The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-05-19


ting the noble animal's nose. when he
was startled by a sharp. whizzing sound.
and the next moment an arrow struck the
rock behind him and fell in soiinters at
bis feet.
With the auickness of thought he
sprang behind the rock and examined
mas rifle and revolvers In his belt, and
then coolly took survey OF the situa-
ton.
Rather desperate it looked to one
whcse soul was wrapped up Ia an intense
ueslre to put the eastern pass behind
MN, before twilight fell over the noun
tam peaks. The trail ard mountain
slopes before him we're swarming with
Indians YET the dominant thought In
Ihurman's mind WIS not his own dan
ger.
I'm cut off from the trail" he said
quietly, while dauntless expression
swept over bis face, like the play of light
on sabre. "Theres nothing left for
1t but race with these redskins for the
eastern pass over Salt Desert. [ will
not go back, even though the COYOTES
have me for luncheon tonight. For
little sister, as [ love you, SC will | die
Tor you lbefore he touches Won. Oh.
God OF Justicel into Thy hands do /
| commit the child. and whether [ win or
lose IN this race, interpose Thy almighty
/ arm between her and evill"
With this prayer on his lips he sprang
/ from his place of concealment. leaned
INTO the saddle, turned his horses head
and shook bis brldle-rein. The splendid
animal faced the desert; then Thurman
began to experience what sort of an ami
mai the majors stallion was, and no
better opportunity or place to test his
| power could well have been found.
/ 1t was race In a diagonal direction
for the eastern pass, snd woe to the
| white rider IT he tailed to win.
The odds seemed against him. He
was one against scores, and his foes had
| the inside track, for they had been
ahead of him on the trail, and now. on
| their longwinded mustangs, they had
! evidently determined to tire out this run
nlng-horse, and by cutting him off from
the pass, destroy Thurman's hope of
| escape.
| And the Salt Desert stretched out be-
fore them-pursuer and pursued-as
| hard and level as a well-roIled race
| course.
Thurman, like a true horseman.
/ gagged his horses lope down into a
long, swinging, telling" stride, and
now Brownie settled himself down to his
work.
With his head thrust forward, his
name waving like dusky banner, and
his slender hoof seeming hardly to touch
the ground, Brownie took the course
laid out for him at a tremendous pace.
| Thurman took off his hat and waved it
| at his yelling foes in defiant triumph,
and the wind formed by his rapid riding
swept back the hair from his forehead
and famed his face, which was as stern
and set as an iron mask.
His heart leaped up In his breast.
Could those common animals behind
hope to capture this wonderful stallion,
which might have kept pace with the
winged steed of old? As well might the
crawling worm hope to compete in
! speed with the white winged moth that
| fits by him.
And so this intrepid spirit, in the
heat of whose fame those red foes were
but as sparks flying upward, forgot his
danger, forgot his situation, and his
thoughts flew over tue mountains to the
little town of Austin, dozen miles be-
You'd.
He thought of his little sister, through
| whose dark blue eyes the light of pure
soul shone forth. His memory over
swept countless scenes of her gentleness
and patience, her simplicity and sweet
ness.
! Was she to fall into the hands of that
| leper whose very touch was contamipat-
| ing?
! His brain burned with a white heat as
he thought of that wretch-burned with
great throbs pulsating through his body;
his heart seemed to pause and snatch his
| breath at every beat. He cried aloud
! for very Impotence.
The hours wore on, but he counted
them not. The miles sped by, the east
ern pass drew nearer and nearer, but
still Impotence seemed branding him to
| the bone
Finally, the labored breathing of his
horse awoke him to the fact that the
noble animal had borne him faithfully
nearly eighty miles since midnight, and
over half of that distance had been ira
versed at full speed, and without a
draught of water to moisten the froth-
fringed mouth.
'Poor fellow how-by Jove-how
close those Indians are! Almost within
rifle range Where have my eyes
been ?"
He took his brandy flask from his
breast pocket and turned its contents
into his canteen of water. Then he
stopped his horse, threw himself from
the saddle, raised his horses head and
turned the mixture down his throat,
Then he mounted, and was off again.
The effect of the stimulant was i'm
mediate, and Brownie responded to the
rein with renewed vigor Away he went
on that home stretch of dozen miles,
the Indians closing up behind like wolves
on hunted deer.
Into rifle range dashed couple of
dusky riders Dropping the reins on
| Brownies neck, Thurman unslung his
Winchester, dropped it into the hollow
of his left arm, and fired once, and again.
| Two riderless mustangs headed the pur-
suers.
"Hurrahr'
! The eastern pass was behind Thur
man and the brown stallion. The town
of Austin, perched high on the side of
a mountain, was IN full sight, and the
Indians skunk back beaten.
Two hours later, Thurman was clos
eted with the chief of the Austin Wig
lance Committee. Soon after, the
swarthy face of Joe Vance faded to
the grayness of clay, as he read this
message:
- Go to the east or the west, the north or
the south, but leave Austin behind you before
sunset. The halter is your only alternative.
- Per order of the
VIGILANCE COMMITTEE"
He dared not disregard this stern, la
comic order, though he cursed it with the
utmost vigor. But as he left The town he
muttered, half-aloud:
latter all, Little Blue-eyes, it was
good thing for you that my little game
was blocked; though low and base rs
he Is, Joe Vance loves You with a love
as strong as that of far better man.
And he Dulla1 his hat down over his