The Darlington news. (Darlington, S.C.) 1875-1909, February 27, 1890, Image 5
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Ully Haynaa In The Academy
moot through the American
CHAPTER XL
9i
i
m
▼ellle and
Icon trite In
wore man one was at- j reached the bend, five mites below No
they wore sufficient nse watching for him then. Besides, ha
in nomber to enliven tho monotony of might not yet have mtnrted. Mr. Parke
garrison Ufa and sufficiently attractive | recalled the fact that lie half suspected
to warrant all the attention they oared » while ago that Ned was going to ride—
It was beginning to be _
rieon chat that if Ned Petty had not
“settkd on acinebody” as tlie ultimate
object of his entire devotion, somebody
had settled cm him, and that was pretty
Mm. Belknap.
And though Ned Perry hated reveille
and morning stables, as has been said,
and could rarely “take Ids week” with
out making one or more lapses, here he
was this beautiful May morning out at
daybreak when it was his junior’s tour
of duty, and wending his way witk that
youngster out to tho line of cavalry sta
bles, booted and spurred and equipped
for a ride.
The colonel had listened with some
an early ante-breakfast ride—with a 1
h<dy friend. Mrt. Belknap had her own
wbrse, and was an accomplished eques
trienne; Mrs. Lawrence rode fairly well,
and was always glad to go, when some
body could give iier u saddle and a reli
able mount There were others, too,
among the ladies of the infantry garrison
who were no novices a cheval. Mr. ,
Parke had no intention whatever of pry
ing into the matter. It was simply at
something the officer in charge of
duty was entitled to know that he turned
suddenly and called;
“Sergt. Gwynne!"
He heard the name {Missed down the
dark interior of tho stable by the men i
rUfm aomj to •cruu-
nixe him. and, next, to his
ment, that something in hi
had proved either alarming or suspicious,
for the horseman had turned abruptly,
;b the timber sod across
d in another moment,
veering that way himself to see, Perry
marked him fairly racing into the mouth
of a shallow ravine, or “break,” that en
tered the valley from the
there he was lost to sight.
“What an ill mannered galoot!” was
his muttered comment as he gave Nolan
brief chance to crop the jufey grass.
qunurupea who oouiu ten mm wnat
manner of place this was. Meantime
his rider was intentlymmug the heavy
padlock that was secuBd on tho inner
side of the gate. It was square in sliape,
massive and bulky-^omething utterly
unlike anything he had ever seen among
the quartermaster’s stores,
ing and holding Nolan well back
_ | the aggressive fence with one hand,
south, and- he gingerly passed the other through the
■pike fringed aperture and turned the
padlock so as to get a better view. It
was of English make, as he surmised,
and of strength sufficient to resist any
while Iiis perturbed rider sat gazing thin 8 ,hort oi » *np hammer. Evideot-
A Story of American Frontier
Life.
By Oapt. OHABLES XING, U.B.A,
Authorof"Th4CoUm*V$Daughter” “JVosv
tAs Rank*," »Th* Deterter" Etc.
1888 by J. A Upptncott Company,
tlphla, sad pubUsbad by special Arrange-
Press Association.
surprise to his request, proffered just os j sweeping out the stalls, and the prompt
the party was breaking up the night be
fore, to be absent from garrison a few
hours tho following morning.
“But we have battalion drill at #
o’clock, Mr. Perry, and I need you there,”
be said.
“Oh, ril bo back in time for that, sir.
I wanted to be off three hours or so be
fore breakfast.”
The colonel could not help laughing.
“Of course you can go-go wherever you
like at those hours, when you are not on
guard; but I never imagined you would
want to get up so early. ”
“Neither I would, colonel, but I’ve
been interested in something I heard
about this ranch down the Monee, and
thought I’d like to ride down and look
ED PERRY hated re
morning
about as Te
at K.
“Go ahead, by all means, and see
whether those lights came from there.
It made me think of a play I once saw—
the ‘Colleen Bawn’—where a fellow’s
sweetheart signaled across the lake by
showing a light in her cottage window
just that way three times, and lie an
swered by turning out the lights in his
room. Of course the distance wasn’t
anything like this; and there was no one
here to turn down any light— Eli! what
did you say?”
“I beg pardon, colonel. I didn’t mean
to interrupt,” put in a gentle voice at his
elbow, while a little band on Perry’s arm
it a sudden
across the stream in the direction taken
by the ahy horseman. “I’ve half a mind
to drop the ranch and put out after that
feiiow. That ravine can’t go in so very
far but what he must soon show up on
the level prairie; and I’ll bet Nolan could
run him down.” After a moment's re
flection, however, Mr. Perry concluded
that as he had come so far and was now
nearly within rifle shot of the mysterious
goal of his morning ride, lie might as
well let the stranger go, and pushed
ahead himself for Dunraven.
