The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-06-19

| Pearson took on his hat and drove
Road Runner at q gallop into the
ehaparral east of the Espinosa
ranch house.
As his stirrups ratified against the
brush Burrows's long-legged sor-
rel struck out down the narrow
stretch of open prairie to the south
west
Tonia hung up her quirt and went
into the sitting-room.
I'm mighty sorry. daughter. that
you didn't get your hat" said her
mother.
''oh. don't worry. mother" said
Tonia. coolly. I'll have a new hat.
all right in time tomorrow"
When Burrows reached the end
of the strip of prairie he pulled his
sorrel to the right and let him pick
his way daintily across a sacuista
fiat through which ran the ragged,
! dry bed of an arroyo. Then up a
gravelly hill matted with bush, the
horse scrambled. and at length
emerged, with a snort of satisfac-
ton, into a stretch of high. level
prairie, grassy and dotted with the
4 .
fresh spring foliage. Always to the
right Burrows bore, until in a lit
tie while he struck the old Indian
trail that followed the Nueces
southwark, and that passed. twenty
eight miles to the southeast through
Lone Elm
Here Burrows urged the sorrel
into a steady iope. As he settled
himself in the saddle for a long
ride he heard the drumming of
hoofs, the hollow "thwack" OF
chaparral against wooden stirrups,
the whoop of Comanche; and
Wells Pearson burst out of the
brush at the right of the trail like
precocious yellow chick from a
dark green Easter egg.
Except in the presence of awning
femininity. melancholy found no
4 place in Pearson's bosom. In To-
MAS presence his voice was as soft
as a summer bullfrogs in his reedy
nest. Now, at his gleesome yawp,
rabbits a mile away ducked their
ears, and sensitive plants closed
! their fearful fronds.
Moved your lambing camp pretty
far from the ranch, haven't you.
neighbour" asked Pearson, as Road
Runner fell in at the sorrers side.
"Twenty-eight miles" said Bur-
rows, looking a little grim. Pear
sons laugh woke an owl one hour
too early in his water-elm on the
river bank, half a mile away.
"An right for you sheepmen- I
like an open game, myself. We're
two locoed he-milliners, hat-hunt-
| ing in the wilderness. 1 notify you,
Burr. to mind your corrals. We've
got an even start; and the one that
gets the headgear will stand some
higher at the Espinosa."
You've got a good pony" said
Burrows, cycling Road Runners bar
rel-like body and tapering legs that
moved as regularly as the piston
rod of an engine. It's a race, Of
course; but you're too much of
horseman to whoop It up this soon.
! Say we travel together till We get
to the home stretch"
I'm your company" agreed Pear
son, land l admire your sense. II
| there's hats at Lone Elm, one of 'em
shall set on Miss Tomas brow to-
morrow. and you won't be at the
browning. I amt Dragging. Burr.
but that sorrel Of yours is weak in
the forelegs."
My horse against yours" Of
! fered Burrows, that Miss Tonia
wears the hat take her to Cactus
| tomorrow
I'll take you up" shouted Pear
son. But, oh, it's just like horse
stealing for me, can use that sor-
rel for a lady's animal when-when
somebody comes over to Mucho Ca
lor. and
Burrows dark face glowered so
suddenly that the cowmsn broke of
| his sentence. But Pearson could
never feel any pressure for long.
What's all this Easter business
| about, Burr" he asked. cheerfully.
why do the women folks have to
have new hats by the almanac. or
bust all cinches trying to get emp"
It's a seasonable statute out of
the Testaments," explained Bur-
rows. It's ordered by the Pope or
somebody. And It has something to
do with the Zodiac l don't know
exactly, but 1 think 1t was Invented
by the Egyptians
It's an albright jubilee IL the
heathens did put their brand on It,"
said Pearson; 'or else Tonia would
n u.
And they pull it of at church, too.
Suppose there amt but one hat in
the Lone Elm store, Burr"
Then" said Burrows. darkly, the
best man of us'1l take It back to
the Espinosa."
oh, man" cried Pearson, throw
ing his hat high and catching It
again, there's nothing like you
come OF the sheep ranges before.
You talk good and collateral to the
occasion. And IL there's more than
oneT"
Then" said Burrows, well pick
our choice; and one Of usn get back
hrst with his and the other won't"
There never was two souls" pro-
claimed Pearson to the stars, that
beat more like one heart than yourn
and mine. Me and you might be
| riding on a unicorn and thinking
out of the same piece of mind"
At q little past midnight the rid
ers Hoped into Lone Elm. The half
a hundred houses of the village
were dark On its only street the
big wooden store stood barred and
shattered.
In a few moments the horses were
fastened and Pearson was pounding
cheerfully on the door of old SUIT
ton. the storekeeper.
The barrel OF a Winchester came
through a Granny of a solid window
shutter, followed by a short inquiry
wells Pearson, of the Mucho Ca
Tor. and Burrows. OF Green Valley"
was the response. We want to buy
some goods in the store. Sorry to
wake you up. but We must have
EN-. Come on out, Uncle Tommy.
and get move on you"
Uncle Tommy was slow. but at