Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-04-15

"Oh, boys, if we were only a few morer'
What can we do Jack?"
oval, Pm afeared if we tried ter git
help from the Cactus ranch it would be
too late"
"Do the leetle gal know the trouble'"
mo"
oval, let's ask her eff her dad hev got
shootin irons"
Sissy, did yer pap hev guns and things
ter home ter shoot jack rabbits withy'
"Yes, sir, he's got shotgun, and he
bought II nice rifle that shoots without
loading; and please, Mr. Big Jack, can
go to bed? Pm so tired"
Jimmie, put the leetle un in your bunk,
al you kin turn in with me if we gets time
ter sleep"
But Jack, hain't we ergoin ter try an
help EN- somehow
God knows | wish we could. But we
have ter leave one man with the bosses, an
what are six agin a crowd?"
And truly it looked hopeless, but, oh, to
think of the fate of that gentle mother and
tender babel
Boys, this is maddenng We must do
somethinr
Jimmie had by this time fixed the bunk
and taken off the child's shoes. And
now, dearie, pile in and take real good
snooze"
"But, Mr.. Jimmie, you must hear me say
my prayers first"
If Il shell had come crashing into the dug
out it could not have created more aston
ishment than the simple request of the
child
Quick witted Jimmie had however,
pulled himself together quicker than a
flash, and before the child noticed the as
tonished and confused looks he had care
fully spread bearskin on the dirt floor
and gently as her own mother babe her SAY
her prayers"
The beautiful Lords Prayer was repeat
ed in the clear, childish voice, and then
came, And please, my heavenly Father,
bless my own dear papa and mamma, and
little baby brother and Mr.. Big Jack, and
all the boys at the Stone Corral"
Starting up and drawing the back of his
hand hastily across his eyes, and endeav-
bring to steady his voice, Big Jack said:
Jimmie, you an Juan stay an tend ter
the leetle I'M We uns are ergoin to help
the folks"
Crash, and the dugout door flew open,
and five determined men-yes, men in
every sense of the word that niyht-rushed
to the corral, buckling on the heavy six
shooters as they ran.
Take the black"
You take the sorrel."
mo. he's had long days ride already"
Flows Their blue roam"
Hes fresh"
"Be sure an all get fresh horses boys;
Sod knows we'll need 'em bad enough"
Pm taking the blazed face bay"
Better not-he's stiff in the shoulder"
pinto is fresh"
The heavy stock saddles are slapped on.
and muscular arms tug and tug at the
long latigo straps until the chinchas seem
as if they would cut through hair and hide,
so tight are they.
BE sure and cinch 'em WE'LL boys, we
can't stop to tighten 'em after we get
started"
AYE, aye, yer kin bet on us, Jack"
Are yer all o ~"
"You bet"
"Then head fer the Badly mountain, an
if ever you spurred, spur this night"
Out and away, leaning low until our
breasts almost rested on the saddle horns,
and with spurs tightly pressed against our
bronchos' sides, we swept swiftly away
/ from the Stone Corral. Big Jack was on
the left and little in the lead, and as we
rushed over low sand ridge | saw him
and his horse showing dark and clearly
cut against the sky He was riding his
best this night, and his blue roam was
stretching himself like a thoroughbred.
On and on, with Il rushing noise, like
the sound of great wings; now II sharp
ejaculation or a smOthered oath from
somebody as his horse made stumble.
and now pushing silently ON, cutting the
cool night wind like arrows-and yet, dear
heaven, we may be too late
Pull er leetle to the left, boys; we kin
make better running"
Running they are running like racers
now; but can they keep it up for twenty
miles over the sandy, heavy ground?
But there were no signs of weakening
yet, and at every | it of the steel they
plunged forward like frightened deer.
And now we came to a long stretch COW
eyed with loose and Jagged granite; at any
other time we would have pulled up and
carefully picked our way over. But to-
night the stake we were riding for was far
too precious to care for horscfesh or even
our own necks; so with slightly frightened
reins and only our toes resting in the broad
strrups, we pushed madly across, the
sparks flashing as the iron shoes FLASHED
against the rough rock.
Across at last, thank God, and once more
on the smooth plain, our gallant cayuses
with ears well forward and distended nos
trils, were stretching themselves and
throwing dust like heroes.
Rising ahead of us and looking almost
like a small cloud was the clone tree"
"IIalf way, boys!"
"Thank heaven fer that; but do yel
s'pose the cayuses kin keep his gait and
git thar"
No answer to that question; we all feared
that the brave brutes would drop, and
but, dear heaven help us. we must get
there to save the mother and babe or die
trying.
With slight swerve we passed the lont
tree, looking strangely weird as it stoot
all alone, like some gigantic sentinel keep
ing watch and ward over the plain below
Toiling over more sand ridges, the horses
were breathing hard and running heavily
but still doing very little stumbling.
Out of the sand and up on the rim rocl
we tried a squirt, but the jaded animals
were doing their best, and the steel failed
to get an extra jump out of them. Anothe
IL Il l.a.i.a. 49,.