The stream bent southward just at the
point where be had first caught sight of
tho horseman, and around that point he
knew the ranch to be. Very probably
that was one of the ranchmen of whom
line 1 Mrs. Lawrence had spoken—churlish fel
lows, with a civil word for nobody, grim
“Very well, then. That’s all I pre- and repellent Why, certainly. That
sume he has just ridden down to Dun- accounted for his evident desire to avoid
raven.” And Mr. Parke turned to look the cavalryman; but ho need not have
once more at the glinting objects down been in such desperate baste—need not ant ' 8 ver b*l comment,
the distant valley. It was a moment or ! have kept at such unapproachable J “'
and cheery reply. The next instant a
tall young trooper stepped forth into the
blaze of early sunlight, his right hand
raised in salute, and stood erect and mo
tionless by the lieutenant’s side.
“Did Mr. Perry take an extra horse,
sergeant?"
“No, sir."
“I tho ght possibly he meant to take
Roland. He’s the best lady’s horse in the
troop, is he not?"
“Yes, sir; but Roland is at the
now."
stables
hemently as was pos
sible to a young fel
low who was In other
respects thoroughly in love with his pro
fession. A fairer type of the American
cavalry officer, when once he got in sad
dle and settled down to business, one
would hardly ask to find. Tall, athletic,
slender of build, with frank, laughing
blue eyes, curly, close cropped, light
brown hair, and a twirling mustache
that was a source of inexpressible delight
to its owner and of some envy to his
brother subalterns, Mr. Perry was prob
ably the best looking of the young offi
cers who marched with the battalion to
this far away station on the borders of
the Llano Estacado. He had been ten
years in service, counting the four he
spent as a cadet, had just won his silver
bar as the junior first lieutenant of the
regiment, was full to the brim of health,
energy, animal spirits and fun, and, bar
ring a few duns and debts in his earlier
experiences, had never known a heavier
care in the world than the transient
and ephemeral anxiety as to whether he
would be called up for recitation on a
subject he had not so much as looked at,
or “hived” absent from a roll call he had
lazily slept through.
Any other man, his comrades said,
would have been spalled a dozen
over by the petting he had received from
both men and women; but there was
something essentially sweet and genial
about his nature—something “lacking in
guile about his perceptions,” said a epi
cal Old captain of the regiment—and a
jovial, sunshiny way of looking upon the
world as an Eden, all men and all women
as friends, and the army as the profes
sion above all others, and these Various
attributes combined to make him popular
with his kind and unusually attractive
to the opposite sex. As a cadet he had
been perpetually on the verge of dismis
sal because of the appalling array of de
merits he could roll up against his name,
and yet the very officers who jotted down
the memoranda of his sins—omission
and commission—against the regulations
were men who openly said he “had the
making of one of the finest soldiers in-
the class.” As junior second lieutenant
—“plebs”—of the regiment, he had been
welcomed by every man from the colonel
down, and it was considered particularly
rough that he should have to go to such
company as Capt Canker’s, because
' was a man who never got along
[ any of his juniors; but there was
so irrepressibly frank and
Perry’s boyish face when he
vould appear at his captain’s door
n the early morning and burnt out
irith: “By Jove, captain! I slept
through reveille again this morning,
md never got down till stables
were nearly over,” that even that cross
grained but honest troop commander
was disarmed, and, though he threat
ened and reprimanded, he would never
mnish—would never deny his subaltern
;he faintest privilege; and when promo
tion took the captain to another regi
ment he bade good-by to Perry with eyes
hat were suspiciously wet. “Why,
>low it all, what do you fellows hate
banker so forf the youngster often
laid. “He ought to put me in arrest
ime and again, but he won’t Blamed
f I don’t put myself in arrest, or confine
nyself to the limits of the post, and do
omething, to cut all this going to town
ind hops and such things. Then I can
tick to the troop like wax and get up at
cvoille; but if I’m out dancing till 9 or
I in the morning it’s no use, I tell you; I
just can’t wake up.”
It was always predicted of Ned Perry
hat he would be “married and done
within a year of his graduation,
new face in the five years that
allowed revived the garrison proph-
“Now he’s gone, surer’ but, how-
rer devoted he might seem to the damsel
i question, however restless and impa
ct! he might be when compelled by his
cities to absent himself from her side,
owever promising to casual observers—
erchanoe to the damsel herself—might
i all the surface indications, the abso-
i frankness with which he proclaimed
i admiration to every listener, and the
; that he “had been just so with half
girls,” enabled the cooler
i of tiie regiment to decide that the
i had not yet owns—or at least the
two before he was aware of the fact that
the sergeant still stood there, instead of
returning to his duties.
“I said that was all, sergeant; you can
go back to your feeding.” And then
Mr. Parke turned in some surprise, for
Sergt. Gwynne, by long odds the “smart
est” and most soldierly of the non-com-
missioned officers of the cavalry battal-
lion, for the first time in his history
seemed to have forgotten himself.
