The state herald., 1892-04-29

Buckskin would yet bring her To tho
life preserving stream ahead OF tho
destroying element. an unexpected
and awful calamity overlook her.
Tho old horse stumbled in tho burrow
OF prairie dog and fell headlong,
throwing his littlo rider heavily to the
ground.
Sho was ON her feot In nm instant
and tugging with all her strength at
tho bridlc, but 1t was useless. The
poor brute had fallen heavily upon
his outstretched neck and Its joints
wore shattered and dilocatcd by tho
shock. Old Buckskin's gallops were
over. He was stone dead.
Then. and no. till then, did the In
domitable heart In Emily Arban' 5
puny little franc give way to despair.
II seemed SO hard. just at the mo-
mont Of her apparent salvation this
unexpected accident had doomed hcr
to IN awful death. Only three miles
away tossed tho waving branches OF
perfect safety. But alas! half milo
off the other way tho seething pillows
OF fire came rushing on with u roar OF
oxultation
with n cry OF bitter agony sho
throw herself prostrato on tho fallen
form OF tho dead horse and claspcd
his hugo neck in her poor puny arms,
To be so near safety and then to die;
II was awful.
Suddenly. US sho embraced tho ri.
gantic form OF her dead playmate u
Thrill OF hope onco more shot through
tho child's slight frame. and sho sprang
to her feet With hasty fingers she
snatched from her pocket tho heavy
olasp-knifo sho always carried. and
opened Its largest blade.
Forgive mo. old Bucl,skin." she
cried with n choking sob. ind with a
firm hand sho plunged tho keen steel
10 It's handle In tho carcass OF the dead
horse.
Tho sharp knife hisscd through tho
warm flesh rs Emily drew 1t nlong the
animals side ind with single, long
cut ripped him from hip to shoulder
With frantic hasto she toro out tho
great mass OF cntrails, and as sho did
so tho fire liend came swooping down
upon her with deafcning roar OF tri-
umph.
There was no timo for squoamish-
ness or delay. With fcversh speed
Emily wrcnched open the yawning cut
and forced her slight figure into the
smoking, bleeding carcass OF tho dead
horse. She had scanty timo 10 wodgc
herself into her noisomc shelter and
draw the edges OF tho cut together
again when tho nvalanco OH fire do
scended and she knew no more. The
strain upon her nerves had been too
great aud Emily Arban tainted dead
away.
&. A few minutes later n band OF horse
men headed by Edward Arban. came
squirting on in tho track OF tho FIRE in
search of tho missing girl. and found
tho scorched and blistcred carcass oil
tho gigantic Buckslsin lying on tho
black and smoking plain. A strruI
OF peculiar shape lying beside II iden.
titled 1t beyond ali question, and the
disastrous end OF tho terrible race foi
life was only too apparent
oh. my God my poor little
Emilyw groancd tho father with
ghnstly face and drawn, quivorlng
lips. so young. so innocenti and tc
meet such horrible ondi How can
endure Itn'
Even rs he spoke the carcass OF tho
dead horse was thrown open, and
from the cavity within cr;,wlod It'll,
pale, blood.stained being that over,
soul In the party recognized in nn In
s,ant in spite OF its sollod and dragged
appearance and the strange noisom,
shelter from which II came Chicago