Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-07-26

diers were out IN front Of the tents
eagerly watching the race.
He grasped the little girls waist
till he hurt her; then bracing him
self firmly in the stirrups, be gave
a wild yell at the horse. The animal
sprang into the air, and the next
moment ii was flying over the plains
at such a rate that one misstep
wcul1 have been fatal.
Each moment they came nearer
together; the Colonel was gaining
rapidly on them, but he had much
longer distance to ride.
The excitement among the sol
diers in front of the tents grew in
tense as each moment brought them
nearer and nearer. A death-like
silence fell upon the men as the
critical moment drew near.
"He is lost, " said one of the sol
diers.
Eyes, it is all over with him."
repeated another.
A tear stood in many an eye; for
the Colonel was a favOrite with
them all.
"Lookl lookp ~ cried several of
the men.
Yes, look! When the bandits
We're almost upon him, the horse
suddenly gave splendid burst Of
speed worthy Of his blood. Was he
running or flying2 He was down
/ to his work at last.
The next moment both parties
leaped into the hollow that lay be-
4 tween them and the camp, and
were lost to view.
Silently the soldiers watched the
hollow. They knew it was now a
/ question of life and death, and
eagerly, almost breathlessly, they
watched the result.
The next moment the Colonel
came full in view from the hollow.
A low cheer almost invOluntarily
burst from the men; but it soon
subsidized, for it was now the para
mount moment. He was passing
the Mexicans at about seventy
yards. They raised their guns and
fired.
Did he reel or fall? No; he was
still firmly seated in the saddle.
A loud cheer broke fIOm the sol
diers that rang far over the plains.
The band gave chase, but rapidly
he widened the distance between
them.
"The Colonel's safe" cried the
men but he was not.
He was rapidly approaching a
growth of willows near pool OF
water, when suddenly a mounted
Mexican, armed with a revolver,
sprang from behind him. 1t looked
as if he had escaped one danger but
TO fall into another. He had no
chance to defend himself. One
arm was about the girl, with the
other he had to grasp the bride
: and, even if lie could use it, he
could not get at his revolver. ii
he laid the child on the ground, be-
fore he could defend himself and
get her again, the bandits would be
upon him. So he concluded to press
onward.
The villain rushed toward him,
eXclaiming as he raised the pistol
and took aim:
al i'm Sc cdI1tD Ia gJOrid," (bOast
not till the victory is WOn.)
At that moment there was a low
report, scarcely audible for the dis
lance, and the Mexican reeled i'll
his saddle and fell to the earth.
The Colonel looked ahead of him,
and there, fully half a mile away
stood a tall Kentuckian grasping q
rifle which he had just discharged
The Colonel pushed on, and as he
passed the soldier the latter said:
II rather guess l fetched him
Colonel"
Eyes; it was a splendid shot. Go
into camp. You will be a corporal
when you get there"
"a corporal" muttered the tai
, Kentuckian. mighty lucky shot
that. Didn't expect to be a corpo
raj for year yet"
In few moments more the Colo
mel plunged into camp amid "a wild
yell of cheers and a discharge from
the battery, which rolled over the
plains and across the river into
Mexico, announcing that the Colone
had won the race.