River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-28

thOroughbreds, we had not lacked COM
rany in our wild ride over the short
tart of the prairies-short for not long
before fire had swept over the prairies
and burnt OH the tall grasses, and the
new growth was just springing up,
thick and velvet-hke.
On and on we galloped, not in swift,
transient bursts, wearying alike to man
and beast, but in long steady leaps,
such as ''spend, but waste not" and
Rover, faithful friend, unerring guide,
galOped on before, turning neither to
the right nor the left. Well he knew
that his mission wasa grave and noble
one-well he knew that work, not play,
was before hirs, and that it behooved
him 10 be careful of his strength
And 50, all through the hot, sultry
day, we sped on and on, man and
horse and dog, without pause, or rest,
or falter, until, Just rs the sun was
sinking low in the west, our faithful
guide halted, and for the first time that
day barked and gamhoied, and then
came rushing toward US, and laid at
om feet a woman's (Mary's) glove!
And then our pent-up excitement
broke forth in a shout of exultation, for
We now knew beyond doubt that we
We're on the right track. Not that we
had Tor Il moment dIstrusted Rover
sAgaclty; but IL was something TO nave
i proof tangible TO our own inferior
senses
snatched up the precious token,
ana, pressing IT to my lips, telt the
blood surge up into my lace rs paper
I q L. I i 4 L i II
/ ruSt!eu inside; IN second held llttle
! penclled note IN my trembling hand
just few lines, IN the characters |
knew and loved as well. 1t read:
FATHER larry: John Barton has not for
gotte', ms oath. know you will follow closely.
~ noTgs are , good ana oasr VIII S gGl Sb you R
hinl Tie horses. which are living down exhausted.
while Barton and our treaeherous driver are dig
Ein- hole 70 get water Tor tnfin. y sia Pl a
ua~ nv fsar IN far me- 4 there i need INV
poII,q will defend me. but you will fnd me before
that,
| Together we read the priceless little
not" over and Marv's father and
/ |.
God bless herr he exclaimed. My
! brave girl.
And then-I am not ashamed to con
fcs, it-our tears fell together on the
brief lines her dear hand had traced.
| But there was no time for the indui-
gence of sentiment, only for action
stern, speedy action. Lookingup from
the scrap of paper in our hands. we
saw that Rover and our poor foam
hcclled horses had found the hole dug
by the fugitives, and were drinking in
huge draughts of the clear, pure water,
that their labor had provided for our
refrc@hment.
II must have cost them at least three
hours hard work, without implements
as they were, and that was so much
clear gain to us-a gain Of time and a
gain Of water, without which our own
sturdy animals could not have
pushed on much longer.
We allowed them to crop the short
grass for half an hour, that they might
start with renewed vigor; and we, too,
needed this short rest and such refresh
ment as we could force ourselves to
swallow; but scarce was the half hour
passed, than we were laundering over
the prairie again.
The country was no longer the dead
level that 1t had been at the start; 1t
was III spots rough ana broken, ana be-
fore Us we could see the timex maze
that betokened the vast masses OF the
Rocky Mountains looming up toward
the sky.
Little hills ana hollows crossed our
he&d!ong pain; rocks, large ana smah,
Single ana III groups, lay mere ana therei
but never once did Rover hesitate or
turn aside. On and on he went, with
nose to the ground, keeping just ahead
of the painting horses.
The sun went down, night came on
yet still on and on and on we galoped;
but POW at last our foam -hecked steeds,
that had borne us so calamity all
through the long hot day, began 10
droop; their hard-draWn breath betray-
ed their distress; yet, as II they mad
known all that was at stake, they seem
ed 70 have taken Tor their motto, On
TIL death
Suddenly, as we entered upon long,
narrow gulch, closed IN by oyerhanglng
rocks on either side, Rover came TO an
abrupt halt, and crouchlng low, beat
the gyGund furiously with his great,
hushy tail. As quickly we drew rem.
50 quickly, indeed, that the sudden
halt brought my companions weary
horse 20 his launches, and then, max
ing fruitless effort to recover himself,
the poor animal rolled over on hls SIDE
and lay there painting ana iia, helpless
"Iiiie ils l'f"9tGi VIZ, IL go 10y ~
ceedeo III freeing hll'lSeil iIo''i 'iie
Surru P7.., ,,
ANA sun Iaitlllul hoNgI iLoucleu . Ill
the Ground, ms eyes li'iSiilil8 III ne iii
hrg' moonlight, puI not souilu uiq
he tier and SO, knowing the dog as l
did, my heart leaped at the knowledge
that he had ut last run his prey to the
earth.
Another instant, and with Whisper
ed caution to Mr.. Scott to follow softly
on foot and to keep Rover back, |
rode quietly on, keeping sharp watch
for the group felt sure were very near
nj hand
/ Suddenly. out Of the midst of the
/ deep silence of the night, sounded the
voice loved so dearly, raised, not in
fear. Eutin stern warning and menace.
/ The ground was soft and my gallant
| FIeetfoots hoofs fell noiselessly on the
turf, and 50 it was that, turning a sharp
corner came at once upon group
totally unaware ofmy approach-Mary,
standing erect and untlinchingly; John
{ L. i