Though his attitude had not changed,
hiii face had, and n strange look was in
his bright blue eyes—a look of incre
dulity and wonderment and trouble all
combined. The lieutenant was fairly
startled when, as though gathering him-
the sergeant falteringly
gave it a sudden and vigorous squeeze,
“but Capt. Lawrence lias called me twice j self together,
—he will not re-enter after lighting his asked:
cigar—and I must say good night.” “I beg pardon, sir—he had ridden—
“Oh, good night, Mrs. Lawrence. I’m where?’’
sorry you go so early. We are going to “Down to tho Ranch, sergeant—that
reform you all in that respect as soon as one you can just see, away down the
we get ferly settled. Here’s Perry, now, { valley,
would sit up and play whist with me an
hour yet.”
“Not this night, colonel. He has prom-'
ised to walk home with us” (another
Cvery
“I
do wish,” nid Mrs. Turner, “that
Puny would settle on somebody, bo-
jot eo kqg aa ha don’t, It fa
hard to teu who he belongs to.”
a Mm Turner had long been a
arried women
tho —th, and one to whom the young
always expected to show
her whimsical way of
is readily un-
tBut hare at the new station—at far
pay Rossi ter—matters were taking on .■» .
[new look. To begin with, the wireefS n *|~._
the officers of the cavalry battalion
i of the
would bo
scout-
. , done with. Tho
«>ms until the
>rk was over and
of the little faatta
yet at tbs poat
squeeze), “and go he must, or be a faith
less escort Good night We’ve had
such a lovely, lovely time."
And Ned Perry, dazed, went with her
to the gate, where Capt Lawrence was
awaiting them. She had barely time to
murmur:
“You were just on the point of telling
him about the doctor’s lights. I cannot
forgive myself for being the means of
seeing it; but keep my confidence, and
keep—this until everybody is talking
about it; it will come soon enough.”
Naturally, Mr. Perry went home some
what perturbed in spirit and all alive
with conjecture as to what these things
could mean. The first notes of “assem
bly of the trumpeters”—generally known
as “first call”—roused him from his aleep,
and by the time the men marched out to ;
the stables he had had his plunge bath, a
vigorous rub and a chance to think over
his plans before following in their tracks,
dressed for hie ride. The astonishment
of Lieut. Parke, the junior of the troop,
was something almost too deep for words
when Perry came bounding to his side.
“What on earth brings you out, Ned?"
was his only effort
“Going for a gallop—down the Monee;
that’s alL I haven’t had a freshener for
a week.”
“Gad! we get exercise enough at
morning drill, one would think r and our
horses too. Ohl”— And Mr. Parke
stopped suddenly. It flashed across him
that perhaps Perry was going riding
with a lady friend and the hour was her
selection. If so, ’twas no business of
ids, and remarks were uncalled for.
When he mounted and rode away from
the stable Mr. Parke was outside at the
picket rope, and busily occupied in his
duties, supervising the fastening of the
fresh, spirited horses at the line, for the
troop commander was a man intolerant
of disorder of any kind, and nothing
more offended his eye the eight of
two or three of his charges loose and
plunging and kicking up ud down the
stable yard. On the otner hand, there
was no one exploit that seemed to give
the younger animals keener delight—
nothing that made the perpetrator a big
ger hero in his own eyes or the object of
greater envy among his fellows—and os
a consequence every device of which
equine ingenuity was master was called
into play, regularly as the morning came
around, to break loose either from the
controlling hand of the trooper or from
tbe taut and straining picket rope. The
first care of the officer In charge of the
troop sergeants was, therefore, to see!
that all the Worses were securely lashed
and knotted. Not until he had examined
every “halter shank” was Mr. Parke at
leisure to look around, but when he dl<f
his comrade had disappeared from view.
And over this broad
bounded, not
seen. Far away,
or four, black dots of grazing cattle
marked the plain, and over in the
“breaks" of the Monee, just beyond the
fringing cottonwoods, two or three
herds of Indian ponies were sleepily
cropping their morning meal, watched
by the little black imp of a boy whose
dirty red blanket made the only patch of
color against the southern landscape.
“I know, sir; but—the name?”
“Dunraven Ranch."
For an instant the sergeant stood as
though dazeff, then, with sudden effort,
saluted, faced about, and plunged into
tho dark recesses of tho stable.
CHAPTER IIL
ii I; I&.XB& 1
:i]!i 1
bounds, as though Ite shunned even being
seen. That was the queer thing, thought
Perry. He acted just as though lie did
not want to be recognized. Perhaps he'd
been up to some devilment at the ranch.
This thought gave spur to his speed,
and Nolan, responsive to his master's
mood, leaped forward along the winding
trail once more. The point was soon
reached and turned, and tho first object
that caught Perry’s eye was a long row
of stakes stretching from the cotton
woods straight to the south up the gen
tle slope to the prairie, and indicating be
yond all question the presence there of a
■tout and high and impaaaable wire fence.
There are few things the cavalryman
holds in meaner estimate.
