Las Vegas optic., 1914-04-10
WAS AN OLD YALE man
By c. 3. LEWIS.

AnQttAA COuutl anu bAelb N do NlloD DCb-
Sie Vaughn of Chicago. Her school
mate, Nettie Long, whose father owned
and managed the big Long ranch, and
who was now living with him in the
wilds, had written that person would
meet Bessie at Snow Hill with buck
board and bring her safely to the
ranch. The person" proved to be
young man of twenty-five, dressed as
q cowboy, but having rather distln-
guished look about him. While he was
Fastening along the platform and YET
thirty feet away the girl acknowledged
TO herself that his features were good
and that his face showed character
and ambition. Perhaps 1t was for
these reasons that, while he was cover
ing the other thirty feet Miss Bessie
suddenly decided that he ought to be
anubbed
"This is Miss Vaughn of Chicago, ]
presumed" he said, as he lifted his
hat and smiled a welcome.
What right had he to presume? BY
what right did he smile welcome and
seem ready to shake hands? The girl
looked coldly at him and slightly nod
ded her head, and that was snub NO.
i. The young man took 1t SO, but,
though he colored up, he did not lose
his smile.
You will give me your checks,
please, and | will put your trunks
aboard and we will be of"
There was touch Of authority in
mis- tones that nettled the girl, and she
turned away and delivered up the
checks with her own hand. She would
also have loaded the trunks on the
vehicle if she had been strong enough.
Snub No Q had followed fast on the
heels of snub No. 1.
I'VE have fifteen miles to drive" OBJ
served the young man, as they got
seated.
No reply. snub No. 3.
81 take it that you have never visit
ed this section before?" was remarked
after the silence had lasted for mile,
mo"
"Rrt trust you win find novelty
and pleasure"
Miss Bessie looked straight ahead
and shut her teeth hard. What was
1t to one of Colonel Longs hired men
whether she enjoyed the west or not?
The man was presumptuous, and she
meant her silence to be another snub.
Whether it was taken or not, 1t was
not more than FIVE minutes before a
voice which had touch Of the pater-
nal in it remarked
you don't look overly well, and a
couple Of months of this bracing at
mosphere will do you world of good"
Sir, are you practicing physi-
cian?" asked Miss Bessie, as she
turned to look the young man square
In the eyes.
Well no. he slowly replied
"Then you need not bother to take
charge of my health"
That was what the boys would have
called a settler and it hung the young
man up for the next ten minutes.
When he spoke again, however, it was
as If nothing had happened.
'It was on that hill over there" he
quietly said, as he pointed with his
whip, that four of our men were sur
rounded by fifty Indian warriors two
years ago"
Miss Bessie deliberately turned to
look in the opposite direction, and she
felt that he was smiling as he con
tlnued.
zone OF the boys was killed, but
they killed twelve Indians and held
their ground all day"
What was it to her whether one or
the whole four cowboys were killed?
Indeed. she found herself almost wish.
ang that all had been wiped out She
hadn't the slightest interest in the af-
6Air-not that day"
~And over there in that valley is
where drove Of steers ran over and
tTampled the life out Of two Of our
men last spring. We didn't even find
their boots"
Miss Bessie looked straight ahead
and made no reply.
And you wouldn't believe, would
you. that this insignificant creek we
are crossing was . mile wide and ten
foet deep last May7 we lost q thou.
=and head Of stocb in that food,"
stlll no reply. 1t was snub afteT
anub. and she meant to tire him out
This time the silence lasted for fifteen
minutes, and she it was who broke II
at last. The horses had SHE'D at q
coyote lodging for cover and started
away on a tearing gallop. The young
man kept them on the trail, but made
not the slightest effort to check the
pace. On the contrary, he hummed q
popular air as they lay down to their
work. The visitor stood 1t as long as
she could, and then turned and ex-
claimed:
Cant you see that the horses are
running away?"
Il have seen It for some time past, "
ne quietly replied
'-Then why don't you stop them?"
Il will If you wish. but a run of a
few miles won't hurt them any"
She did wish It from the bottom OF
her heart, for the vehicle was jump
gnS lilra a pnat and II fook hoth hande