Her horse, already lame and weary, and further handi- capped by my weight, could not close with the free animal and without a rope to aid me in the capture. it would have been almost impossible to have stopped him. even had l been able to come alongside. I gave up the chase and returned to her.
 'l was afraid" she panted HtI fol lowed. Can't you catch him?"
 No said 1. he's gone. He prob ably will go back to the trail.''
 No" she said. they run wild some times. But now what shall we dor"
 1 looked at her in anxiety. l ha' read all my life of being afoot on tn plains. Here was the reality.
 But you are hurt she erie. Look. your wound is bleeding"
 I had not known it, but my neck "; vet with blood.
 Get up and ride" she said. ''V lust be going But I held the st up for her instead. smiling.
 Mount l said. and so 1 put her |
 Shall we go back to camp?" asked in some perturbation, apparen; forgetting that there was no camp, al that by this time the wagons would far to the west. For reasons of own l thought it better to go back | the dead antelope. and so I told her
 Ut is over there,' she said. pointin in the direction from which she though she had come. I differed with her, re membering I had ridden with the sun