Cattle-Ranch to College

rward and asked w

iff's shack was soon crowded with men wh

somewhat and thoroughly

g happened. There were plenty of Indian signs about, mar

ou bound?" as

und Fort Stevenson-but up to the time I'm going to tell you about I didn't see any. I followed the old trails made by the buffalo and deer across the prairie, and did my best to co

ed Tenderfoot

wear boots, so they know right away when they see marks

the river every minute, and I knew that when I got there my chances of getting through all r

rstandingly, and even Tenderfoot Gr

out for Indians. As I topped every rise I took a good survey of everything in view, and it was well I did, for about dusk I reached the crest of a low hill, and on glancing over saw an Indian village. It lay directly in my path, not far from the river.

d for fuel, I suppo

d the horses on in heavy snowy

pologized Tenderfoot, "I

nding berries, carrying wood and water. Some were busy with easier jobs, such as making deerskin clothes and ornamenting moccasins with beads. I could see only a few bucks; the others were p

this was an old story to them; they wanted to hear the

im off. Jumping to my feet, I faced two savages who had come in advance of the main party and had stolen on me unawares. Both now rushed at me, but I dodged one and tripped the other. Before I could finish the man I had thrown, the first was at me again. Loaded as I was by my pack, I was soon fagged. My gun had been taken by the r

at, so I stopped struggling, let my captors

round me, and I thought

'Hoss, pony, you got 'em?' calls out ano

d around, and it was very evident that they wanted my pack. Looking Glass finally started alone towards the camp, calling to his braves to come along, but this plan didn't work at all; for the minute he got out of sight over the brow of the hill the thieving gang began to strip me. There was no use resisting; they were too many for me. Before I knew w

ld?" said Ten

her like this dressed in a few rags, bare-footed, and feel as if he was in a hot spring. It was fully as cold as it is now, and this i

nd moccasins?" asked Green, anxio

that Worth seemed to be gua

ice calling. I turned and saw a squaw running after me with a blanket and a pair of moccasins in her hands. 'Looking

though it smelled strong of Indian, and set out at a dog-trot in the direction of a wagon trail. If I could reach

rd to keep off the sleepy feeling that comes before freezing, and for hour after hour I dragged myself along numb and aching with the cold, but hoping against all reason and probability that I might run

were half closed and his head nodding. Th

dded: "Ask Jim White; he know

ained, more dead than alive and "clean out of his head." He and his partne

nce in a marvellously short time and became again his own sturdy self. The frontiersman must of necessity be possessed of an iron constitution, for he must be able to en

st indifference, was manifested. This time he went with a party which was going in the same direction; the danger was, consequently, not so great. Then,

shack would be abandoned in the spring, when their father returned.

n and the surrounding prairie. All large game had been driven west, and only prairie dogs, gophers, coyotes, and occasionally wolves remained; these and the birds the boys used to shoot at day after day with their ever-ready revolvers. The sport in the

all sorts abounded, where clear streams were plenty, and where new sports of all kinds were in prospect. Marvellous tales of trapping

game wherever it went, to make war upon each other whenever they felt like it or needed horses; so they resented any attempt to interfere with their entire freedom, and turned fiercely o

l, too, was a matter of great importance. It was in the main a treeless country and wood was scarce. The early prospectors and pioneers had noticed the outcroppings of coal from the deep-cut river

developing the mineral resources of the section. He opened and worked mines as near the diff

ong steel arms westward, and they also needed

rom place to place, starting the work at intervals along the proposed line so as to be ready when the "steel trail" actually reached them. It was this contract that made it necessary for t

in to get a stock of supplies, and John and Ben listened eagerly to every word he said about his experiences. These tales were old stories to most of the men of the l

ed tint, his eye was clear and his hand steady; he had lost weight but had gained in endurance. His gay, expensive outfit of clothes had been succeeded by the more sober and serviceable apparel of the plains: wide, heavy felt hat, flannel

them, but his present. "Lariat Bill" was quite as good for all practical purposes as his real name, perhaps better, for it was descriptive and identified him at once. In accordance with this unwritten law, no one asked what Charley Green's idea was in leaving the c

ore, knowing as he did the Worths' plans, for him to say one day, towards the end of the w

ave to ask the governor when he

s place as you are, and I want to see a little of the count

asterner was to go with the Worths

earing and buffalo grass was showing brightly green here and there. The boys had an unusually

ay, and then-their delight and antic

oaded down with his pack, his

hey were told that it would not be safe to move away from the town, f

gressively penetrated by the bold miners, and this naturally created much bad feeling between them and the original owners. In order to allay this feeling the Government made a treaty

e. Several small skirmishes had been fought and numbers of men on both sides had be

the Worth family to venture within the ene

f hostilities being many hundred miles to the westward, great precautions were taken even there ev

the other. It was a time of uncertainty; business enterprise was at a standstill, and, since there was little to do in the frontier town, diversion of any kind was

command.

er shots. The celebration was kept up with enthusiasm all day. Tenderfoot made a patriotic speech that took the cro

d hardly be called a fashionable assemblage: the men, of whom there were three or four to every woman, were dressed much

, and also acted as master of ceremonies

ed the rough boards vigorously, while the lamp lights silhouetted

darkness, were suddenly startled by hearing t

ike the Will o' the Wisp, but she hasn'

. "Must be something doing to

galloped down to the landing. In a few minutes the boat steamed up o

running leap to the platform and dashed toward

cried excitedly. "Let me take

Baldy's back without delay, for it was evid

Street. Reaching the brightly lighted place, he jumped off

he full swing of "all hands around," stood still in wonder, and every

er evidenced anything but peace of mind. For an instant all was sti

nights to bring the news," he pante

you!" exclaimed Mack

been wiped out by the India