The Young Ranchers; Or, Fighting the Sioux

, and the storm might be delayed for hours yet to come. There was no mistaking the dull leaden sky, th

n South Dakota, and he was now on his return from Fort Meade, at the eastern foot of the Black Hills, and had fully tw

o fond. He could have made the journey by night, when no moon was in the sky, had there been need of doing so, but he decided that it was better to give his pony the rest he required, and to push on at an early hour the next morning. He h

sit to Fort Meade. A spirit of unrest had prevailed for a long time, caused by the machinations of that marplot, Sitting Bull, the harangues of medicine men who proclaimed the coming Messiah, the ghost d

uarters, though the best informed men foresaw the impending storm. That which troubled Warren Starr on his lonely ride northward was the fact that on that ranch, twenty miles away, dwelt his father, mother, and little sister, known by the pet name of Dot. His father had two assistants in the care of the ranch, Jared Plummer, a man in middle life, and Tim Brop

urge his people to come into the fort without delay. Such

the ranch in the daytime, but to ride through several miles of the surrounding country when the chance to use his eyes was at the best. If hostiles were in

ome. He could already detect the fringe of timber that lined both sides of the winding stream, while to the right

n the right first presenting itself and diverging so far to the east, just before the oth

nimal, young Starr was on the alert. He was in a dangerous countr

hester, lying across his saddle, a little more firmly. "I have met them here more than once, and, though they claimed to be frie

lay loose on his neck. Every minute or two the rider glanced furtively behind him to make sure no treacherous enemy was stealing upon him unawares; and t

their system of telegraphy, and half suspected that some keen-eyed Sioux was crouching behind t

At the same time, if any warriors were on the watch, they could easily checkmate him by accommodating their movements to his, and continually heading him off, whichev

sed his head, emitting at the same tim

e plainly: "Beware, master!

pproaching; but, when he shaded his eyes and peered forward, he was unable to detect anything at all. Enough ligh

he skilful railway engineer, who, seeing the danger signal ahead, continues creeping slowly toward it, ready to check his train on the inst

ient tone; "if I didn't know you never joked, I would believe y

the crest of the ridge, but closer study convinced him that he was wrong. If such a signal were kindled, i

they," he thought, "for my eyes are as

earned what it was tha