Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-20

Whlch horse Will gallOp until he drops
IN pursuit of his fellow horses.
We well knew that our horses could not
Keep up the pace az which We we're going
We knew that the man we were hunting
was familiar with every yard of the couu
try We we're riding over, We knew that he
was flying for his life and would fight for
IT. but We rode as the huntsman OF old
may have ridden after savage beast, his
prey. S,ramblug up hills, Gathering
down aecliyities at reckless pace--for we
We we're following the best stockmau on
that country side--our horses laundering
over stones and boys, my leader still
ahead of me; over ridge aud down gully
we galloped, the sergeant never losing
sight of the bush ranger, and | keeping
well up.
Once we came down q slide made by the
timber-getters 20 send down their logs
from the top of the range TO the saw pits
in the gully below, our horses fairly sit
ting on their launches and laundering
down amid q shower eff stones. Then the
race went on through a thick acacia sc5GS,
the yellow flowers powdering US as we
crashed through with gold .colored dust,
and up stony ridge which with quaint,
feethery topped "blackboy" trees We
struggled with beaten horses, the bush
ranger 500 yards ahead, and | could see
the trooper striving to release his pistol
from the holster in which II seemed en-
tangled.
As the two disappeared over the ridge
my horse came down, giving me nasty
fall among the stones and getting away
from me in scramble. Bur, as | picked
myself up heard that which made me
forget my BRUISES pistol shot sounded
quite close to me, and as | ran over the
ridge saw sight not easily to be for
gotten. The low hill fell steeply down
to little chain of water holes 100 yards
below me. In one OF these-across which
tree had fallen--up to his waist in water,
stood Thunderbolt, his hat hanging by
the chin strap of the back of his neck,
watching intensely, pisfol in hand
Out from little patch of black waffle
rode the sergeant, tilnging himself from
the muzEle. He went scrsmbling down
the steep bank almost on the top of the
man at bay, and as | ran down the hill
heard a shout: "McKean! remember
your wife aud children! your wife and
chil1repw But the Sergeant never stop
ped. Two bright flasbes shone through
the gathering dusk from behind the log,
followed by a tremendous splash as the
policeman jumped INTO the waterhole,
firing his pistol rs he did 50 within d
yard of the bushranger's breast, Then
the latter fell slowly forward across the
log without sound spreading out his
hands aud then lying, suli, his pistol
slipping into the water
As the echo Of the shot died away
among the hills rushed down breath
lees, meeting Mexican as he staggered
out of the water, exhausted, and geepinR
rs he deadY Is he deadY'
helped the Sergeant up the slippery
back and saw that he WAS bit. One OF
Thuuderbolt's bullets had passed under
his arm, just grazing the rib and cutting
his jumper and shirt. Lucky for me that
it was so, for had the Sergeant fallen /
who was unarmed must have beaten an
ignominious retreat
As soon rs we had seen to this we pull
led the dead man ont of the water anc
laid hIm on the bank, the big govern
ment bullet had caught him fair IN tn,
middle of the chest and gone cleat
through him, and the pistol had beer
fired 40 close that the powder had SO
his shirt on fire. Poor Jim Curtis deaC
face had no look upon il either Of pain o.
fear, only slight expression Of astonish
meut; his beard and hair we're powdered
with the yellow dust OF the waffle flowers
II was nearly dark IA we caught oul
tired horses. Mexican said that he wa.
closing with his man, though his mare
was nearly done, when the poor old Doc
tor stopped and whinnied IA horse viii
do sometimes when wofully distressed
Thunderbolt jumped off and ran for the
water hole, and the sergeant shot the old
horse as he passed him, TO cut of his en-
emy's chance of retreat.
was very sorry for the poor old horse
He must have done a severe Journey that
day, or we never should have caught our
man. And we we've, both OF US, anything
but jubilant as we led our horses slowly
back through the bright moonlight, soon
hearing the "ooOee" of party which
with our policeman, was in search OF US
The latter had wisely pulled up, early In
the ohase-neither he nor his horse was
fit for such gallop. We had come -four
miles as a crow aies over very rough
ground, looking rougher still in the
moonlight With some trouble We toOh
a cart into the range and brought the
dead man in the morning TO White'e
After the necessary inquiry We buried
poor Jim, rolled up in sheet Of newly
stripped bark, the bushman's coffin
under big tree on the bank of the
creek.
And the boyf His history is soon told
Peter Whites history of Thunderbolt'-
visit was 70 the effect that the bushrgugeI
had walked quietly into the bar and IN
formed Peter as to who he was, which
was superhuous, as Peter knew him vel
showing a revolver by way o. creden-
tial. After having drink Ihunderlol'
ordered White to pack up lot Of slopt
and grocery, including, TO the publican
mystifcatioD, some women's stockings
and other female belongings, and had
handed ont one parcel to the boy, who
pistol in hand was mindinR the horses
and keeping guard outside. AS for the
two or three men about the place they
had far too much respect for reyolvsrst
and perhaps sympathy for the wieiders
of them to do other than keep carefully
out OF sight. Then our arrival changed
the adpect of affairs, and l have tried to
describe what ensued.
Not many days after all these things
had happened, there came in one night