The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-07-26

''See here mint, me lad, and Mike
stepped out in front of him. on
trouble We to hand over that money, me
boy. You're too young intirely to be
trusted wild such valuables.
He leered at Dave with chuckle, eyi-
IDENTIFY anticipating an easy victory.
Dave trembled as he realized how COM
pletely he was in the ruffian's power.
''Be quick, now" added Mike ''I'l
not harm ye. Pass it over, an go back
an tell ould Dagon him an mes quits
now. Hurry up, Oh say and Mixes
smile gave way to a heavy frown.
At this critical moment, like flash an
inspiration came into Dawes mind, plan
SO reckless, so daring, that it nearly took
his breath.
The money must be saved at any cost.
How could he face the squire and confess
that he had calmly handed it over at the
robbers biddingl
! Quick as conceived, his determination
was formed. He must take the only
chance, but it was desperate one.
"See here, Nike said he, 'swhatH
the squire say if 1 go back this Fayl
Can't you tie my hands behind rae so
| he'll know made a fight for it2n
Mike laughed loudly.
"OilI be hanged if you amt cute
one. I'll see if Oh have any cord,,' and
he dove into his pockets with both hands.
Dave took one long breath, aud like
streak shot off down the road, with his
sled careering madly from side to side be-
hind him.
The very daring of the act nearly de-
prived Mike Of his senses for an instant,
and with open mouth and staring eyes he
saw the space between them grow big
ger and bigger. Then, with a terrible
imprecation, he dashed in pursuit, shout
ing loudly: "stop, ye thafe, stop, or
oi'll break every bone in yure bodyp'
Dave was making a desperate effort,
straining every nerve, and holding his
breath hard, but the Infatuated Irishman
was coming on behind with great plung-
ing strides that were rapidly bringing him
close.
The bluff of the mountain was very
near now, and beyond the cliff line Dave
could see, far across the river, snow-clad
fields and scattered farms, and even tiny
church spire, shining clear in the bright
moonlight. But before him, only few
yards now, was that awful abyss. ten
times longer and sleeper than any tobag-
gan slide ever built, a great gully, gliding
almost perpendicularly down the rugged
face Of the mountain.
Dave remembered with shudder how
the great logs used to plunge madly down
the slide, turning sonersaults at the bot
tom, and churning the turbid tide of the
river into a seething caldron of tawny
yellow foam. Now the river was ice
bound from shore to shore.
The robbers crunching footsteps were
close behind him. An instants delay
and he was lost.
He stopped, grasped the sled with both
hands and threw himself with a forward 4
motion heavily down the path.
As the runners struck the frozen snow,
B ack Mike, with wild CRY, hurled him
self on Dawes back. The sled. freighted |
with its heavy burden, shot rapidly down
the path, and darling between two great
pines, plunged sullenly over the brink.
Not a cry escaped its occupants, and
what followed Dave could neEe: alter
ward speak of iutelligently. When the
sled hTzthe the Plunge ne jerked his cap
partly over his eyes and held his head
down. he remembered the Irishman's
heavy weight on his back, the long arms
that reached beyond his own and gripped
the sides of the sled. Then came a blind,
dizzy sensation, a roaring in his ca IS,
burning pains as of thousand needles
piercing his hands and face, a feeling of
suffocation. Next, Just as his cap was
wrenched violently from his head, the
sled appeared to leave the ground, leap
madly into the air, and with stunning
shock that seemed to have shattered every
bone in his body he lost consciousness.
1t was only momentarily. He opened
his eyes, and with one hand drops of
blood from his face. They were gliding
with fearful velocity over the frozen river
straight toward Wysanking. He remem-
bered only dimly what had happened.
That heavy weight was still pressing on
his back.
InstInctively he reached for his breast
pocket. The money was there. He was
Just beginning to realize the situation
when the sled plunged bhndly into a
half-frozen air-hole surrounding a great !
brown rock in the center of the river.
He heard the ice crack and break, he
felt the icy water splashing full in his
face, and then in some mysterious man
ner, he never knew how, the crushing
weight had parted from him, and the
noble sled was bounding over the solid
ice again at beautiful speed.
A moment more and its iron runners
scraped the sands on the Wysanking
shore.
Dizzy and bleeding, Dave staggered
up the bank and looked back across the
river.
Sitting disconsolate and forlorn on the
rounded apex of the rock was Black
Mike, and around him was a circle of
ieep, open water, which completely $50
ated his position. His dripping gar
nents were beginning to freeze, and he
vas uttering pitiful shouts of distress.
Dave watched him an instant, and then ,
lie turned away and ran off at full speed
oward Wysanking, half a mile distant.
The loungers who stood about the d.
luge olc-fashiOned stove in the combined
grocery store and postoffice were greatly :
tartled when Dave rushed wildly in the
ioor with his bleeding face and hands.
'sWhere's Ned Harkinsl" he gasped. i.
The money-here it is-Black Mike is
,ut-on the rock-in the And !
hen, for the second time that day, Dave )
ainted. :
Black Mike was rescued by the aid of
boards. rather more dead than alive, and
vas speedily consigned to a stone cell in
rowanda.
That same evening Dave was escorted
pack to Dagon's Cross Roads by an adj |
hiring crowd, and in front of Bartlett's !
itore was received by the squire himself, 7
who publicly called him a hero, and l
ended up by presenting him with s
pocket book that felt as heavy as lead.
As the squire stepped aside, Mr.. Bart t
eft came out of his store