The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-07-23
TEN-NILE RIDE FOR $1,000.

R84A a shsFs - dsvdrep With another near.
8$SSsla8 -Alizaheth barrett Browning.
4S#z$HNSSaE& WI
IEN-IILE RIDE FOR $1,000.
"A VIII give one thousand dollars TO th,
~ \ can carry quickest for me a mes
eaRe to Ailbury." cried an excited man al
ne dashed iato ths small grocery store OF
Middle Fork.
SMs ~ wac the Same stranger who had been ir
4 town Tor over = week. His days were spent
MP ~ tho mountains, and in the evening he
Kept himself closely oloseted in his room al
shs hotel. What his business was no one
knew; indeed, they would SCARCELY have
found ont had they asked, for he was q
Quist reserved sort Of . man who talked
but little, and never about his own imme-
diate affairs.
There's no horse could get over
he road nov. The roads are flooded four
Ssst deep IN places By this time" said one
of tho men In the store.
Zone thousand dollars ia q good price.
man" said the strange. rtaking a we'll filled
wallet from his pocket and tossing il upon
the counter.
bat there haint NO man living that can
oct 20 Milbury wish all this water coming
down the valley"
Here's a boy that can" spoke up a clear
voice. and Dick Rodgers came from behind
shs desk and presented himself to the
crowd.
Nonsense. I do not want any boy bust
ness about this affair."" The strangers face
Was . puzzle; he wanted something done,
had money to pay for the service; no one
seemed ready to earn tho ooodly sum-that
u, NJ one but . mere slip Of a boy.
Mister, II ] say ! will take your message
wheel in Middle Fork. If the road was
clear I could do it in thirty minutes. SO
bad % the roads are. l can get your mes
sage there in an hour"
Thsre was something about the grocer's
son that impressed the stranger. There
was nothing boastful about the lads man
ner-hs simply meant what he said, that
was all.
.Bus tho men say it is dangerous"
II oan go there and back without harm
ing a hair of my head"
LET me speak to your father, boy" said
chs stranger.
Dick called his father from the second
floor. When. he entered the stranger told
him Of his proposition and Dicks desire to
enter il.
"Bad road. Dick"
II can do It,"
Stranger" said the boys father, IT
know Dick; II he says he can do il. that
settles u: he will get there, and don't you
doubt IT,"
Here. boy. is the message. Place it
carefully about your person, and when you
reach Milbury take Il to the telegraph of
fec at once and have the operator rush IL.
Here 10 the money to prepay charges. You
shall have the thousand dollars for the ten
mile ride. Mr.. Rogers. place that wallet
In YOU safe and keep the key in your
pocket. lyon the return of your son take
from II ono thousand dollars and give it to
him for his services. The wallet contains
over two thousand. Now, boy, start as
soon az possible"
Dick looked his wheel over carefully to
see that 1t was oil in good order for the
run. He knew he had a difficult task be-
fore him. The spring floods were heavy
and the ride was q dangerous one to him,
but the boy knew a thing or two about the
lay OF the land between Middle Fork nnl
Mtlbury. The D ecious message was pinned
in his inside vest pocket. His cap was
pulled down and his stout jacket we'll but
toned about his sturdy-built figure.
Good bye" yelled Dick, as no spun
AWAY, made the turn and was out of sight.
The valley was below him. It was one
sheet of water. with here and there dark
masses Of trees. stumps and fence rails toss
ing upon it's surface.
Not much show down there. There isn't
ono sign Of a road left. IL is just as I
thought. l'll have to take the trail along
the mountain" said Dick to himself.
The trail was mersly a pathway along the
steep side of the mountain made years ago
by the Indians and ently settlers. It was
seldom used now. excepting by hunters or
pleasure seekers. Dick know every inch OF
the trail. but he had never attempted 1t
with the wheel.
1t was a hard tug to drag tho wheel
through the underblush and over the de-
sayed logs covering the mountain side, but
he was a lad of muscle as we'll az d%stermin-
alton. md be soon reached the path wind
ing like a narrow ribbon along the side of
the high mountain overlooking tho valley,
Pretty tough looking p.ospect,Sbut here
she goes" said Dick as he started.
1t was u pretty tough looking path, and
perhaps no rider ever had occasion to take
one like 1t. 1here WAS great danger, too,
awaiting nearly every foot OF the way; the
path was filled with stones and sticks. and
was uneven and rough
On he sped with his Dyes fixed uron the
path b.fore him. The frs. two miles was
on the rise. and the climb was hard, but
Dick reached the point where the slope
commenced.
Nov then, Dick, you've got to pull for
the shore for sure" uttered he rs he lot the
wheel go. There was nothine Tor him to do
but steer the machine md rest Lis feet
uron tho const bars.
What n mad, wild ride! There were
places where the swerve of C. fraction Of CT
inch would throw him upon the rocks be.
low. Int branches EweEt against his fhce
and cut his cheeks, and his hands smarted
as the bFiars threshold them. Once or twice
it seemed almost i'm, ossible to penetrate
the thick growth which almost covered tho
path. The dangerous part Was yot ahead
of him; the narrow, winding. steep cut lust
above Milbuty.
TIL wheel went spinning down the trail,
and Dick looked like some Rnome upon q
Bpider web as he swept along the steep.
she is-aow for it Dick or-you
don't get to Middle Fork again. say notu.
ing OF the one thousand dollars" muttered
he through his Gle nched teeth.
For n mile the path was scare1Y over n
foot wide. 1t was crooked too. The rive
swollen to twice its Hize tumbIed along
800 feet below. The fall was to the left,
and upon the light the stormy side of the
mountain rose several hundred feet.
Whiz-zip! How the wheel hummed
Now, Dick, to the loft or you will take such
a header ns no Iidar ever took. Dicks
body leaned quickly TO the left as he cleared
the big heap OF stones. His body almost
hung for an instant suspended in m1dHir
over the river; then o sudden leaning to the
right and the first dangerous point was