The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-03
The Girl With
the Lariat
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD


Il rancher. So he bought sheet
ranch with a good house on 1t ant
| well stocked. Then he settled himself
to wait for his sheep to grow and theil
wool to stand out thick on their sides.
j For awhile riding over his broat
acres and doing a little bossing morn
ings kept him contented. But i
wasn't long before he began to pine
for something more exciting. An. op
portunity was afforded him by seeing
one day girl chasing steer. There
was something picturesque in her gal
Looping over the ground, her alpine
broad brim hanging to her neck by its
/ ribbons and her hair streaming behind
her. Brayton. who was ON horseback
put spurs to his animal to help her
But she didn't need him. for before he
reached her she drew lariat. caught
the steer by the horns and held on to
him till some punchers came up and
relieved her.
| The girl was the daughter of a
neighboring rancher, Evan MacDougall,
Scotchman, who had recently come
to America for the purpose of cattle
raising.
| Brayton complimented the girl on
her exploit, and then and there began
an acquaintance that gave the young
easterner something to occupy his
mind He spent many Of his mornings
riding with her and most OF his even
ings at her fathers ranch. Pingpong
was In fashion at the time. and, the
MacDougalls having good table for
the purpose, Jennie and Lloyd spent
lot Of time batting the tiny ball be-
tween them. But the celluloid sphere
was only typical of the love taps that
were passing between them. When
Jennie sent 1T 1t was to say, II don't
love you," and when 1t went back 1t
seemed to carry the. message, Yes,
you do; you know you do" And so
the ball kept flying.
The affair went on till Brayton took
1t into his head that he would go east
His affair with the ranch girl he re-
garded as a pastlme, and the idea Of
breaking with her didn't trouble him
ut all. If his going affected her she
was too proud to show it. He tried
hard to make her show her colors on
the separation. but she resolutely kept
them fdrIed. 1t is singular how a man
will consider woman not for him
and at the same time try to make her
show that she wishes to be his.
The day before he was to take his
departure he was out on his horse
some distance from his ranch. 1t hap
pened that Jennie MacDougall had
lost pet antelope. and she. too, had
ridden afeld looking for it. She knew
every foot of the country, and Bray
ton knew very little about it Rein
ing up on a rise in the ground, Jennie
saw Lloyd half mile away riding to-
ward dangerous quicksand.
Great heavensp' she exclaimed.
Suppose he doesn't know it's there"
The young man rode on as lightly.
as carelessly as il his horse were
treading on flowers. Jennie's cheek
blanched. He was within 100 feet OF
a
mile away from him. with no other
person in sight. Then suddenly his
horse began to founder His rider
gave him the spur, but to no purpose.
Down came Jennies Quirt on her
horses flank. and like flash he dart
ed TO the rescue. But his rider had
no hope She knew the sucking prop
critics of the dreaded Quicksand and
that before she could reach the man
it was dragging down to death he
would be half buried in it. What
would she do TO save himl IL she
rode near enough to extend a hand
she, too, would be drawn in. Though
she drove her horse on gallop, Bray
toms horse had disappeared before
she reached the quicksand. Brayton
himself was engulfed to his waist. He
believed himself lost
"Goodby, dear heartl" he cried.
Jennie seldom went out without fire.
arms and never without her lariat.
She rode up so near and so fast to the
quicksand that she was obliged to pull
hth hVtSC pdSh uu Hic nduututS 10 save
herself from going into &. Then In
stinctiyely her fingers clasped her lar
lat coifdJ 10 her saddle. Uncoiling it.
she began to swing Ii in the air, her |
eye fixed on her object: then it left |
her and fell around Brayton. Turning |
her horses head, she urged him slowly |
away. The rope frightened without |
breaking and encircled the sinking |
body about the chest
II was now a question whether the |
rope. the girl and the horse were |
strong enough to drag the man from |
the quicksand. Jennie fixed one end |
Of the lariat firmly TO the saddle and, |
her horse so far as posi- |
BILE from jerking, let him out by de- |
grees. A lariat is not weakly arti- |
Gle, and Jennie's stood the test |
Slowly Brayton was pulled from the |
quagmire from the back of the horse |
that went down to its death. Reach |
ing hard ground. he sprang to the girl,
who was Keeling in her saddle, and she
fell into his arms.
When she came to herself again a
great change had come over her rela-
lions with Brayton. He was holding
her. muttering now his gratitude. now
that she would awake and tell him
that she loved him. II was all too in
snharauf fav. ron. %ftfn,. h,t 10 L.