“That marks the western limit,”
thought Perry to himself, “and doubt
less reaches miles away to the south,
from what I hear. Now, where does one
enter?"
A little farther on he came upon a
trail leading from the low bluffs to his
left hand. It crossed the winding bridle
path on which he rode, though some of
the hoof tracks seemed to joifi, and wheel
tracks too. He had marked that between
the fort and tho point no sign of wheel
appeared; it was a hoof trail and noth
ing more. Now a light and little trav
eled wagon track came in from the north,
and while one branch seemed to cross the
Monee and to ascend the opposite slopes
close along the wire fence, the other
joined him and went on down the stream.
This he decided to follow.
A ride of a few hundred yards brought
him to a point where a shoulder of bluff
twisted the trail well in towards the
stream, and he, thinking to cross and re-
connoiter on the other shore, turned No
lan in that way, and waa suddenly
brought up standing by the heaviest and
most forbidding wire fence he had ever
seen. Yes, there it stretched away
through the cottonwoods, straight as a
die, back to the angle whence started
the southward course he first had noted,
and, looking down stream, far as the eye
could reach, lie marked it.
‘Well,” thought Perry, “I’ve often
fEANTIME Lieut. Perry
was riding blithely down
|/ the winding trail, total- heard an Englishman’s house was his
ly unconscious that his castle, but who would have thought of
movements were of the staking and wiring in half a county—
half a Texas county—in this hoggish
way? How far down is the entrance,
anyhow?"
Following the trail, he rode down
stream a full half miie, and still there
seemed no break. Nowhere on the other
shore was there sign of bridle path lead
ing up the slopes. Turning to his left in
some impatience, he sent Nolan at rapid
lope across the intervening “bottom,”
and soon readied the bluffs, which rose
the perhaps forty or fifty feet above the
stream. Once on
faintest consequence to
'anybody but himself,
and equally heedless of
their being a source of
speculation. His horse
was one he rejoiced in,
full of spirit and spring and intelligence;
tho morning was beautiful, just cool
enough to be exhilarating; his favorite
hound, Bruce, went bounding over the
turf under the slopes, or ranging off
through the cottonwoods alons
Stream, or the shallow, sandy arroyoa,
where the grass and weeds grow rank
and luxuriant. Every now and then
with sudden rush and whir a drove of
prairie chickens would leap from their
covert, and. after vigorous flapping of
wings for a few rods, would go skim
ming rcstfully in long easy curve, and
settle to earth again a hundred yards
away, os though suddenly reminded of
tbe fact that this was mating time and
no gentleman would be mean enough to
shoot at such a season.
Every little while, too, with prodigious
kicking of dust and show of heels, with
eyes fairly bulging out of tjia feather
brained head, and tall lop ears laid flat
on his back, a big jack rabbit would
bound off into space, and go tearing
across the prairie in mad race for hie
threatened life, putting a mile between
him and the Monee before he began to
realize that the two quadrupeds ambling
along the distant trail were obedient to
the will of that single rider, who had no
thoilgiit to spare for game so smalL
Some Indian ponies, grazing across his
pathway, set back their stunted ears,
and, cow like, refused to budge at sight
and hearing of the big American horse;
whereat a little vagabond of a Cheyenne,
j not ten years old nor four feet high, set
| up a shrill chatter and screech and let
drive a few well directed clods of turf,
and then showed Ids white teeth in a
grin as Perry sung out a cheery “Howl
sonny,” and spurred on
opening thoroughfare, heedless
ful pony looks or threatening heels.
Perry’s spirits rose with every rod.
through the
Hess of spite-
Later in the day, when th. sun mounted UirTS
high in the heavens and the brisk west
erly winds sent the clouds sailing Swift
across tbe skies, all the broad prairie
seemed in motion, for then huge shad
ows swept its face with measured speed,
and distant cattle and neighboring pony
herd appeared as though calmly and
contentedly riding on a broad platform,
Nature's oven “observation car,” taking
a leisurely journey towards the for away
Pacific.
But the sun was only just up as Mr.
Parke came back from his inspection of
the halter fastenings and paused to look
across the low valley. Par down to the
■ouL’Kaat the rays seemed glinting on
clustered together
range of the shadowy
fringe, and the lieutenant shaded his
eyes with his gauntlet and looked fixed
ly thitherward as he stood at the stable
door.
'Some new tinning down at that Eng
lish ranch they talk of, I suppose,", was
his explanation of the phenomenon, and
m “wonder why Perry hasn’t ridden
to cultivate the acquaintance of those
people before this. Ha was always the
fim man in the —th to find out
neighbors
— J - -
some bright objects
within short range
i our
ing;
eight that'!
