Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-26
CHAPTER x.-rHE PURSUIT.


Blaine olapped his spurs i'll and GAL
Hoped down TO his men.
"Mount. and follow me!'' he cried
then ST lrred on madly after the retreat
ing horse. If it were Miss Rath he
would save ner from the consequences OF
her rashness-if it were the Zulu he
would capture him. With these thought:
firing his mind he gave no heed to his
men.
They, however, were not moved by
his lmpetuosity. The sergeant in COM
mand a grizzled old warrior, gave his
orders deliberately-"Pr Prepare to mount
-Mounti'
The men sat in their saddles waiting
the next order.
"Where are we going, sergeant?'
asked a trooper.
''Foller the captain -
eyes, but where to?''
Gwen see. Walk ganopi'
CTS all very well to say galiop, -
grumbled one man, "but how in thunder
are We TO gallop. when its as dark as the
inside of q backing pot. -
In 1ve minutes two horses stumbled =,
and in ten the sergeant himself, disap-
peared with a startled oath. TIE troop
halted, and one of them dismouuted to
see what had happened. He found the
sergeRnt's horse at the brink of a donga
but that worthy was not in evidence, ex-
cepting tor a volley of muffied osths
which rolled up from the bowels of the
earth. They found the old soldier fast
Janmed between the shelving walls of
the dOnga and cut him out. When he
was once again in his saddle the sound of
hoofs. which was their only guido, had
died out.
Mary Ratn was essentially womanly
woman, sweet and gentle, but a vein of
sterner stuff, like thread of steel in
silken skein, ran through her nature.
She hardened now under its influences,
and she rode away on her mission with
something like fierce sense of elation.
She had blHnched under the first yolley
from the officers revolvers, and nearly
reeled from the saddle, then she steadied
herself again and faced the line of rife
fire. Each lurid flash, each sharp rifle
crack, each venomous ping of the bullets
had is effect on her nerves in an
electric thrill and spasm of agony. For
months after she could not hear a
report without experiencing a sud-
den shock; but at the moment
the recurring waves of terror had no
power TO weaken her resolve. Her body
might tremble, and her nerves vince,
but her eyes, in which glowed the strong
spirit within, were fixed steadily before
her. Her horse, accustomed to the way,
swept on without guidance from her
band-hlmself, by some strange power
of sympathy which dumb animals ex-
perience, imbued with her spirit.
Away they flew, passing without hurt
haUnn1 ia of oh hull
Mary drew long breath, almost like
sob. Her relief was short Her quick
ears detected the rush of a horse in pur-
suit, and her mind became curiously d.
vided, now fixed intently on the object
before her, row auxiously concerned
with the pursuer behind her, obey
ing exactly the swift movement
of her borse's ears, which would now
be turned and now prioked forward. At
ter { ne she detected slsokening in
the hCcf beats behind, until the sound
Yves alH ost merged into the murmur of
the wind, but before she had tune for
again the regular strokes
of hoofs broke out crisp and clear, and
this time il was evident that there WIS
more than enc pursuer.
Blaine at first had been so intent on the
chase that beyond the word of command
as he dashed by his men, he had not
given further heed TO them. But pres
emily when his horse swerved from some
rock or ant hill in his path, and he
shouted out the accustomed warning, the
absence of q response suddenly aroused
him to the unwelcome fact that he
had outpaced his troop. He accordingly
slowed down, then halted and listened.
While he was about turning to go back
he beard horseman advancing at gall
Top. Soon he could trace the approach
by the fash of sparks struck from the
stones.
''Who is that, - he asked for the third |
time that night.
The other dashed mp without replying,
purbed bis horse with strong grasp and |
peered into BlaiDe's face. 1t was Dali |
ston.
Where is rhe. +" he asked hoarsely.
is she safe?'
''who is she2 Good heaven. man, is
that really Miss Rath ahead?'p
Eyes, and we have driven her to it by |
bur accursed folly.