The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-03-15

TANKS, and changed his defensive tao.
tics TO brisk aggression. Bullied and
maddened, Jovita be gan the descent Of
the hill. Here the artful Richard pre-
tended TO hold her in with ostentatious
objurgation and well-feigned cries OF
alarm. Ii is unnecessary to aid that
Jovita instantly ran away. Nor need |
state the time made in the descent II
is written in the chronicles OF Simpsons
Bar. Enough that in another moment,
as it seemed to Dick, she was splashing
on the overlooked banks Of Rsttlesnake
creek. As Dick expected, the momen-
tum she had acquired carried her be-
yond the point of baking, and holding
her well together for mighty leap,
they dashed into the middle of the
swiftly flowing current. A few mo-
ments OF kicking, wading and swim
ming, and Dick drew a long breath on
the opposite bank.
The road from Rattle.nake Creek to
Red Mountain was tolerably level.
Either the plunge in Rattlesnske Creek
had dampened her baleful fire, or the
art which led TO it had shown her the
superior wickedness Of her rider, for
Jovita no longer wasted her surplus
energy in wanton conceits. Once she
bucked, but it was from force of habit !;
once she SHE'D, but it was from a new,
freshly.paintcd Westinghouse at the
crossing of the country road. Hollows,
bitches, gravelly deposits, patches of
freshly springing grasses flew from be-
meath her rafting hoofs. She began to
smell unpleasantly, once or twice she
coughed slightly, but there was no
abatement of her strength or speed.
By o'clock he had passed Red Noun
tain, and began the descent TO the
plain. Ten minutes later the driver of
the fast Pioneer coach was overtaken
and passed by " man on a Pinto hoss"
an event sufficiently notable for re-
mark. At half-past two Dick rose in his
stirrups with a great shout. Stars were
glittering through the rifted clouds, and
beyond him, out of the plain, rose two
spires, flagstaff and a struggling line
of black objects. Dick jingled his
spurs, and swung his RATA, Jovita
bounded forward, and in another mo.
ment they swept into Tuttleville and
drew up before the wooden piazza Of
"The Hotel of AL Nations
What transpired that night at futile
vile is not strictly part Of this record.
Briefly | may state, however, that after
Jovita had been handed over to sleepy
ostler, whom she at once kicked into
unpleasant consciousness, Dick sailed
out with the bar-keeper for tour Of the
sleeping town. Lights still cleaned
from a few saloons and gambling houses;
but, avoiding these they stopped before
several closed shops, and by persistent
tapping and judicious outcry reused the
proprietorE from the beds, and made
them unbar the doors of their maya.
zines and expose their wares. Some
times they were met by curses, but Of
tener by interest and some concern in
their needs, and the interview was
invariably concluded by drink. 1t
was three o'clock before the pleas
antry was given over, and with a
small waterproof bag of India-rubber
strapped upon his shoulders, Dick re-
turned to the hotel. But here he was
waylad by Beauty-Beauty opulent in
charms, afiluent in dress, persuasive in
speech, and Spanish in accent! In vain
she repeated the invitation in excel
sior," happily scorned by all Alpine
climbing youth, and rejected by this
child of the Sierras-a rejection soften.
ed in this instance by laugh and his
last gold coin. And then he sprang to
the saddle and dashed down the lonely
street, and out into the lonelier plain,
where, presently, the lights, the black
line OF houses, the spires and the flag.
staff sank into the earth behind him
again and were lost in the distance.
The storm had cleared away, the air
was brisk and cold, the outlines of ada
cent landmarks were distinct, but it was
half.psst four before Dick reached the
meeting. house and the crossing of the !
county road. To avoid the rising grade,
he had taken longer and more circuit
Gus road, in whose viscid mud Jovita
sank fetlock deep at every bound. 1t |
was poor preparation for a steady as
cent Of five miles more, but Jovita,
gathering her legs under her, took it
with her usual blind, unreasoning fury, |
and half hour later, reached the long |
level that led to Rattlesnake Creek. |
Another halfhour would bring him to
the creek. He threw the reins lightly |
upon the neck of the mare, chirruped |
TO her, and began to sing. Suddenly !
Jovita SHE'D with bound that would |
have unseated less practiced rider.
Hanging to her rein was figure that |
had leaped from the bank. and at the |
same time from the road before her
arose a shadowy horse and rider.
Throw up your hands," commanded
this second apparition with an oath.
Dick felt the mare tremble, culver,
and apparently sink under him. lie
knew what this meant, and prepared |
himself
Stand aside, Jack Simpson. know
you, you ID thief Let me pass,
or ~
He did not finish the sentence. Jovta |
rose straight in the air with terrific
bound throwing the figure from her bit
with single shake of hervicious head,
and charged with deadly malevolence
down on the impeachment before her.
An oath, pistol-shot, horse and high
wayman rolled over in the road, and the
next moment Jovita was hundred
yards away. But the good right arm of
her rider, shattered by a bullet, drop
ped helples.ly at his side.