Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-21

nOlntd ANU ChNblt1 utNcImlutu W
make hsg before the sun shone
again What Bent did in
n AMI or THE RANGERS
he never told 20 any one but me, and /
still consider IL his secret, but ne had q
tip to his left ear when he left us that
evening that no one ever saw again. We
were successful in crossing the river and
some two or three miles IN the county,,
and were congratulating ourselves that
we had no cause for further alarm, and
were discussing the question OF camping
where we were for the balance of the
night, and drive the remaining
twenty or twenty-five miles the
following day and evening, when
we heard the sound of rapid
hoof-beats in our rear. Listening, we
could only distinguish the clsck-clack Of
one horse, and concluded IL was Bent re-
turning. But why was he in such a hur-
ay. We waited his approach with ankle
ty, and | doubt not the reins trembled in
several Of the poor devils hands. Bent
drew rein only when he was In the midst
OF the men, and quickly shouted: Scat
ter the beasts In the chapparal and take
care of yourselves as best you can; they
have crossed and are after us. How
many are armed2' He might as well
have asked, How many ducks can swim?'
for a cowboy without his navy-six would
be thought a curiosity. Even while he
spoke we could hear the hoof-beats OF
the pursuers' horses.
"They had ignored
POLITICAL BOUNDARIES,
and were after us still, determined to
have their property, II not revenge. We
scattered the cattle as quickly as we
could In the brush, and In doing so sepa-
rated ourselves from each other. Before
we could get together again the rangers
were upon us. A skirmish took place be-
tween the two gangs, with little or no
effect, luckily, until they spotted Bent.
won't say but what he did them a dirty
trick; he must have; for they were after
him as o as they saw him, leaving the
balance of us unframed, and, it seemed,
uncared for. The border boys who daily
are called upon TO protect their lives,
never think of calling on another for as.
.slstance, and ], needless of the presence
Of half a dozen trusty boys, who would
willingly have helped me had l asked
them, put spurs to my horse and dashed
away in the direction Bent had gone, with
the rangers In pursuit. l followed them
only by the sound of the horses hoofs
and
AN OCCASIONAL snoT
ior eight or ten miles, when the thought
suddenly came to me that Bent was going
toward the old Spaniard's
hacienda. Once there he is SAFE thought;
yet before that thought had framed itself
flashed through my brain: VIII
Bent ieopardize.
rHE OLD MAN AND HIS LOVELY DAUGHTER
BY seeking protection as a fugitive? |
spurs to my horse again, deter
mined to overtake them, but the beast,
'lready tired by his long days travel, was
'learly unable to move faster. They
you'd reach the place in another hour at
rats they were riding now, and |
rembled as | thought of the conse.
to the old senior and the charm
ng senorita. The miles flew by. We ap-
'eared to be keeping about the same dis.
ance apart, they not gaining on Bent nor
on them. l can give you no idea of the
xcitement under which | labored
Turing that ride Of twenty miles.
I was with Bent clearly a matter of {
lie and death, and | trembled lest some )
Il the occasional shots heard should ,
AXE effect either in him or his horse.
assed a horse with an empty saddle. but
! was not Bent's, and l knew he had not I
zen the only human target during that !
unning fight. / now began TO recognize :
he scenery and my surroundings as
past, and knew we were approaching
he senor's. What could / do TO helm !
'entf was the question that continually F.,
urged through my brain. But | had !
eckoned without my host when | Thought
was unable to care for himself, as he !
ulckly proved. When within a mile of !,
ne hacienda he put on a squirt, leaving =
Is I
uRsUERs SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS IN .
THE REAR, /,
ashed up to the senor's stable, trans y
erred his saddle to a large roar CHARGER 4
landing there, that acted as II IL had Il
cen Bent before, aud no doubt IL had .
upon him and amid a fusilade =
ashed away and soon left his pursuers v
In the rear. During the excitement
t the stable / had dashed into the crowd. y
ecklessly shooting right and left, until !
OF this (pointing q finger to his headN y
fell from my horse. In their haste to J..
9 after Bent they pronounced me !
and left me where | fell. When Z
~ senses returned l found myself In a y
DOM in the old hacienda, INV l
cad so nearly covered with bandaaes
hat scarcely had room left for my ewes
. take In the form OF my friend and savior "
tent, seated at an opposite window with =
be lovely senorita's hand In his, conyers- "
az In a low tone, and I'll bet this bottle g
I beer" concluded the talker. ,,that l
here isn't another man In the United
tates or Mexico that could have done II.
hat may be a queer ending to a story.
ut VIII have to go now or be locked out -
I my hotel" u
"Dld ! understand you to say he is in =
10 city?p .
"You did, / believe"
"Where is he stopplng2" a
81 could tell you II / wanted to, but-p Of
nd he gave a falling injection TO the @,
ord as If he had finished. 7
81 don't wish to appear importunate, .
course" Y
THAT'S ell right but 1t would be funny y
Bent was to go back to Texas ana do -
service for the country I'm which =
is outlawed, wouldn't it2n !
:"
II your skin is dry and your complexion \
'llow they are signs OF a dlsordered q
YER, which can be cured by using Nor. 81
s. Casoarine. :