Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-19
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1890.
CONTINUED trezn Last Week.
DUNRAVEN RANCH
A Story of American Frontier
Life.
By Capt. CHARLES KING, U.s.A.,
Author of'The CoLoners Daughter" From
the Ranks, )" 1.-THE DeseTter," Etc.

gray and white few score yards ahead
bending over their horses necks and
keeping just enough pressure on the bit
to prevent overriding the huntsman, ride
Parke and Graham, two Eight weights, y
who have coursed many a mile of prairie.
Just behind them, little to their right,
rides Mrs. Belknap, her veil fluttering
straight out behind, her glorious eyes
flashing, her dark skin flushed with tri-
umph and the exhilaration of the dash
ing pace. her little hands wound about in
the reins she holds so firmly. Splendidly
she sits her fleet racer, and Dana has to
urge and spur his clumsier troop horse
to keep in close attendance. These four
are well in advance of all the others.
Back of them, CALAMITY urging on her
sturdy sorrel, comes Mrs. Sprague, with
Stryker riding warily alongside and
watching her "going" before he will sat
isfy himself that it is safe to trust her to
her own guiding Level as the prairie
is here, he knows that a mile or so ahead
there are breaks" leading down into
the valley of one of the innumerabIe
tributaries of the Washita. Then the
story may be different.
He looks up in surprise at the thunder
of hoofs close alongside, and Mrs. Law
renee, with excitement in her eyes, over
takes, then passes them on the way to
the front. ''Sae!'' he points to his part
ner, ''see that dark shadow across the
prairie out there. We cannot ride at this
pace when we pass that hollow; the
breaks set in still farther" He chances
over his shoulder and signals to the near
est officer to follow Mrs Lawrence and
look out for her, and the gallant does his
best, but all are at top speed; the colonel
and the heavy weights-infantry and
cavalry-are beginning to lose ground,
and still that gray puff ball. far to the
front seems inch by inch to be slipping
away from his pursuers. VIII he keep
his determined course, up hill and down,
straight away to the east, or will he lose
heart, tack, veer, double and twist? If
he swerve he is n lost rabbit
Far to the rear, yelping, painting, dis
tracted by this time, the terriers and
mOngrels, the original leaders, have fall
en-. The field, too. is strung out nearly
a mile deep at the end of the first six
minutes run, for some of the laggards
have given up and arc disposed to wait
for the coming of the buggies and buck
boards. Here at the front all is tense
excitement. All eyes are on the rabbit.
for now or never will the crisis come.
The horses are breathing heavily, but
". no thought of slackening speed.
h him now as he sights that
aifr. az" shouts Graham to Parke, for
far out to the right front a ravine bursts
oil to the southeast, and one of its shall
low contributors stretches obliQucly
across the rabbits frenzied vision.
''Veer that way; he'll take it surci"
shouts the huntsman; and, sure enough.
no sooner does he reach it than the gray
victim darts down the winding shelter.
as though hopeful that his sudden twist
would throw his pursuers off the sight;
scent the greyhound has none. The
move is disastrous: "HiI' shout the lead.
lug riders, waving the pursuit to the
right front, and, obedient to signal, the
foremost hounds sweep in long curve
into the coulee, striking it many yard |
farther down than where the harried |
chase first dived into its treacherous |
shadows.
And now those hounds who were out |
On the right flank are up in line with the |
very leaders, and bounding along the |
evel at the side of the ravine, yet keep |
ing wary eye upon the chase. So, too,
he horsemen. Making deep curve in
he ravine five hundred yards ahead, and |
confident that Bunny will blindly rush
along his winding track, they strike out
across the prairie, gaining twenty horse
engths by the move; and now, with two
'r three of the oldest hounds, Parke,
Dana and Mrs. Belknap are darting on
abreast of the chase. keep out there
o the left, some of you'll" shouts Dana.
He'll spring up the other side quick as
lie sees us. Drive him back" And,
'bedient to the signal of his waving
land, two of the leading troopers breast
he slopes to the east, calling half dozen
hounds with them. Darling around a
'end, Bunny's agonized eyes catch sight
II the hounds and horses on the right
'ank, and like flash he whirls, scamp
rs up the opposite slope, and shoots out
N the prairie again just in time to meet
he hounds and troopers who have an
icipated the move. i
Now he is wild and demoralized.
)nce more he dives into the ravine and
ends the dust flying into the very faces
4 his pursuers, for now the leading
ounds are so close that the foremost
avs are swapping the air at his every
ound. A quick turn to the right and
p the slope throws these leaders far {
90 far-beyond; they sweep around in
ong curve; but, though he has thrown |
hem of, the hunted, senseless, helpless
Tretch has forgotten the trailers in the {
ear; they spring across the angle he has S
nade, and are close as the original pur- S
uers, and much the fresher. Wildly. {
1adly now he twists and turns, first I'D | |
ne bank, then the other. Far to the t
ear the coming riders see the signs of S
Is breaking down, mark the scufrying S
D and tro OF horse and hound. "Come
nj they shout Hes gone now, and /
re can be in at the DEATH" Mrs. Law c
ence on one side of the ravine is as far c
the front as Mrs. Belknap on the &
Their. One of them must lose the brush; a
9 cannot die on both sides at once. S
he dark beauty has had more than one T
asping disappointment In the last two q
a5s; 1t would be intolerable now that, d
tier all, Mrs. Lawrence, and not she, t
lould prove the victor. .
Bunny makes one frantic rush I'D the c
ope to the right, and, with half a dozen C
ounds at his very heels, spins in front P