Left on the Prairie

on slowly on over the prairie, and although it was

consequently refused to pull at all. Lem at last had to tie it on at the back of the waggon, and arrange the other

came upon some cowboys who had just bunched up a huge herd of cattle for the night. There were nearly three thousand beasts, and it was a wonderful sight to se

f the runaway, and the sagacious horse, knowing what was expected from it, would twist round on his hind-legs, and the jerk on the rope would bring the fugi

boys, and Jack took a great interest in them for Steve's sake

turned to the right or left as their riders bent their bodies in the direction in which they

hen, directly after, they tightened their saddles, and before long the gigantic herd of cattle moved slowly on. Such a bellowing they made, and the dust rose in a huge cloud behind them, in which they were soon

eechless with surprise as he gazed on the snow-capped peaks in front of him, stretching up into the blue sky. Lower down the sides of the mountains the dark forests of trees spread for miles, and

n sight of these glorious mountains, and already the air they breath

to a village where no one but Mexicans lived. The houses were not built of wood, like those at Longview, but were made of a kind of mud called adobe. This adobe was shaped into bricks and baked. The houses looked so funny. Some were quit

usly triumphant he looked as he strolled away from the camp accompanied by Jeff. He watched them as far as the village and then returned to his work. When it was finished h

waggon for fear they should see him. He could tell Lem was in a quarrelsome mood, and trembled as they hunted about in the back of the waggon for their blankets, swearing and growling all the time. At last they sank into heavy slumbers, but all sleep had fled from Jack's eyes at the fresh trouble that had arisen for him. The two men were evidently given to drink, the awful cur

rly and moved very quietly, fearful of disturbing Jeff and Lem after their night's

ount of its sore shoulder, and it probably was fresher than the other three horses and more likely to run away. It was not shod, and unfortunately had made no impression on the short, dry herba

t wiser not to speak to him, as he looked very cross indeed, and the boy could not hel

until Lem, looking over towards t

e's N

' returned Jack, 'but I found him gone this mornin'

d him yoursel',' he exclaimed furiously, 'to pay Jeff and

dignantly; 'I wouldn't do

t abide kids, an' I wouldn't trust one of 'em anywhere. I was m

pe. Lem's temper was bad from the effects of his drinking bou

when we were gone away, an' I guess you'll skip out an' find that there Nigger a

OT COME BACK WIT

lly, 'but I haven't seen no tracks of him. Would you let me get

on you'd better not come back again without the horse. I mayha

there was no help for it, bravely put the best face he could on the matter, and set forth. He carried a long lea

on the prairie, that Jack noticed the difference. It also struck him that the grass looked as if it had been freshly trampled, and in a moment the idea flashed into his mind that Nigger had, without doubt, wandered up the ravine. Jack never hesitated a moment, but started to follow up the tracks he saw so plainl

ed at the sight of a human being appearing in the lonely ca?on, and scampered away up the steep sides of the precipice like goats, leaving Jack gazing sadly after them. It was a great disappointment, and tears were not far from the boy's eyes as, tired out, he sat down on a rock for a rest. I

gnant Lem, Jack hurried back as fast as he could towards the camp. He was afraid that his long and, al

ned? Quite puzzled, he rubbed his eyes and ran on faster towards the place where they had camped, and reaching it, could ha