Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 284: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

272 The Last Round-Up. what a stirring spectacle and how it must thrill the veins of the lad, who, during his apprenticeship on the range, had grown to love ranch life charms! Then came the hot work of separating the herds, picking out those intended for shipment, and confin- ing them in a separate corral, from whence, in the morning, they would be started on the long journey to the shipping station on the railroad. Altogether, it had been a glorious day, and would live long in the memories of the two lads, now pre- paring for a change of base. When the sun hung low in the west, like a great red globe, and slanting rays fell athwart the pecu- liar old long ranch buildings, Cuthbert, together with Karl and Polly, stood there looking around upon the scene that had become so precious. Their eager eyes took in every detail, from the lowing cattle to the weary knots of cowboys at- tending to their horses, as if they could thus carry with them for evermore the picture thus presented. Now the sun had reached the horizon, the shad- ows lengthened, and night drew near. How peace- ful it all looked in the weird glow of that last slant- ing illumination. In the heart of each the wish arose that thus might it ever be with the beloved | ranch in the days that were to come. And now, with a sigh, they saw the cheery orb of day vanish from view, and each realized, with some- thing of pain, that, for a long time to come, they might not again witness his farewell to Kelly’s ranch. So, with clasped hands and hearts that were a lit- tle heavy, in spite of the glorious future awaiting them, they passed from the gloaming into the more cheerful-lighted interior of Sunset Ranch. THE END. ConnicloOokks.€©