Macon beacon., 1920-10-29
CHAPTER D.
Return Of the Wanderer.

Return Of the Wanderer
Shelby, alone i'm the blackboard,
drove to the summit of the ridge, halt
ing the broncs. as his eyes swept over
the scene outspread below. The ami
mails, their dusty sides streaked with
sweat stopped willingly after their
sixty-mne trip from the Cottonwood,
Below was a deep, narrow valley
IN the midst Of which Ponca spread
out along the bank of the creek that
gave the town its name, To Shelby
wearied with the dull plains, here was
q scene of beauty.
Just beyond there was life, fresh,
luxuriant, sweet; running water, luscl-
Gus green grass, and above all, that
which he craved most, human com
panionship. To be sure he knew
Ponca of old, and possessed no illu-
sions. Ugly dirty, unkempt Ponca
made no pretense to either cleanli-
ness, or respectability; it possessed
no pride, no hope of a future. 1t
seemed to recognize its destiny, and
be content, a mere mushroom town Of
the frontier an adjunct Of the cattle
trade, permitted to flourish today but
rs certainly doomed to perish tomor-
row.
The man who sat there on the ridge
gazing down. the reins held idly in
his hand, his eyes following the wind
Ing Of the valley, was a perfectly nat
uraI part Of the picture-he belonged.
Beneath the tan and dust was
smoothly shaven face, a face of
twenty-five, or twenty-six, the features
strong, nose somewhat prominent, lips
irm and full with dark-Tay eyes
lhadowed by heavy lashes In ruth,
Ae appeared all man, a certain reck-
less gayety about him not to be mis-
taken, yet as evidently not to be light
,y taken advantage Of
"It certainly beats HI he NUT
tered unc0nsciously aloud, that a
man should dream about visiting
lumD Ike this Shows what sort o.
place Cottonwood is TO make q fellow
h0mesick for Ponca Town looks
kinder dead; no cattle in the corrals.
HI, what's the difference? ThereU
be some Of the old bunch hangin
round an wen make things hum for
ENhfle, Come, broucs. jog along Let's
ghow Ponca We're q live outfit"
It was d rough, curving descent, the
rail in places barely wide enough for
The wheels. but the driver never lost
control guiding the broncos with ex-
pert hand, until they finally swung
about the edge Of a great rock at the
bottom, and went charging at full
gallop into the main street To better
express the eTubcrance Of bis feelings
At this return to civilization, and an
Bounce his arrival, Shelby whipped out
his gun and began shattering the at
nosphere, driving the animals frantic
as the sharp reports rang out over
heir backs.
But II any sensation was expected,
1 signally failed to materialize. Ponca
remained deserted, and mimpressed.
Long experience had either rendered
The inhabitants Indifferent to such a
display, or else the town had gone
ntterly dead The silence and desola-
Jon caused Shelby to utter an oath,
and suddenly swing his team up to a
hitching rack in front Of McCarthys
saloon, the door Of which stood in
gitingly open. An instant the per
picked driver sat there, staring grim
iy about from end to end Of the de-
serted street.
"What the HIP he calculated at
tast, "is up anyhow? Is this grave
yard I've got into? Lord, It can't be
al the boys have got out but some.
thing is sure dead wrong Well, Macs
open anyhow. I'll go in and find out"
He sprang out over the wheel, stiff
kened from the long ride, yet standing
erect nevertheless, and strobe up the
@loon steps and in through the open