Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-02-27

IFS deputies there. He has probably
stumbled on traces and Is going for
help He sat and smoked and slipped
his hand back under his coat. Easy to
shoot the fellow he said to himself.
well, good-by. Stoner, said Warren
suddenly; IL suppose the beach road is
as good rs every'
Perfectly safe; only when you cross
Toro creek keep on the sandbar. It's rs
hard as iron. ! crossed there today
Thank you. Adios."
Simple, smiling speech, those words
Of Stoners. and yet they were intended
TO send Warren to his death more surely
and safely than by bullet Of pistol or
pellet Of secret poison.
StOner took nm extra swig Of brandy
and went to his rest. Warren rode down
the rugged hin to the bottom of the IA
vine, then turned seward and at last
the wide gulch opened broadly to the
shore of the Pacific.
The cliffs were from so TO 800 feet
high, and full Of wavewOrn caves. War
rem drew rein on the beach. and for fully
ten minutes watched the ocean sway asld
rise. His thoughts throbbed with dreams
of Tessa. He would take her away from
her narrow and hurtful surroundings.
He would force Stoner's consent, marry
her and make her happy.
He rode rapidly south. and in half an
hour the mouth of the Toro appeared in
the midst Of sand dunes, breakers rolling
in and the steady river rolling out. Here
was the long sandbar. ten feet wide aud
stretching across hardly an inch higher
than the water surface.
Warren was beginning to have some
suspicious Of Stoner, hut not such as to
lead bim to doubt the simple directions
ne had received. The sandbar looked
safe, but within a few days the sea, as
Stoner knew, had swept it nightly.
torn out the long compacted bar and
placed instead a %quivering mass of quick
sand, so %treacherous that not even a
light footed rabbit could cross with
out being swallowed mp and dragged
bodily down. Warren rode swiftly for
ward. He had crossed sandGars hun
dreds of times. Some horses would
have been wiser. but the animal he rode
ntlu bttu Dltu III lllt NliltNs
The approach TO the bar was hard for
a few rods, and he galloped on. Sud-
denly, in one heart breaking, breathless
descent, noiseless, but unutterably dread
full, Tom Warren's horse went down.
down, ard the soft, shiny sand came up
to his name. He snrieked out that
ghastly cry Of appeal and agony hat a
desperate, dying horse will sometimes
utter.
Tom knew the peril. He had drawn
his feet from the stirrups and lifted
them up at the first downward throb.
but the sand began TO grab at him also.
He threw himself fat on his breast and
tore himself loose from the poor animal,
ver whose back the mingled sand and
water were running. as it rolled from
side to side in Intellectual struggles to
escape.
Tom spread himself ont over as much
surface Us pOssible, but slowly, resistless-
ly the mighty force drew him down
ward. The hard beach was only ten feet
distant, but practically the chasm was
impossible. He felt his horse sink out
of sight; the sand grip.'ed his own knees
and arms. his thighs and shoulders. Twu
inches more and the end by suffocation
was inevitable. Up to this time he had
not shouted; only his horses wild death
scream had told Of the tragedy. What
was the use? Who would be passing
along that lonely road? Then he thought
Of Tessa and of lie. He raised his voice
in a clear, strong shout for help, again
and again repeated.
Far off along the deep ravine there
came n cry in response, and a horse.
hurrying feet. and hope awoke in his
heart. The margin Of life was five min
utes uow-not longer. Faster, faster, c
fearless rider!
"Tom, where are your
'Here, Tessa; don't come too near
But the mountain girl knew the dan.
ger. Creeping down stairs for Il drink
of water, she had heard her fathers
words TO Warren, had thrown II shawl
about her shoulders, and run to the past
ure. Then she caught her pet horse,
sprang upon his unsl1dle1 back, seized
a RATA rs she passed the stable. and gal
Hoped at the utmost speed dOwl the
ravine, hoping against hope, for many
minutes had necessarily elapsed since
Warren started.
She sprang to the ground and tossed
the rawhide rope to the n arm he held
above the sand. She folded her shawl
and put it over her horses shoulders and
tied the riatta round like IL collar. Then
she led him slowly away from the quick
sands, and Warren thought his arm
would break, but slowly, reluctantly
painfully the sand gave up its prey.
Your father told me TO take this road,
Tessa," said the young sheriff.
Eyes, | knew that, and l heard one OF
the men tell him today that the bar was
swept out"
There was a long silence between
them.
"Tessa, go with me to San Luis" said
TaissA, and let ug get marri'd."
And Tessa went.
Old Stoner heard the news a few days
later. Within an hour he had retired
from business" The camp was broker
up, the hunters disappeared, mysteriou:
lights flashed a5 Intervals all night from
the points Of the elf, ana the next day
old Stoner himself disappeared, leaving
his family, the ran-l and the live stock
1t was said that he made the best Of his
way TO Mexico aud finally to South
America. The world is large as yet,
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