NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON

1882-1912

Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web

not hope to hold him, and the vision at once flashed upon me of the possi- bility of the next few moments finding me standing helpless, eighty miles from anywhere, listening to the sound of their stampeding out into the. night. With indescribable relief, working my way up his rope, ,I at last laid my hand on the roan's halter. He was trembling, and his neck was wet with the sweat of terror. In vain I tried to lead him forward to the tether-pin; to draw it. Necessity for quick action impelled me to the risk of cutting his rope and I more followed than led him over to the mare drawing her pin as I passed over it, and took them over to the camp, tying them to the wagon. Remaking the fire, I spent some time petting and soothing them, and finally gave them some Oats, thinking out what I would do. Assuring myself that they were secure and less timid, I went off hurriedly to find Billy's rope and the axe, taking care to continue to call to them. Splicing the rope, I led them out after a while, and driving a solid stake very securely, passed a running hitch of each rope about it and prepared to sit the night out with them, if necessary. Not knowing what was to develop, my gun was taken with me. I had hardly settled down to this when, from the direction of the thicket a queer little sound came, not unlike the bleat of a lamb or calf and the ponies were again alarmed. They were not quite so hard to quiet as before, but it was well that my device for holding them was sufficient. Through the hours of the long, uneasy night this sound came at intervals, and towards dawn, the mysterious call having been silent for a long time, and the ponies having well grazed, I tied them again at the wagon and lay down for a brief rest, but slept until the broad sunrise of a glorious morning. The ponies were standing peacefully nosing in the wagon for stray grains, the valley still and resplendent in the morning light. The overnight blackness of the brushwood had entirely disappeared, and its shade appeared inviting. The colors of its upper foliage, like a vast carpet over the tangled undergrowth, spread before me into the distant mists on the river. Nothing suggestive of the evening's experience hung about it, and one might have thought that even the ponies,-so drowsily did they hang their heads as I hitched them up for the early travel,-were somewhat shamefaced at their recent terrors. Across the valley and up the hillside, the trail now led to the long stretch of sand hills above. As the team slowed down with, the ascent up the deep sand of the road, I threw the reins over my back and proceeded to fill my pipe and watch the prospect about me. I was suddenly precipi- tated backward and would have fallen over but for the reins holding me, and my team were running away up the hill before I could tighten upon their mouths. Close behind me that queer bleat sounded again and again, high above the clatter of all the jolting contents of the wagon, while the horses plunged up the road in spite of the sandy footing at a breakneck pace. A glance over my shoulder showed the cause of the trouble. Bounding gracefully along beside me and easily gaining on the horses, finally gaining to Billy's side it turned suddenly aside as if in disappointment at finding him not to be of its own kind, and in a flash its white tail dis- appeared over the side of the road as it made for the valley again. It was nothing more dangerous than a little white-tailed antelope. For all that, on the return journey, I took the ponies well away from that brush- wood for their night picketing, and slept with one ear awake. ___________________________ Page 23

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