The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-03-15

ssh.re. presently, the light the black
WI, w"s 6puses, the spires and the Dag
n ,aa sank hb tho earth behad him
s' .aIc ard we're lost il the distance. =
'tGs 4 torn had cle5Fsd away, the air
,%,;sk and cold, ~ Q Outlines of adja.
was was, III landmarks were s]atiact, but il was
Ialfpsst four before DICK teached the
,~sstIne. house and. the sefossing Of the
nounty road. To AVOID tAe rising grade,
~ had taken \ lQSger andmors circuit
~ ,oad. inswhO5k yiscid mud Jovita
v .snk fetlook deep st every bound. 1t
wasa poor preparation . for q steady as
cant OF Eve .iniles more, but Jolta,
ss,berins her legs under her, took it
Nth her usual biirf, unveasoning fury.
and half hour htfr, reached the long
leyd that led to RAttlesnake Creek.
Another halfhour would bring him to
,he creek. lie threw the reins lightly
mon the neck of the mare, rohirruped
~ her. and began to sing Suddenly
Ioyita SHE'D with a bound that would
have unseated less practiced rider.
Hanging TO her rein was q figure that
had leaped from the bank, and at the
.ame time from the road before her
arose shadowy horse and rider.
"Throwup your hands," commanded
this second apparition with an oath.
Dick felt the mare tremble. culver,
and apparently sink under him. He
knew what this meant, and prepared
himself. 'f-v' 80 is'
Island aside, Jack Simpson, know
you, you id thief. Let me pass,
or -" ts5.. vts- e'sf ~ as v". e.
He did not finish the sentence Jovita
rose straight in the air with b terrific
bound, throwing the figure from her bit
with a single shake of her vicious 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
wards away. But the good right arm of
her rider, shattered by bullet, drop.
red helplessly at his side. ~ ~
Without slackening his speed he
shifted the reins to his left hand. But
few moments later he was obliged to
halt and tighten the saddle-girths that
had slipped in the onset. This in his
crippled condition took some time. He
had no fear Of pursuit, but looking up
saw that the eastern stars were already
palng, and that the distant peaks had
lost their ghostly Wilderness, and now
stood out blackly against lighter sky.
Dayw upon him. Then completely
a sorbed in single idea, he forgot the |
pain Of his wound, and mounting again
dashed on toward Rationale Creek.
But now ycvitas breath came broken |
BY gasps, Dick reeled in his saddle, and
brighter grew the sky. ~. = ~ ~
Ride, Richard rum Jovita; linger, o !
day ..f .assW r+aie ssn. arr ~
For the last few rods there was aroar.
ing in his ears. Was It exhaustion from, |
the loss of blood, or what? He'was
dazed and eiddy as he swept down the
hill, and did not recognize his surround
ings. Had he taken the wrong road,
or was this Rattlesnake Creek? tf.
It was. But the brawling creek he |
had swami few hours before had risen,
more than doubled its volume, and now
rolleda swift and resistless river between |
him and Rattlesnake Hill. For the first
time that night Riohard'y, heart sank
within him. The river, the mountain,
the quickening east. swan before his !
Eyes. He shut theh'to recover his self
control. In the brief interval, by some
mental process the little room
At simpsons Bar and the figures Of the
.leeping father and son rose upon him.
He opened his eyes wildly, cast off his !
coat, pistol, boots and saddle, bound his
precious pack tightly to shs shoulders,
zrasped the bare flanks Of Jbvits with
Ms barred knees, and with shout dashed
nto the yellow water, "A DRY. rose from
he opposite bank as the head of a man
md horse struggled for few moments
leanst the battling current, and then
we're swept away amidst uprooted trees
md whirling driftwood.
The Old Man started and woke. The
Ire on the hearth was dead, the candle
the outer room Pickering in its socket,
md somebody was rapping at the door.
ie opened it, but fell back with cry
eiore the dripping, half-naked figure
nat r. reeled against the door.post.
DICK
" Hush Is he awake yet?''
No-but Dick p" s.'
Dry up, you old fool | Get me some
'hlsky---7,nckr'. The Old Man few and
eturned with an empty bottlel Dick
ould have sworn, but his strength was
OF equal to the occasion. He staggered, 4
lught at the handle Of the door, and ,
iotloned to the Old Man. II
. Thar's suthin' in my pack yer for
o.nnny., Tske'it of. / can't Nsy'
Inc Old Man unstrapped the pack
No laid it before the exhausted man.
Open it, quick r. |,
lie did so with trembling fingers. 1t
only few poor toys-cheap |
40 oarbaric enough, goodness knows,
y bright with paint and tinsel. One I
them was broken; another, r fear, ,