To be sun, i
bluffs that
north by that
or so out from
tM» question, ft
• fist Perry had
i the Mouse that mi
oo-
kadsaid
fellow men. To the best of his reckon-
| ing, he had not an enemy or detractor in
the world. He was all gladness of na
ture, all friendliness, frankness and cor
diality. The toughest cowboy whom
they met on the long march down, the
most crabbed of the frontiersmen they
had ever encountered, waa never proof
j against such sunshine as seemed to ir
radiate his face. He would go out of
his way at any time to meet and hail a
fellow man upon the prairies, and rarely
came back without knowing all about
I Him—where he was from, where he was
bound and what were his hopes and
prospects. And as for himself, no man
; was readier to answer questions or to
meet in friendliest and moat jovial spirit
the rough but well meant greetings of
| “the plains "
Being in this frame of mind to an ex
tent even greater than his normal wont,
Mr. Perry's eyes glistened, and ha struck
•pur tq hasten Nolan’s stride, whan, far
ahead, and coming towards him on the
trail, he saw a horseman like himself,
in this mood of sociability, he eras
more than surprised to see
all of a sudden that horseman bad
reined in—a mere black dot a mile away
a speck in
> to tbe low
valley on the
I ridden a i
Wm
mmi
he advanced.
preeumably examining him aa
Ml Hostile Indiana than had
been none for many a long month, “road
•geul^wi
would have starved in a i
ware no i
cowboys might, and did, get on 1
and have wild “tears” at times, be
their being hostile, j
wao]
...
>teU.t
that
the crest, the prairie
stretched before him northward, level as
a floor, until it met the sky; but it was
southward he longed to look, and thither
quickly turned. Yes, there it lay—Dun-
raven Ranch, in all its lonely majesty.
From where he gazed the nearest build
ing stood a good long mile away. That
it waa the homestead he divined at once,
for a broad veranda ran around the
lower story, and white curtains were
visible at the dormer windows of the
upper floor. Back of it and on the eastern
flank were other buildings, massive look
ing, single storied affairs, evidently
stables, storehouses and corrals. There
was a tall windmill there—an odd sight
in so remote a region—and a big water
tank.
Perry wondered how it ever got there.
Then at the southwest angle was a build
ing that looked like an office of some
kind. He could see horses tethered there,
and what seemed to be human figures
moving about Beyond it all, to the
east and south, were herds of grazing
cattle, and here and there in the dim dis
tance a horseman moved over the prai
rie. This reminded him of the stranger
who had given him the slip; and he
gazed westward in search of him.
Far up the valley, between him and
the distant poet, he could plainly see a
black object just descending the slopes
from the southern prairie to the stream.
Not another was in sight that his prac
ticed eye did not know to be cattle.
That, then, was his horseman, once more
going fort-wards in the valley, after hav
ing made a three or four mile detour to
avoid him. “Now, what sort of a Chris
tian is that fellow?” thought Perry, as
he gazed at the distant speck. “Going
to the fort, too. By thunder! I’ll find
out who he is. anyhow. Now Pm going
to the ranch.”
Down the slopes he rode. Down the
winding trail once more he trotted, peer
ing through every gap among the cot-
tor woods, slaking Nolan’s thirst at a lit
tle pool in the stream, and then, after
another long half mile, he came to a
sudden turn to the right The road
dipped and twisted through the stream
bed, roee to the other side, wound through
the cottonwoods and then out on the
open turf. Huzza! There it stretched
up the slopes straight away for the south,
•height through a broad gap between
two heavy gate poets standing on the
•take Una of that rigid fence. Nolan
broke into a brisk canter and gave a
neigh of aalutetion; Perry’s eyes glistened
with anticipation as he bent over his
charger’s neck, keenly searching the odd
looking structure growing on his vision
as they neared tbe fence. Then, little
by little, Nolan's eager stride shortened
and grew choppy. Another moment,
and bona and rider
• barrier of cobweb
as spider ever wove, bet
with barbe, stiff as
and unyielding as steel. One
mywmzrmxj tos \
up short in
Fbrai
ly no admission was to be gained here, he
reasoned, and yet it was through here that
that horsemen had come but an hour be
fore. Here were the fresh hoof prints in
the trail, and it was evident that the
rider had dismounted, opened the gate,
led his horse through, closed and fast
ened it, then remounted ridden
away. Perry waa plainsman enough to
read this from the hoof prints. Studying
them carefully, a look of surprise
into his face; he bent down closely
examined the two or three that were
most clearly defined upon the trail, then
gave a long whistle as a means of ex
pressing his feelings and giving play to
ids astonishment.
“Johnny Bull holds himself top high
and mighty to have anything to do with
us blare ted Yankees, it seems, except
when he wants his hones shod. These
shoes were set at the post blacksmith
’•hop, or I’m a duffer,” vras tha lisuten-
“Now, now was
it done without the quartemaster’s
knowing it? That's the cavalry shoe!”
