The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1884-03-27

Gulcb. which wss in the springs roaring
..rr.r. Beyond the bridge, across 'as
aida. vas . hsystaek sf Mesds shs"
- stored sufficient to iced his demss''s
cattle throash The via,sr.
We Il last reached the turn 10 the read
rssv vsrs three milss 10 advance, riding
,.n;a,,. yik Kss then stepped at The
turn, j.
..pumpt, Cart catcLss HAnses ai
bridge. you soss
He turned his horse snd sped 'eres' '1s
asld. dssertiss Us hAssly.
We rode on, Ted ssd ]. He VI" pale
aad still; my cheeks wsrs burning We
pea,sd The bridge. The high msund %
.arth before ns hid rs from sight We
stopped eur horsss and listened.
Tn. men had lighted torches. some we're
preparing : rough gallows under the
bridge; I've we're uscoiling rope; some
held the hsrssa q the others bsyond the
prfsgs. The men we're masked nov. snd
/ could sse BY The ushtsd terchss that
their sumbsr had increased.
Jack was very white ard sad. but he
showed no fear.
Il am innocent. gentlemen he said,
slowly. "but rsfuss TO tell you 0f whom
I bought the hides"
I understood him. Gould Marry Waits
be . cattle thisfs l folt as il WAS grow
ing nad.
.WLat shall ws do9" whispered Fred,
cooking his revolver.
Suddsuly . bright. red light illuminated
the heavens. followed by clouds of black
smoke and . queer cracking noise. a
yell from the men Gil Msad's voice above
the rest. The hsystask was on fire II
seemed to me ia the glare around 1t that
could see forsis q looking human being
vanishing acrsss tho plain.
The men mountsd their herses. Gil
Meade At the hea1. and sst of across ths
fields 1t mad gallop. They left jack,
bound hand aad foet, and guarded BY en'
man.
shep, the wonderful deg, had kept by
Us until now. slinkisg in the dark shadows
Now, gliding sideways and still. h'
reached the man on guard, whose back
vas TO us. and with no warning growl
caught him by the thrsat with strong
white teeth that could chsks coyote IN
. second. The man was in sitting pos
turs, fell back with groan. Ted struck
him over the head with the butt Of the re-
velxsr, and pulled off the dog, cut
Jacks konds with knife. He looked d
as yspaagipgly and staggered to hi
fest
Never mind ,haw We came, jack,
aid; quick, mount tbs hsrse beyond thu
br,' 'dgs, aud nls to Dsnysrtfo for your life
Tbev won't harm woman und. cA..d
.Hs Try White" be muttsrea. .,ths leya
.ou, th.,. even now roUld tbirk OF .!snath
er'. hang, T.
Il .,ll te U him
NO. no; not Of this euly say, ii h
.tols the cattle. to fly the country. Ihs.
will tiud out 500 yer or later.
He gsllopsd do vn the road. Ted and
muuutsd, calling o Z SAsp. who sat on hi
h.unchss watching ds unconscious man
aud then We too sped I'own the road IN
huystack was giving ont great columns Q
smoke. but the fire was dead.
Ahead OF MS was ridsrle,,s horse. DOH.
who greeted her master wl'h . 'oyiu
whinny. Where was Yik Kee? Incl
Dot, my horse, SHE'D frsm the roat az
rscumbent black figure. It was the IN
\ dsmitable Yik Kss, who had crawlsd al
| the WY frsm the stack on bis stomach. Sc
that he ,co1d pot be seen, after lying il
/ the ditch till the htgs bad faded out
4 "Humph! No catel.s Ghlinss; heal
sors,' hs said, lsccpiess'y, rubbing hi
stomach.
He mounted Dolly, aud We rode On T.
Whites rsrsh. Harry rnshsd out at th
sound Of horses .sst st midnight Thsr
under the twinklius .-tsr'' ] looked int
his eyes, and told him the ~as's s'ofy
He showed no guilt, but Oh. sa'a "
must stay at his ranch, for tile men 'o"'
como back to Jacks for him, aad til,
mounting his fleet colt rode down The road.
l comforted his mother as best as could.
AT day brake We rode home.
Mary was in wild stat. Of alarm
Where had W. been? Where WAS Jack?
And how cruel We were to leave her alone
She said that At o'clock three masked
msn had come to the house aad searched
it and the premises. but had not molssted
her Or ths children, ssly asking where
Jack was:
AT nosn Jack. Harry, tbs sheriff aud
party Of armed men from Denver, rode up
stopping only moment to toll me they
would be back at night dare rot tell
Mary. and she worried all the afternoon at
their strange coaduct
Al night Jack and Harry came home,
looking tired but happy. Then Jack told
Mary, ana she cried aud clung to him an
though she could never let him 60.
II seemed the pleasing ranchman from
Chicago was ono Of the band Of cstsls
thieves. Hssold the hides to Harry, who
hose,. and open himself. was slow to sus-
psct wrong dealings 10 Others The sLsr.
id had caught the mes Skinnisg COW Of
Mssd's. and had captured tue gang and
taken them to Denver
The men concerned 10 the attempt TO
lyscL Jack were siscsrely ssrry. Thsir
regrets would not have svailsd much, how.
ever, II they had suscssded in thsir pur.
p0gs