Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-20

The steep bluffs that line the road on
either hand for the most Of the way kept
The steers in fairly good order, and
only occasionally did an unusually JUICY
bunch Of grass tempt some hungry one
! 10 bolt up the slope or into the .csuyon
below. IL was an occasion Of this sort
that had led Willctts from the rear OF
the band, and sent him carcering among
! the brakes and ferns on the slope above.
A chase Of half mile had seen the
I truant return to the road, and Willetts
was skirting the edge Of the bank some
distance in advance Of the dreve in
search Of safe place 10 descend, when
his eyes were greeted with sight that
almost froze the blood in his veins, and
made the wind soughing among the
pines sound more like funeral dtrge
than ever. In the middle Of the
narrow road was lovely girS, flushed
and PAINTING with long run, snd new,
unable TO 60 further, was ParalyEed
with fear as she contemplated the drove
laundering down on her and promising
TO soon crush her young life out beneath
their ponderous weight. In the dis
tanee were he flying coat-taiIs Of her
escort, young gentleman Of the genus
dude, who. when she was unable to
proceed further, basely deserted her
i and sought his own safety in continued
fight. Escape for the girl seemed inn
possible. From the road TO where
Willett's horse stood was a wall Of rock
full twenty feet in height, and below
TO the bed Of the stream was a sheer
descent Of double that distance, and
there was no break affording foothold
up OF down as far as the road was in
sight. For only second was the
horseman inactive. Then, with the
speed born of loDg practice, he lifted
his trusty rawhiie RATA from the horn
of his saddle, and prepared for cast.
With CHEEKY word of encouragement
he attracted her attention. and a mo-
ment later tie snaky coil shot through
the air, and the loop fell over her
shoulders. "Put that under your
arms, miss" was Willett's hasty in
junction, aud with the glimmer
Of hope the poor girl recovered
sufficient presence of mind to
obey. A rod or two distant was 6
stout scrub-osk, with sturdy lower 4
limb projecting from the trunk over /
and Ga q parallel with the edge of the !
bluff. Over this WiIletts ran the slack |
Of his RATA, and then, romounting, he
spurred his tough little mustang up the |
hill. The strands tightened, and then
Slid over tire limb until the girls head
appeared on @ level with the bank.
Then the pony planted his legs in the
soft loan that coats the rocks, and stood
as immOvable as statue during the
couplH Of minutes required for
the believing drove to plunge
under their prospective victim. 1t was
a moment of dread suspense, but the
pony undoubtedly supposed he was
holding an unruly steer instead of
lovely human being, whose life depend
ed on his frmness, and neither the sad
1le-horn nor the RATA, tried in many
contest between men, horse,
and unIuly steer, weakened. When
he cattle were well by Willetts slowly
Stacked down till his " catch " dropped
ioftly to the earth. Five minutes later,
when he managed to find a pathway
Town, and reached the subject Of his
laring bit Of horsemanship, she
vas lying in the dust in an inanimate
leep, resulting from woman's last re-
uge in time of danger, known as a
lead faint. She soon recovered under
Nilletts vigorous ministrations, how
yer, aE1 was found nope the worse for
Ter adventure beyond a slight bruise;,
aused by the Severe Squeezing given
Ter tender flesh by the RATA. While
mounted on Willett's horse, and {
he was walking by her side in
lie direction Of the farmhouse,
half mile distant, where she was stay
iDg with her mother, she overwhelmed
her pTeserver with thanks, and, with the
impulsive gratefulness Of womankind,
told him her history. She, too, was
from Boston, and, with her father and
mother, was spending the summer amid
California's most favored spots. With
the runaway dude she had gone out for
an afternoon stroll, and had been car
ried further by her careless footsteps
than she intended.
"TheTe is little more to tell" con-
GUIDED Mr.. Willetts. MY business
Kept me in the vicinity for fortnight,
and in that time the young lady and
her parents were almost daily visitors
to our camp. The old gentleman was
highly delighted when he learned Of my
identity, for he and my father were old
friends and business associates. His
daughter foolishly placed a high value
on my little service. and when saw how
she had over-estimated them | meanly
demanded the largest reward that |
could think Of, in the shape of her
lovely self. 1t took me some time to
screw my courage up, but finally did,
and my demand was granted without
a protest. The details were settled
yesterday, ana 1 came up by the eve
ming train to fit myself for her society.
She swears that look like an angel in
my woollen shirt and buckskin trou-
sers, but will try and get her used to
me in civilized garb, for a vaquero's
dress is hardly the thing for aesthetic
Boston,"
"Are you going back ?"
eyes, in September. We shall tour
Yosemite as man and wife, and then 60
back home. My father-in-law says that
my father has long been anxious to have
me come home, and that he will set me
up if the old gentleman doesn't; so l
think | had better CO."
Pugilist's Cruel wife.
Il II