Pondering over this unlooked for revo-
latina, Mn Perry once more mounted
and turned his disapp^^d ^n*#^
d)wu stream. At last, full half a mile
farther on, he saw that a wire fence ran
southward again across the prairie, as
though marking the eastern boundary
of the homestead inclosure, and con
jecturing that there was probablv a trail
along that fence and an opening through,
even if the southeastwanl line should be
found fenced still farther, he sent Nolan
through the Monee to the open bank on
the northern side, cantered along until
the trail turned abruptly southward,
and, following it, found himself once
more at tbe fence just where the heavy
corner poet stood deeply imbedded in
the soil Sure enough, here ran another
fence straight up the gentle slope to the
south, a trail along its eastern side, and
a broad cattle gap, dusty and tramped
with the hoofs of a thousand steers, was
left in the fence that, prolonged down
stream, spanned the northern boundary.
Inside the homestead lot all was virgin
turf.
Following the southward trail, Perry
rode briskly up the long incline. It was
east of this fence he had seen the cattle
herds and their mounted watchers. Hs
was far beyond the ranch buildings, but
felt sure that once well up on the prairie
he could have an uninterrupted view of
them and doubtless meet some of the
ranch people and satisfy himself what
there was in the stories of their churlish
and repellent demeanor. The sun was
climbing higher all this time, and he,
eager in pursuit of his reconnoissance,
gave little heed to fleeting minutes. If
fair means could accomplish it, he and
Nolan were bound to have acquaintance
with Dunraven Ranch.
Ten minutes’ easy lope brought him
well up on tho prairie. There—westward
now—was the mysterous clump of brown
buildings, just as far away as when he
stood, baffled and disappointed, by the
gateway on the Monee. Here, leading
away towards the distant buildings, was
a bridle path. Here in the fence was a
gap just such as he had entered on the
stream, and that gap was barred and
guarded by the counterpart of the first
gate and firmly secured by a padlock
that was the other's twin. Mr. Perry’s
comment at this point of his explora
tions was brief qnd characteristic, if not
objectionable. He gave vent to the same
low whistle, half surprise, half vexation,
that had comforted his soul before, but
supplemented the whistle with the
unnecessary remark: “Well, I’ll be
damned!”
Even Nolan entered his protest against
such incredible exclusiveness. Thrusting
his lean head far over the topmost wires,
us before, he signaled long and shrill—
a neigh that would have caught the ear
of any horse within a mRe—and then,
nil alert, lie waited for an answer. It
came floating on the rising wind, a re
sponsive call, a signal as eager and con
fident as ills own, and Nolan and No
lan's rider whirled quickly around to see
tho source from whence it rose. Four
hundred yards away, just appearing over
a little knoll in the prairie, and moving
towards them from the direction of a
distant clump of grazing cattle, another
horse and rider came trotting into hail
ing distance; and Perry, his bright blue
eyes dilating, and Nolan, his dainty, sen
sitive ears prioked forward, turned
promptly to meet and greet the new ar
rivals.
For fifty yards or so the stranger rode
confidently and at rapid trot. Perry
smilingly watched the outtumed toes,
the bobbing, “bent over” seat, and an
gular elbows that seemed so strange and
out of place on the broad Texan plain.
He could almost see tho “crop” in the
free hand, and was smiling to himself
at the idea of a “crop" to open wire
gates, when he became aware of the
fact that tlie stranger's mien had chang
ed; confidence was giving place to hes
itancy, and lie was evidently checking
the rapid trot of his hone and throwing
his weight back on the cantle, while his
feet, thrust through to the very heels In
the gleaming steel stirrups, were braced
iu front of the powerful shoulders of the
bay. The horse wanted to come, the
rider plainly wanted to stop. Another
moment, and Perry could see that the
stranger wore eyeglasses and had just
succeeded in bridging them on his nose
and was glaring at him with his chin
high hi air. They were within two hun
dred yards of each other by this time,
and to Perry's astonishment, the next
thing the stranger did was to touch
sharply his horse with a barbed hoel,
whirl him spitefully about, and go bob
bing off across the prairie at lively can
ter, standing up in his stirrups, and be
striding his steed as though hie object
were not so much a ride ha game of leap
frog.
It was evident that he had caught eight
of Perry when Nolan neighed, had rid
den at once to meet him, expecting to
find some one connected with the ranch,
and had veered off in disgust the mo
ment he was able to recognize the uni
form and horse equipments of the united
States cavalry.
(To be continued.)
LliFJC OF THZE3
Hon. Jefferson Davis.
Br
MRS. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
To ke Soli by Sobscriptioo Ooly.
The.
for canvi
ately
NO HUMBUG.
proepeetus and eomplete outfit
tvaning will be ready immedi-
front A WAHoro desirab
'tvye.u.bs rito on this
work Win please address, as sc
possible,
desirable ter-
great
soon i
18-M Kaet l«th Street.
MPANY.
N*W York.
;
.
Genuine Bargains
In tlie following Goods :
Clothing, Overcoats, Hats, Caps. Buggy
Robes, Ladies’ Jerseys, Children’s
Blouses, Ladies’ Balmorals,
Valises, Trunks,
and Boots.
