, 1889-05-28

LnIAAClAt AoA liz ah4 IbN hAAON VIA AIltlA
ant consequences might arise If other noun
taineers, acquainted with the mysterious
"Dave,n should also mistake him for this
person, who, he doubted not from the old
hunters manner, had left the region In bad
odor with some OF Its inhabitantS How well
founded this surmise and his fears were he
discovered soon enough.
The road to Horrigans Gap led along the
bank of u deep run, with here and there a
dark pool of water lying in a depression of
tho bed AT some distance from tho ford,
while taking observations along the road, no
met two mountaineers on horseback and al
most held his breath as they rode down to-
ward him, but though they gave him curious
and not very friendly looks, and responded
rather surlily to his salutation, they evidently
did not recognize In him a likeness to any ono
they had known, and this fact give him no
little relief as they rodepast He began now
TO fancy that perhaps the old hunter might
not be quito right In his mind.
A little further on, however, this Illusion
WINS dispelled- At a turn of the road a boy
had ridden ono horse md led another to water
at one Of the pools ut the bottom OF the run.
Conrad rode to tho edge Of tho bank and
rallcd to tho lad, who WINS leaning lnzily over
the horsos wether while tho nnimnl drank.
The young fellow looked up with interest
md surprise at being thus nccostcd unnwares;
no looked, then stared, as tho hunter had, In
open mouthed amazement, then shouted,
Dave Kennedyi' and giving his horses
halter n jerk, and letting go tho other, turned
his riding animal about and fed at n gallop,
digging its heels into its ribs and Topping his
elbows In the widest excitement
Here WINS moro mystery and keen cause,
nlso, for alarm.
His Likeness to Dave could no longer be
doubted, and rs to the reputation of this In
dividual, he concluded IL must be that Of a
Desperate character of some sort Tho old
hunter had been surprised and suspicious, and
tho boy was evidently frightened half out of
his Wits The engineer rode on with many
misgivings, md yet he WINS not prepared for
what followed.
He Ind ridden rather moro than a mile from
the spot where the boy had been encountered,
and was going slowly for the purpose of care
full observation, when no heard n distant but
herce and r~nttling CHATTER Of horses hoofs
They were behind him, horsemen who had
evidently just struck the road.
Hurling's fears Of trouble were instantly
confirmed; no felt an Immediate conviction
that tho riders whose horses feet clnttored
louder with each passing second, were after
him, and TINT tho boy at tho pool had given
tho alarm. Bio halted, got of his horse, took
his revolver from the saddle bags and stuck
1t in his coat pocket, then waited, calmly as
he could, their coming, determined to hive
tho matter OF his identity established II pos
sible; at any rate, TO put on n bold face and
stand his ground
He Ind reached very nearly tho head of
the run, and before him stretched n wide,
gently incllning Wiley which no knew from
previous description TO be Horrlgan's Gap.
Thore wero high mountains on either hnnd
and much timber on their sides The valley
WINS bare of woods and somo of 1t cultivated;
no could distinguish several cabins and small
flelds from whore he stood, and grouped
against tho clear blue horizon at the highest
elevation of tho gnp, several miles distant,
were somo buildings which no doubt made up
tho village of Horrigan.
Nearer and nearer ratified tho riders and
soon they burst into view around a point SOW
eral hundred yards below.
There were nvo OF them, and upon coming
within sight of him they refined up and came
to a halt; they sat gazing at him for a mo-
ment, and then seemed TO be holding a con-
sultation.
Hurting waited uneasily. Wero they
afraid of him, no wondered, and had they
started out with tho intention to capture or
to kill himf Surely, no thought, they would
give him n chance to provo himself-if only
they would come within speaking distance.
But while he was thus questioning within
himself ono of tho men dismounted and Con-
rad saw that ho had n gun In his hands.
The follow stepped out n few PAGES to ono
md deliberately took aim at him. Al
this alarming demonstration the engineer
sprang behind his horse; as hi did so the
mountainccr's gun cracked; tho ball struck
tho road, falling several rods short OF tho
horse ut which it was probably fired; it
glanced upward and went yeun-yeuning,
above tho mans head.
Ho waited no longer, but sprang upon his
horse and sank his spurs In Its TANKS, deter
mined to lead them a race to the villnge,
where no hoped TO find shelter, or Mt least
protection, until he could satisfy tho people
as to his Identity.
That tho party after him wns In dead earn
est WINS plain enough, and that an nttempt to
parley with them would only bring the peril
nearer he felt assured-thereforo he piled
spur and whip, using an end of tho long hol-
ter strap as a quirt
Hearing no moro shots fred, no looked back
to see what his pursuers were doing. They
were after him fnst enough, riding In single
flo ut the top OF their animals speed, with a
trail of flying dust in their wake.
TIT poor fellow felt that his caso was In
deed desperate; his unlucky likeness to
Dave Kennedy was likely to bring him to
peril in front, as 1t mac upon the road behind.
BIS horse, fortunately, was a fine roadster
and had both speed ard wind, and after a
mile or 30 Conrad noted with delight that he
was drawing gradually away even from the
foremost of his pursuers, and that this one
was several hundred yards In advance Of the
rest.
Ii only they were all mounted on such old
farm horses as he had seen ut tho pool, he
thought 1t would DO an easy matter to get
away from them
He neared n small cabin by tho road and
several ragged children scuttled in at the
door In a great fright as no shot by. A little
farther on n small corn field lay beside the
road and three men who, with a single horse
end cart had started Smoking among the
first rows, turned and gazed at him as he
few past
BE wondered If they wouldn't get into the
cart and take after him They did not; but
farther on another cabin stood on a slight
elevation near tho road, and rs no neared it
Hurling saw q mar at ono corner shading his
eyes and evidently watching both pursued
and pursuersl
AS he came gathering up nearly abreast of
the cabin tho man gave an excited jump,
slapped his leg with ono hand, md then, dodg-
ing around the corner- dartal in NJ tho ,abin