The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-07

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| through his mind
The sun was fast declining as he passed from
the "cnt-off" into the main road again. The
air was getting chilly with the coming OF even
ing, and the snow in the distance took on colors
of pink and purple where the rays of the set
ting sun touched the mountain peaks. lie
| scanned the main road eagerly to see II the
man they were in pursuit of had passed, but
the snow that covered it was unbroken. Then
he rode back on the main road, in the direction
| from which he had come, to meet his comrade
| and the fugitive.
He had just assembled one of the many roll
| ing hills, when, in the distance, he discovered
man riding one horse and driving another.
| At the sight his heart almost stood still. He
dismounted, and leading his horse to one side,
concealed him in cump of young pines.
Then he returned to the roadside and waited.
| The man was urging his horses forward, but
| they seemed to be wearied, and made but slow
progress. Crandall felt his heart beat faster
and faster at the length of time it took the man
| to reach him. He examined his revolver and
| rifle, cooked each, to see that they were IN
| order. 1t seemed to relieve the tension of his
| nerves.
After he had done this he knelt down, so
| that he could fire with surer aim, and waited.
He did not care much now whether the man
resisted or not. If the fugitive resisted, he
| would have to stand the consequence of resist
| ance. 1t was nothing to him. He could
hear the football of the approaching horses in
| the snow, aud he cooked his rifle to be ready.
The setting sun shone full in the mans face,
but Crandall forgot to look for the scar that the
notice said was on the right cheek, although
| he had resolved to do so particularly. When
| he first discovered the fugitive, he scanned the
| road behind him to discover lansing but
| the nearer the man approached, the less Gran
| dali cared whether Lansing came or not. He
| let the man approach nearer and nearer, so
tf,,kl o;v ho 70 n
could not afford to throw away the first shot,
The face of the man grew more and more
distinct. He seemed to be oblivious to his sur
roundings Crandall felt almost disposed to let
him pass but the thought that every one would
think him coward if he did so, spurred him
on, and, rising erect, he ordered the man to
surrender. The horse that the man was drv-
ing in front of him, frightened at CrandalPs
appearance, swerved from the road, leaving the
two men facing each other.
~ For an instant Crandall looked straight into
the others eyes. Then the man raised his rifle
from the pommel of the saddle, and Crandall
fred The horse which the man was riding
sprang from the road, and at the same mo.
ment, its riders gun was discharged. The
smoke from CrandalPs own gun blew back into
his eyes, and he turned from it to follow the
movements of the man at whom he had fired.
As he saw the man still erect in his saddle,
he felt the feverish haste to fire again come
over him that men feel when they have shot
and missed and know that their life may be
the forfeit of their failure. He threw another
cartridge into the chamber of his rifle, and
raised it to his shoulder. but before he could
fire the man reeled from his saddle and fell,
while his frightened horse galloped off through
the pines.
Crandall stepped toward him, holding his
rife prepared to fire again if necessary. AS he
did so the man raised his hand, and said, SIM
ply:
Don't fre-you've got me-"
The snow was already red with blood where
he lay. For the first time Crandall looked for
the scar that the description said was on
the right cheek. For an instant he did not
see it, and his heart seemed to stop beating
with the fear of having made a mistake, and
when, on drawing nearer, he saw that it was
there, that only the pallor which had spread
over the mans face had made it indistinct, he
could have cried out with joy at the feeling of
relief that passed over him.
care you badly wounded?" he asked.
81 don't know how bad it is. 1t is here
somewhere" the man said, placing his hand on
his breast, as if not certain of the exact spot
at feels numb-like," he added. STOPPING
down. Crandal unbuckled and took off the
mans pistol. belt and threw it into the snow,
where lay his rifle, and then he tore open the
mans shirt. As he did SO his fingers came in
contact with the warm blood, and he involun-
d
"Did you find it?" asked the man, who was
watching him closely, and who had observed
the movement.
Recalled to himself by the question, Crandall
again tore at the shirt, exposing the breast
Where the blood did not cover it, it looked like
marble, despite the dark hair on it. He could
not see the wound, on account of the blood, un-
til he had wiped the latter from the breast, and
then he found it.
"What do you think of it?" the man asked.
"There it u.s." replied Crandall. He could
not say more The appealing tone in the mans
voice for some hope-some encouragement
made him feel faint and sick.
"What do you think of it?" the man re-
peated in q querulous voice, and, as he did so,
he coughed until his mouth filled with blood,
and he spat it out ON the white snow.
Crandall shook his head and walked toward
where his horse was tied. He felt that if he
watched the wounded man any longer he
would faint. Noticing his walking away the
wounded Dan said:
"For Gods sake, don't leave me. Now, that
you have killed me, stay with me, and don't
let me die like dog"
The voice was one of entreaty, and Crandall
returned and seated himself in the snow by
the mans side. The sun had gone down, and
twilight had come on, bringing with it the
chill of night. Crandall covered the wounded
mans body with his overcoat, and raised his
he noted that as the patch of red made by the
blood grew larger and larger the face OF the
wounded man grew whittier and winter. He
never took his eyes from Crandalps face, while
his breath came quicker and shorter as if he
breathed with labor With each breath the
blood seemed to bubble from the wound in the
breast.
One of the mans hands fell from under the
coat that covered him. AS Crandall raised it
from the snow its GOODNESS sent chill through
him. Once he had asked the wounded man if
he could do anything for him; but the man
had only shaken his head in reply. Crandall
felt like reviling himself for what he had done,
and wondered why the wounded man did not
reproach him. Even when he expressed his
sorrow at having shot him the dying man had
said, gently;
Don't mind it. It's too late now"
The twilight gave way to darkness, and still
he sat there He could not hear the dying
man breathe without leaning over his face.
He did this but once, though, and then the
dying man had opened his eyes and looked up
into his face inquiringly. Crandall would
rather have stayed there until morning than to
have caught that look again.
Suddenly he heard voice call to him. He
started as if he had been fired at, but it was
only lansing. AS he answered the call, Lam
sing rode forward and, seeing the outstretched
form on the snow, said:
Rxy( tn1x nnth M