4&10ES A Si-JiClAlTT.s*’
Call and prices will be given in Store that
will astonish you.
Respectfully,
January 16, 1890.
J. G McCALL,
(£% flank of JJurlinflttMi,
HAS OPENBD A
S-A.VX3STOS
knd from and after tills ditto will receive deposira of One Dollar and
upwards, and pay quarterly interest on the same, at tke rate of
five per cent, per annum, under regulations to be made
known at the Bank. This is a favorable
opportunity for
Farmers, Clerks,
Mechanics, Laborers,
— and —
Factory Operatives,
To save their earnings.
J. LOOKER, BRIGHT WILLIAMSON,
President. Cashier.
Darlington, S.G., June 18,1889
Lewenthal & Hennig,
— DEALERS IN THE —
Farmers’ Alliance Rye Whiskey.
GROCERIES, WINES, LIQUORS INI CIGARS.
Corner Pearle Street and Court House Square,
DARLINGTON, S. C.
December 19, 1889—3m
Read these Prices.
Call at
.EAR
J
1,000 yards assorted Worsteds at 10 cts, worth 20 to lOcts*
A full line Cashmeres at 121 and 15 cts. We arestil Inn
ning our famous 25 cts. yard wide Cashmere in all shades
more popular than ever this season. 45-inch Henrietta at 50
cents. A large line of Black Goods consisting of C ashmeres,
Henriettas and Imported Reps from 15 to $1 per yard.
A well selected stock of Ladies’ and Misses’ Wraps consisting
of Jackets, Modjeskas and New Markets.
A specially large line of Staple Dry Goods, and Notions at
prices that move them rapidly.
' SHOES.
Our line of Shoes is large and complete and well adapted to
the wants of the people. We continue to maintain
4>ui reputation for selling solid goods.
Gents’ Furnislxing Goods,
Our success in the Gents’ Furnishing Goods Depaitment war
rant us in the belief that our Clothing and Hats
Men’s, Youths’ and Boys’ suit the people,
both as to quality and price.
We carry always in stock a full line of Hardware, Crockery,
Tin, Harness, &c.
GROCERIES.
The Grocery Department is large and kept, well supplied, at
Rock-bottom prices.
HABDWAKE.
At the Hardware Store, Managed by J. H. Early, is kept
Stoves, Sewing Machines, Pumps; Gins, Belting Steam
Engines, 4c., in fact everything that comes
under the head of machinist’s supplies.
REPAIRING A SPECIALTY.
October 31,1889.
Schedule of tht RutnHIt R. R.
Hartsvillk. 8. C., Dee. ' 9.
DAILY MIXED THAI
Leaves HartsviUe, 7.1« A. M.
Leaves Jovann, 7.40 “
Arrive at Floyd’*, 8.08 “
Making connection with the South
bound passenger train on the Cheraw
A Darlington RailrChd.
RETURNING.
Leave Floyd’e, 10.00 A. M
Leave Jovann. 10.90 “
Arrive at Harteville, 10.50 u
This train waits two hours, if necessa
ry, for the North bound freight train
on C. &. D. R. R.
J. L* COKER.
President.
FOR C. & D. AND C. * S. RAILROADS
PaiaiDUT’sOmoe 1
C. A D. and C. A 8. RAILROADS. V
Charleston, 8.0., May 12, 1889. j
On and after May 12, the trniai oa
these road* will run an follows (Sands ex
cepted) every day:
Down TBA1M.
Leave Wndesboro eeeeeoees oneeeoeeseao esen too
Bennetts • •••••••• eeseoeew •••••onoeeee • ooeeeo
Morven’s Sooooooee••••••••• eeoo 8.86
McFarland 6.60
Leave Cheraw ooaoooooo••••••••• ••••••» 7.80
Cash’s :7.46
Society Hill 8.09
Dove’s 8.22
Darlington 8.42
Palmetto • eoooo eeeeee ooeoooeoee o 866
Arrive at Florence •••see •■•••• •••#•• 9 16
UP TEAM,
Leave Floreoee e••ooneee •••••• eweooe io r m
Palmetto. 8.26
Darlington nooooo••••• •••••• 8.86
Dove’s 8.62
SoeletyHiU 9.12
CaeVe 917
LesveCheraw ••••••••••••••••••••••*• 9.48 PM
MoFarlaa 10.08
Morven s.....................10.20
Bennett n..................... 10.86
Lake Wadesboro • ••••••••••• ••• 11.00
Freight Train geing up.
Leave Florence 7.00 am
Arrive Darlington 7.46 am
Freight going down
Arrive Darltnflon 8.00 p m
Leave Darlington 8.60 p m
Arrive Florence 4.10 p m
A. F. RAVSNEL, Free.
Q II Master Traneporlstion.
