River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-01

timely warning of the danger. How
her heart throbbed with thankfulness as
she galloped through an avenue OF
giant oaks at crossroads where she
remembered stopping with her father
one day He had told her that it was
half way from Chenille to Warrington.
! He had watered their horses there; and
she remembered every word of pleasant
badinage he had addressed to her as
they rode home. Had one ever before
SO dear, SO tender parent? The tears
came again, but she drove them hack
with a halfinvoluntary laugh. "Not
now, not now = she said. "No, nor at
all. They shall not come at all; tor
will save him. o God, help me am
but weak girl. Why did the letter
come so late? But Kill save HIM
Help me, Heaven guide and help p
She glanced at her watch as she pass
ed from under the shade of the oaks,
aud as she held the dial up to the
moonlight, gave scream of JOY. 1t was
just past the stroke of nine. She had
still an hour, and half the distance had
been accomplished In half that time.
Still OH and on the brave horse bore
her with untiripg limb. Half the re-
manning distance is now consumed,
and she comes to place where the
read divides but into four branches.
1t is in the midst of level field, cover
ed with a thick growth of scrubby pines
Through the masses of thick green are
white lanes, which stretch away in
every direction, with no visible differ
ence save in the density or frequency
Of the shadows which fall across them.
She tries TO think which of the many
intersecting paths leads to her destina-
ton. She tries this and then that for a
few steps, consults the stars to deter
mine in what direction Chenille lies
and has almost decided upon the first
turn to the right, when she hears a
sound which turns the blood to ice in
her veins.
A shrill whistle sounds to the left
once, twice, thrice-and then it is an
swered from the road right in front.
but knew which road to takel She
knows well enough the meaning of
those signals. She has heard them be-
fore. The masked cavaliers are closing
in upon her; and, as if frozen to stone,
she sits her horse in the clear moon
light, and cannot choose.
She is not thinking of herself. 1t
is not for herself that she fears; but
there has come over her horrible
numbing sensation that she is lost, for
she does not know which road leads to
those she seeks to save; and at the same
time there comes the certain conviction
that to err would be fatal. There are
but two roads now 10 choose from, since
she has heard the fateful signals from
the left and front; but how much de-
perds upon that choicel at must be
this" she says to herself; and as she
says it, the sickening conviction comes,
NO no; it is the otherp She hears
hoof-strokes upon the road in front, on
that to her left, and now, too, on that
which turns sheer to the right. From
one to the other the whistle sounds
sharp, short, signals. Her heart sinks
within her. She has halted in the very
rendezvous OF the enemy. They are all
about her. To attempt to ride down
either road now is to invite destruction.
She woke from her stupor when the
first horseman came in sight, and
thanked God for her dark horse and
colorless habit. She urged young Lol-
lard among the dense scrub-pines which
grew between the two roads from which
she knew that she must choose, turned
his head back toward the point of in
tersection, drew her revolver, leaned
upon his neck, and peered through the
overhanging branches. She patted her
horses head, and whispered to him
softly to keep him still.
Hardly had she placed herself in hid
ing, before the open space around the
intersecting roads was alive with dis
guised horsemen. She could catch
glimpses of their figures as she gazed
through the clustering lines. Three
men came into the road which ran
along to the right of where she stood.
They were hardly five steps from where
she lay, painting, but determined, on
the faithful horse, which moved not
muscle. Once he had neighed before
they came so near; but there were SO
many horses neighipg and snuffilng,
that no one had needed it. She re-
membered little flask which Maggie
had put in her pocket. 1t was whisky.
she put up her revolver, drew out the
flask, opened it, poured some in her
hand, and, leaning forward, rubbed 1t
on the horses nose. He did not offer
10 neigh again.
Considerable confusion arose among
the gathered riders, who bad some diff
ference of opinion, and Lily, with her
revolver ready cooked in her hand,
turned, and cautiously made her way
-, q, Inh ind cd
by their talk as the one which led TO
Chenille. Just as her horse stepped
into the path, an overbanging limb
caught her hat, and pulled it of, togeth-
er with the hood of her waterproof, so
that her hair fell down again upon her
shoulders. Sac hardly noticed the fact
in her excitement, and, if she had,
could not have stopped to repair the &C
cident She kept her horse upon the
shady side, walking upon the grass as
much as possible 10 prevent attracting
attention, watching on all sides for any
scattered members OF the Khan. She
had proceeded thus about 100 yards,
when she came to turn in the road,
and saw sittiog before her in the moon
light, one of the disguised horsemen,
evidently a sentry, who mad been sta
toned there to see that no one came
upon the camp Unexpectedly. He was
facing the other way, but just at that
instant turned, aud, seeing her indis'
tinctly in the shadow, cried out at once.
who's there? Haiti"
They were not twenty yards apart.
Young Lolard trembled with excite
ment under the tightly.drawn rein.
Lily thought Of her father halfprayer-
fully, halt fiercelv, bowed close over
her horses neck, and braced herself in
tine saddle, with every muscle as tense
as those of tiger waiting for his leap.
Almost before the words were out of
the sentry's mouth, she had given
Young Lollard the spur, and shot like
an arrow into the bright moon light.
straight toward the black muffied borse-
man.
"My Cod" he ciied at the sudden
spparatition.
She was close upon him in an instant.
There was a shot; his startled horse
sprang aside, and Lilly urging Young
Lollard to his utmost speed, was flying
down the road toward Chenille. She
heard an uproar behind-shouts, and
one or two shots. On, on, she sped She
knew now every foot of the road be-
yond. Sac looked back, and saw her
pursuers swarming out ofthe woods In
TO the moonlight. Just then she was
~f-. 49,.