Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-06-24

the horse in his stall every day, so that,
although she had never ridden him, the
horse was familiar with her person and
voice. 1t was well tor her that this was
the case, for, as he dashed away with the
speed of the wind, she felt how powerless
she was to restrain him by means of the
bit. Nor did she attempt it. Merely
feeling his mouth, and keeping her eyes
on the road before him, in order that no
sudden start to the right or the left should
take her by surprise, she coolly kept her
seat and tried to sooth him by her voice.
With head outstretched and sinewy
neck strained to its utmost, he few over
the ground IN wild, mad race with the
night winds.
The night was growing chilly by this
time. As the wind struck her at the
hill top she remembered that she had
thrown a hooded waterproof about her
before starting. She stopped her horse,
and taking of her hat, gathered her long
hair into a mass and thrust it into the
hood, which she drew over her head and
pressed her hat down upon it. Then she
gathered the reins, and they went ON that
long, steady stride which marks the high
bred horse when he gets thoroughly
down TO his work.
Once or twice she drew rein to deter
mine which road to take. Sometimes her
road lay through the forest and she was
startled by the cIy of the owl; anon 1T
was through the reedy bottom land, and
the half wild hogs starting from their
lairs gave her an instant fright. The
anR ho. h,r% cfil
she pushed on, with this one only thought
in her mind, that her fathers life was at
stake, and she alone could save him. She
had written to her mother to go back
to Verdenton and telegraph to her father;
but she put no hope in that. How she
trembled as she passed each fork in the
rough and Unmarked country road, lest
she should take the right for the left, and
so lose precious, priceless moments. how
her heart beat with JOY when she came
upon any remembered landmark And
all the time her mind was full of tumul-
tuous prayer. Sometimes it bubbled
over her lips in tender, disjoin:ed &C
cents.
Father! papa, dear, papa!" she cried
out to the bright still night that lay
around; and then the tears burst over the
quivering lips and ran down the fair
cheeks in torrents. She pressed her hand
to her heart as she fancied that CLEAN of
redder light shot athwart the northern
sky, and she thought of terrible bon
fire that would rage and glow above the
northern horizon if she failed to bring
a timely warning of the danger. How
her heart throbbed with thanktulness as
she galloped through an avenue of giant
oaks crossroads where she remembered
stopping with her father one day! He
had told her it was half way from Glen
vile to Warrington. He bad watered
their horses there; and she had remem-
bered every word OF pleasant badinage
he had addressed to her as they rode
home. Had one ever before so dear, so
tender parentG The tears came
again, but she drove them back with a
half involuntary laugh. "Not now, not
now,n she said. mo, nor at all. They
snail not come at all; for will save him.
On, God, help me! am but weak girl.
Why did the letter come so late? But
l will save him! Help me heaven
Guide and help!'
She glanced at her watch as she pass
ed from under the shade of the oaks, and
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 accom-.
pllshed in half that time.
Still on and on, the brave horse bore
her with untiring limb. Half the remain
ing distance is now consumed, and SHE
comes to place where the roads fork
not once but into tour branches. It is II
the midst of level old field, covered
with thick growth of scrubby pines
Through the masses of thick green art
white lanes which stretch away in ever,
direction, with no visible difference saw
in the density or frequency of the shad
ows which fall across them. She tries Il
think which of the many intersectins
paths leads to her destination. She trie
this and then that for few steps, consult
the stars to determine in what direction
Glenville lies, and has almost declded OF
the first to the right, when she hears
sound which turns the blood to ice in he
veins.
A shrill whistle sounds to the left
once, twice, thrlce-and then it is answer
! ed from the road right in front. Their
t are two others. Oh, God if she but knev
/ which road to take! She knew we'll en-
ongh the meaning of those signals. Sh
, has heard those before. The maske
. cavaliers are closing in upon her; anG
2 as it frozen to stone, she sits on he
horse in the clear moonlight, and canno
r choose.
l She is not thinking of herself. It
not for herself that she fears; but ther
has come over her a horrible dumbin
= sensation that she Ii lost, for she does nc
know which road leads to those she seek
: to save; and at the same time there come
the certain convection that to her woul
be fatal. There are but two roads now
choose between, since she heard the fatt
t full signals from the lett and front; BIT
how much depends upon that choice
b at must be this" she says to herself; an
= as she says it, the sickening convictio
=: comes: mo, no it is the otherp' Sh
e hears hoof-strikes up the road in front, Q
+ that to her left, and now, too, on tn
+ which turns sheer to the right. From or
d to the other the whistle sounds-sharl
y | SIgudiSs HCdIG oluh6 w 1G11A uO
g She has halted at the very rendezvous
s the enemy. They are all around her. I
e attempt to ride down either road is to il
2 vite destruction.
She awoke from her stupor when Il
l. first horseman came in sight, and thanke
e God for her dark horse and colorless ha
IT it. She urged young Lollard among Il
n dense scrub pines which grew betwe'
b the two roads from which she. knew 81
<, must choose, turned his head back to Il
s. place of intersection, drew her revolvt
t, leaned over upon his neck, and peer
! through the overhanging branches. s.
ID patted her horses head and whispered
Sc him softly to keep him still.
E. Hardly had she placed herself in hi
lie ing before the open space around the
OF tersecting roads was alive with disguis
at horsemen. She could catch glimpses
r their figures as she gazed through t
clustering pines. Three men came In
ID the road that ran along to the right