Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-05-02

down Mt tho mouth of the Gap below.
If should come here. Corson would
find out soon rs he comes back that
I'd started of with you, and they'd
like enough catch us before we'd got
down to the Forks.
"Somc of 'em may be back any
minute; like enough they're there
now; out I'm going to sneak away
with baby somehow if they are. There
don't seem to be any body hangin'
round here now. All off but the
women folks, I s'pose. and it looks
| like I'd have good chance to get off
without any body's KNOWN how or
| where went" and with this she turned
and sped away.
''lll wait fer yc, sure,' Gideon as
sured her as she started.
He hung about the stable of tho
Rough and-Tumble longer than usual
that noon. pretending to one of the
women who came out presently that
he had to fix something about his
| harness before he started ON the re-
turn "Trip.
Every body's gone off crazy bout
the new placer up at Big Horn" they
had told him at the table. en- lef
nobody but Their women folks t the
Gulc.l."
In about al hour from the time he
had finished dinner. Gideon and his
coach were in waiting at the mouth of
Melchor's Gap. 1t was about half all
hour later when the woman. with her
child in arms, came hurrying breath
lessly down to him. She looked be-
hind her frequently. and he saw as
she approached that her face was
white with fear and suspense.
The baby. wretched little year-old
object. dressed, like its mother, in
mere rags, turned its poor and pitful
little face upon the driver with q wan
smile that. as he said. "fetched'' him
''clear to the boots.
"Ch, You must drive fast" cried the
poor woman. as she clam bered into the
coach without waitin . for the proff,red
help. for they've come back. as I was
| afraid! Corson and two of the men, and
they re going to break camp and move
up to Big Horn this afternoon. They
darcsn't trust ME there alone, for l
am some good to EN- in cookin' and
keepin' camp. knew this was the
last chance to git free, so / took the
baby and started down to the sprin O
for pail of water, and when got out
of sight, I j,strun for here, and You
must 60, so. for they'll sure be after
u.s.
I'll go fast enough answered
|<Gideon. cheerily, IAN don't you be
afraid they! ketch us neither on
them leetle mounting ponieS.''
But though he spoke with such as
surance and determination, he did
not feel at all sure of the ou come of
! Il race if the ne. at Corson's Camp
| should soon discover the woman's
flight and follow. He felt that he
had undertaken an extremely hazard
Gus exploit, considering the danger
Gus route he had to drive over. and
| the characters of the men, who, he
had not q doubt. woulI be upon his
trail within the next half hour:
The spring at Corson's Camp he
knew was iii 4 ravine at the head of
Melcher's Gap, and as this canyon
was the only outlet in that direction,
Corson could not long remain igno-
rant of his wife's line Of flight after he
| had discovered, as he soon must, that
she was trulyIgone.
Bat the woman and her baby in
such evident and distressing neel of
rescue had fetched him. and the
| brave driver, looking to his revolvers
| to see that the chan bers were all load
| ed. drew in the lines and urged for
ward his horses at as great rate of
! speed as the nature of the road would
warrant.
For half hour or more the coach
ratified forward at a dangerous pace,
for these first few miles were the
toughest part of the road. Up and
down it went through deep gorges,
scaling precipitous hog baeks.' and
swaying far above thesFcrge of
cavernous canyons. From the point
of every turn that commanded view
of the trail behind, Gid cast anxious
| glances backward. to note if any one
were yet in pursuit.
At the halfway stone." which was
! supposed to mark spot mid way be-
| tween Thunder Gulch and Squaw
Forks. was a height from which
good portion of the road for two miles
back could be seen, and here it was
that the driver discovered. indeed, that
| Corson and his men were following
them. A single glance sufficed to re-
veal them-three horsemen-riding at
a breakncck g allop over the crest of a
long hog back. some mile and half in
! the rear of the coach.
"A fight for life," thought Gideon,
and he cracked his long whip over the
ears of the already fretted stage team.
The horses were not unwilling to 90
faster. however, on the contrary they
seemed nervous and frightened at
such unusual driving, and sprang for
| ri ,eI> - I,.:-