The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-06-25

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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 rode almost to the summit of the
mountain without meeting human be-
ing or seeing living creature except
ing the little snowbirds flying out and
in an ong the branches of the trees and
ouh atross 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:
Certify, amt ye, little gal? Well, if
nobody meant you any moro harm n l
do you'd be safe without them little
protectors at yer belt l got a little gal
O. my own, bout your age, back in
Missoury, an wouldn't harm you any
moren 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.
Goodbye, sir" she replied; "and Pm
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 nearer
to the summit of the mountain.
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 Or
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 her
saddle. The mountain had on it's 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 her
face paled little and her voice trem'
bled slightly as she said:
"How do you do?'
"Ain't you lost?' asked one OF the
men, staring boldly at her from under
his bushy eyebrows.
"No, I'm not" Madge replied, in a
firmer voice.
"Ain't trav'lin' round the country
alone, be you9"
I'm going to Eagle Cliff"
ooh! We be? And where mought We
hev come from?"
From No Mans Gulch, few miles
back here. live there"
"Oh, We do, Ell? Ye amt the regular
mail-carrier?'
"No."
Madge felt her voice trembling again
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 70,
him. 1 must ride on, too, or I'll not get
back home tonight. Goodbye"
And she rode on, not noting the sig
nificant looks of the men. But she in.
stinctively felt them to be enemies, and
breathed long breath of relief as she
rode around curve in the trail which
hid her from their view.
The descent here was very abrupt
and gallop of two miles brought
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 confident
that they we're 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 fear
they'd be seen by some one going up OF
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 can help it. Dad said he
trusted me, and there's dozens of men
in Graniteville 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. Rally! Get on.
sir--on, on, oaP'