The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-06-19

OdTA duu SOulUer Inc NOISE Oh QeT
horses hoofs ringing on the rocks and
crushing the thin sheets of ice was all
the sound she heard as she rode along
up the mountain-side, the trees bccom-
ing moro dwarfed and further apart as
she assembled tho trail.
The narrow trail led up the side and
over the SUBMITS of the range before
her. and then down again into the town
of E:,gle Cliff, which was quite little
city, with its bank and railroad and
churches and school-house and dozen OF
more Of stores.
Madge had been to the Cliff several
times. and greatly enjoyed the prospect
OF a visit to the lively little town now,
her happiness being dimmed by nothing
but the thought of her fathers illness,
and he had spoken so hopefully and
cheerfully of his immediate recovery
when she rode away that her fears had
been greatly allayed. She had no fear
for herself.
She lode almost to the summit of the
mountain without meeting human be-
ing or seeing living creature except
ing the little snow-birds flying out and
in among the branches of the trees and
out across the snow.
Then she met small, elderly man
coming down the trail on feeble look.
ing old mule.
Her right hand was laid firmly on the
butt of one of her pistols, as he refined
up when they met.
"How fur is it to the next cabin?" he
| asked.
"About ten miles," replied Madge
''Where you bound fer?"
Eagle Cliff"
"Alone?"
Eyes; excepting for my horse and
these"
The man laughed harshly, but his
voice was kindly enough as he said:
Gritty. amt ye, little gal? Well, il
nobody meant you any more harm n
do you'd be safe without them little
protectors at yer belt. got little gal
O my own, bout your age, back in
Missoury, an wouldn't harm you any
more'n would her. But l reckon it'd
skeer her out of years growth ter find
herself alone up here on this mounting.
Goodbye, an the Lord bless ye.'
His voice had genuine ring that as
sured Madge of his sincerity, and she
felt rather ashamed of the display she
had made of her weapons.
''Good-bye, SIR" she replied; ''and T. N
much obliged for your good wishes"
She had left the timber behind now
and was allowing old Bally to take his
time in going up the steep and snowy
trail, bringing them nearer and neare,
to the summit of the mount tain.
She jumped lightly down from his
back when nearly to the summit and
walked by his side, but when the sum
NIT was finally reached, she mounted
again and said:
''Now, old fellow, I'll give you five OF
ten minutes to rest in, and then you
! must take me flying down to the Cliff in
less than
Hello, miss!''
Madge whirled quickly around in he,
| saddle. The mountain had on its sum.
nit many massive powders, and from
behind one of these, close to the road
side, two men had suddenly come.
Courageous as she was, Madge was
taken so wholly by surprise that bel
face paled little and her voice trem.
bled slightly as she said:
Show do you do?'
"Ain't you lost?' asked one of the
men, staring boldly at her from unde,
his bushy eyebrows.
'No, I'm not" Madge replied, in a
firmer voice.
"Ain't trav'lin' round the country
| alone, be you?"
I'm going to Eagle Cliff"
''Oh! ye be? And where mought W
hev come from?''
"From No Mans Gulch, few miles
back here. I live there."
"Oh, We do, Ell? Ye amt the reg'la,
mail-carrier?'
! mo"
| Madge felt her voice trembling AGAR
at this proof that they had noticed the
mailbag.
| my father is the mail-carrier, but he
is sick to-day, and Pm carrying it fol
him. must ride on, too, or I'll not get
back home tonight. Goodbye
And she rode on, not noting the sig
nifioant looks of the men. But she in.
stinctively felt them to be enemies, and
breathed long breath of relief as she
rode around q curve in the trail which
hid her from their view.
The descent here was very abrupt
and a gailop of two miles brough,
Madge to thick growth of timber.
Looking back as she entered it she
saw two men riding furiously down the
trail behind her, and she felt confiden,
that they were the men she had met or
the mountains summit.
They're after me!' was Madge's i'm
mediate and correct conclusion. "They
want the mailbag. They wouldn't at
tack me up there on the summit for feal
they'd be seen by some one going up o,
coming down. They think it'll be an
easier and safer job to rob me in the
woods Well, they shan't rob me nc
place if l can help it. Dad said he
trusted me, and there's dozens Of men
in 0raniteville trusting dad and believ.
ing he'll get this mailbag safe into
Eagle Cliff. I'll show 'em dad and me
can be trusted! Get on, Bally! Get on,
sir-on, on, onp'
Bally responded nobly to his young
riders command, and bounded into the
gloomy woods
Eagle Cliff was yet eight miles away,
and the nearest cabin was six miles dis.
tant. Old Bally was past his prime,
and he was still exhausted from his
climb up the mountain, and Madge felt
his speed decreasing before they had
gon~ . mile.
Refining him up for an instant she