San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-19

yander.
This was rather exasperating, but the strar-
ger bore it with outward patience, at least,
and again denying his identity with that Of
Dave" whoever the individual might be,
he dislnountod, opened bis saddle bags, took
out his maps and explained the purpose of
his srrand through the country.
The old man looked and listened, still in
cTedulous.
"Ye don't talk exactly like Dave, Oh ye hev
riz q baard," was the only admission the Ell
gineer could Get out of him. He refused, in
fact, to talk, believing that "Dave" was try
ing to play trick on him, and after point
ing out-rather reluctantly road to Hor-
rigan's Gap, the old hunter started OF, shak-
ing his head.
Hurting was not litsle disturbed by this
Incident, for he did not know what unpleas
ant consequences might arise if other noun
taineets, acquainted with the mysterious
Dave" 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 deep run, with here and there a
dark pool of water lying in a depression of
the bed. At some distance from the ford,
while taking observations along the road, he
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 one
they had known, and this fact gave him no
little relief as they rodepast He began now
to fancy that perhaps the old hunter might
not be quite right in his mind.
A little farther on, however, this illusion
was dispelled. At a turn of the road boy
had ridden one horse and led another to water
at one. of the pools at the bottom of the run.
Conrad rode to the edge Of the bank and
called to the lad, who was leaning lazily over
the horses wether while the animal drank.
The young fellow looked up with interest
and'sTprise at being thus accosted unawares;
he looked, then stared, as the hunter had, in
open mouthed amazement then shouted,
Dave Kennedyr' and giving his horses
halter jerk, and letting go the other, turned
his riding animal about and fed at a gallop,
digging It's heels into its ribs and Topping his
elbows in the widest excitement.
Here was more mystery and keen caase,
also, for alarm.
His likeness to "Dave" could no longer be
doubted, and as to the reputation of this in
dividual, he concluded it must be- that of
desperate character Of some sort. The old
hunter had been surprised and suspicious, and
the Boy was evidently frightened half out Of
his wits. The engineer rode on with many
misgivings, and yet he was not prepared for
what followed.
He had ridden rather more than a mile from
the spot where the boy had been encoun tered,
and was going slowly for the purpose Of care
full observation, when he heard distant but
fierce and rattling CHATTER of horses hoofs
They were behind him, horsemen who had
evidently just struck the road
Hurling's fears of trouble were instantly
confirmed; he felt an immediate conviction
that the riders whose horses feet c1attered
louder with each passing second, were after
him, and that the boy at the pool had given
the alarm. He halted, got of his horse, took
his revolver from the saddle bags and stucR
it in his coat pocket, then waited, calmly as
he could, their coming, determined to have
the matter of his identity established if pos
sible; at any rate, to put on a bold face and
stand his ground.
He had reached very nearly the head of
the run, and before him stretched wide,
gently inclining valley which he knew from
previous description to be Horrigan's Gap.
There were high mountains on either hand
and much timber on their sides. The valley
was bare of woods and some Of II cultivated;
be could distinguish several cabins and small
fields from where he stood, and grouped
against the clear blue horizon at the highest
elevation of the gap, several miles distant,
were some buildings which no doubt made up
the village of Horrigan.
Nearer and nearer ratified the riders and
soon they burst into view around point sew
eral hundred yards below.
There were five of them, and upon coming
within sight of him they refined up and came
to a halt; they sat gazing at him for mo
ment, and then seemed to be holding a con-
sultation.
Hurting waited uneasily. Were they
afraid of him, he wondered, and had they
started out with the intention to capture or
to kill him9 Surely, he thought, they would
give him chance to prove himself-if only
they would come within speaking distance.
But while he was thus questioning within
himself one of the men dismounted and Con-
rad saw that he had gun in his hands.
The fellow stepped out few PAGES to one
side and deliberately took aim at him. At
this alarming demonstration the engineer
sprang behind his horse; as he did so the
mountaineer's gun cracked; the ball struck
the road, falling several rods short of the
horse at which it was probably fired; it
glanced upward and went yeun-yeuning,
above the mans head.
He waited no longer, but eprang upon his
horse and sank his spurs in its TANKS, deter
mined to lead them a race to the village,