The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-02-13
The Girl With
the Lariat
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD

from college. having means. he thought
Ne would like to go west and become
q rancher. So he bought a sheep
ranch with a good house on 1t and
well stocked. Then he settled himself
to wait for his sheep to grow and their
wool to stand out thick Oh their sides.
Z For awhile riding over his broad
acres and doing u little bOSsing morn
ings kept him contented. But it
wasn't long before he began to pine
for something more exciting. An op-
portunity was afforded him by seeing
on day a girl chasing II steer. There
was something picturesque in her gal
looping Over the ground. her alpine
broad brim hanging to her neck 10y Its
ribbons and her hair streaming behind
her. BraytOn. who was OH horseback.
put spurs to his animal to help her.
But she didn't need him. for before ne
reached her she drew Il luriat. 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 q
n%eighhoring rancher. Evan M~acI)ougall.
\ Scotchnlan. who had recently come
to America for the purpose Of cattle
raising.
Brayton ro%mplimented the girl on
her exploit. and then and there begin
an acquaintance that gave the young
easterner something to occupy his
mind. He spent many Of his mornings
| riding with her and most " his even
ings at her fathers ranch. Iingpong
was in fashion Mt the time. and. the
Macnougalls having n good table for
the purpose. Jennie and Lloyd spent
a lot Of time batting the tiny ball be-
tween them. But the celluioid sphere
was only typical Of the love taps that
were passing between them. When
Jennie sem it it was to say. II don't
love you" and when it went back It
seemed to carry the message. Eyes.
you do: yon know you do" And ~
the ball kept dying.
The affair went ON till Rrayton took
It into his head that ne would 60 east
His affair with the ranch girl he re-
garded n ~ a pastime. and the idea Of
breaking with her didn't trouble him
ut all. II his going affected her she
was too proud to show it. He tried
hard to make her show her c0iOr on
the separation. hut she resOlutely kept
them furled. 1t IL singular how q man
will consider a woman not for him
and ut the same time try to make her
show that she wishes to be- his.
The day before ne war to take his
depa rture he was put on his horse
sonle distance from his ranch. 1t hap.
p-ned that Jennie MacI)ougall had
lost Il pet antelope. and she. too. had
ridden atieId looking for 1t. She knew
every foot Of the country. and Bray
ton knew very little about it. Rein,
ing up on Il rise in the ground. Jennie
saw Lloyd half \ mile away riding to
ward a dangerous %quicksand.
"(ireat heavens!" she exclaimed
Suppose be doesn't know it's there!'
The young man rude on as lightly.
an carelessly AZ II mis- horse were
treading on flowers. .Jennie's cheek
blanched. He was within 100 feet Ut
the quicksand. while she was half a
mile away from him. with no other
person IN sight. Then suddenly his
bOrse began to founder. His rider
gave him the spur. u to no purpose.
Down came Jennie's Quirt on her
horses flank. and like a dash he dart
ed to the rescue. Hut his rider had
no hope. She knew the sucking prop
critics Of the dreaded quicksand ana
that before She could reach the maj
it was dragging down to death he
would be half buried in it. What
would she do to save him? IL she
rode near enough to extend q hand
she. too would he drawn in. Though
she drove her horse ON q gallop. Bray.
tons horse had disappeared ierore
she reached the q%uicksand. Brayton
himself was engulfed t his waist. He
believed himself lost.
"t,OOdby. dear heart" he cried.
Jennie seldom went u without Ore.
arms and never without her lariat.
She rode up no near and ~ fast to the
Q~uiekxand that she was obliged to pull
her horse back On his launches to save
herself from going into it. Then in.
stin.tiveiy her fingers clasIed her lar.
lat tOiied t0 her saddle. UncOiling it.
she began to swing It in the air. her
eye fixed on her object: then it left
her and fell around RraytOn. Turning
her hOrse'x head. she urged him slowly
away. The rope frightened without
breaking and encircIed the sinking
body about the chest.
1t WAS now Il question whether the
rope. the girl and the hOrHe were
strong enough to drag the man from
the ~quickxnd. Jennie fixed one end
OF the lariat firmly to the saddle and.
restraining her horse No far AZ pOssi.
Bile frOm jerking. trt him out By de.
Xreea. A Iarint In not Il weakly arti.
rle. and .Jennie'x stood the test.
Slowly RrnytOn was pulled from the
nuagmirp from the hack If the horse
that went down to its death. Reach.
ing hard ground. he sIrang to the girl.
who WA rppIing in her saddle. and she