JUST RECEIVED
A Large Supply of the Latest Improvement on the Celebrated
Golden Rye Whiskey Drops,
DIAMOND DROPS,
ILK. lVXa.ri.no, Sole Agent.
Mr. S. Manne proposes to sustain to the fullest extent the
business recently conducted by his father, and to this end so
licits a continuance of the patronage which has heretofore
been accorded the firm.
Jan. 30, 1890.
3STBW SOHEBiDTTLE
Jj^ORTHE ASTERN RAILROAD.
Obaelzstom, 8. c., May 12, 1889. ,
Oa and after this date the following
schedule will be run :
GOING SOUTH.
No. 87, Dally.
Leave Floreaoo *1 86 a m
Leave Kingstree 2 29 a m
Arrive Lane* 2 60 a m
Leave Lanes 2 60 a m
Arrive Charleston I 00 a m
No. 23, Daily.
Leava Florence *9 30 a m
Leave Kingstree 10 66 a b
Arrive Lanes « 11 20 a i
Leave Lanes 11 90 a a
Arrive Charleston 1 80 a m
No 63.
Leave Lanea *7 60 P. M.
Arrive Charleston 9 80 p. m.
Trein No. 63 lekee No. 68 8onlh of Lance
Train on C & D R R conn eta at Flor
ence with No 23 Train
GOING NORTH.
No, 78, Doily.
Leave Charleston *|g 26 a m
Arrive Lanes 2 46 a m
Leave Lanes 2 60 a m
Leave Kiugstree 3 10 a m
Arrive Florence 4 20 n m
No 1«.
Leave Cnariestoo
Arrive Lanes
Leave Lanes
Leave Kiogetree
Arrive Florenoe
No. 62, Doily.
Leave Charles I on
Arrive Lanes
* Daily, f Daily ezeept Sue
Train No. 62 tikes No. 62 North Lanes
Train No. 14 eonoecU at Flor with
Train on C & D R R for Cheraw .. and
Wadeaboro. N. O.
Nos 62 ruae through to Columbia
via Central R R of 8 C.
Noe. 78 sad 14 run solid to Wilmiagten,
™ oIo,e connection with w. ft
W R R for all poiale north.
J R. KENLY, J, F. Ditimb,
8u I‘\T r i** Gea’l Sag’l.
T. M. Enzbsob, Gon’l Pass. ‘
*4 80 pm
6 28 p m
• 28pm
6 46 p m
7 66 pm
7 .i0 a
1 tO a i
Agt.
Viupm CHDIBU AM IDCMTi Ki&tti
May 12, 1889.
GOING SOUTH
No. 28.
Leave Wilmington
Leave Marion
Arrive Florenre
Leave Florence
Arrive Sumter
Leeve Sumter
Arrive Celumbla
Leave Wilmington
Leave Marion
Arrive Florenoe
Leave Sumter
Arrive Columbia
Leava Florenoe
Arrive Sumter
Ne. 60.
No. 27
No 62
No 68
•• 26 p m
9 88 pm
10 3t. .
8.20 at
4.40 e a
4 40 » m
8. Item
•IP. 10 • m
12.40 pm
1 20am
flO IS e m
1166pm
f»20sm
10 28 am
No 62 run. throngh from Charleston vie
Central R R.
Leaving Lanes 9 16 A M., Manning 868
A M.
Train on C ft D R R conn#els at Ftoreaee
with No 68,
GOING NORTH.
No 61
A>eave Columbia.
•10 86 p e
UMpa
11 68 p m
Arrive Sumter
Leave Sumter
Arrive Florenoe
No. 78.
1 16 am
Leave Florence,
4 86 a m
Leave Marion
6 90am
Arrive at Wilmiagtea,
No. 69
8 86am
Leave Sumter
t«*7pm
7 60pm
Arrive Florence
No. 68,
Leave Columbia
•6 20p m
• 68pm
Arrive Sumter
Ne 14
Leava Florenoe
*• 16 p m
8 69pm
11 60pm
Leave Marion
Arrive at Wilmington
•Daily. -fDaily except Snaday.
No 68 mas through te Charleston, via
Central R R, arriving Maaatag 7 04 P k.
Lanea 7 42 P M. Charlottes 910 P M.
No 69 eoautete at Florenoe with C ft D
train for Cheraw and Wadeoher*'.
Noe 78 aid 14 make eleao eeeneetiea at
Wilmiagtou witk W ft W ft R for all pointi
North.
Traia oa Floreaoo R. ft, leave Pee Dee
daily except Snaday 4.4ft P. M.. arrive
Rowland 7.00 P. M. Returning leave
ftowlaod 6.80 A. M„ arrive Pee Dae 9.00
A.M.
Traia 0u Manchester ft
leavaa Sumter daily exe
A. M., arrive Piaewaed
taming leeve Piaeweed
me Sumter 1.80 P, hi.
P. DIVINIi Gap
id©
i
J01II F,
J, ft. KENLY,
I‘M. EM '
lea. Par a
ill
*
m