Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-02-17

that afternoon, but he would not lis
ten to me. / went then to see the jus.
tice, but he would not let me off. He
said all the people in the village knew
what the trial was about and he had to
get outsiders who didn't know, and he
thought it lucky to catch me in town
| was just the kind of a juryman he
wanted. He looked upon it as a joke
and kept laughing at me; but didn't
think 1t was so funny, particularly
when went out again and found that
snow clouds were gathering in the
sky and it was beginning to blow
II went back again and told him o
storm was coming up and how had
left things at the ranch; but he was
one of those smarties who knew it all,
and he stuck to it that the weather
was all right and thought that
! was trying to fool him to get off
the jury. saw it was no use talking,
so l went to dinner.
"When | came out again could see
that regular old blizzard was coming
up, and | was getting scared when l
thought of Nellie out with the sheep
81 went for the justice again, but he
only pooh-poohed and would not listen
to me. / got raging mad at the man
and told him l would go anyway. He
said:
"'If you try to will have the con-
stable arrest you and make you serve
and fine you in the bargain
But ! did not care for his fine
when my little daughters life and all
my property might be at stake, and
went over to the stable and got my
pony.
II was just mounting him when the
constable came up and gra bbed hold of
the bride and stopped me from riding
off.
II argued with him and implored
him to let me go, and finally got angry
and was using some pretty strong
words when all the rest of the men
who were to go on the jury began
gathering around, attracted by the fuss.
II was blind with fury and hit
the fellow over the head with the whip,
and then he called on the men about
him to help arrest me in the name OF
the law.
They were mostly neighbors and
friends of mine, but they were com.
PEELED to obey, for it is the law, and
were coming for me when yelled out:
Men, you all know my little girl
Nellie. She is out with my sheep to.
day on the prairie. Look at the HI:
zard that is coming. viii II -, hold me
from going to bsy99'
.-lt.eS all looked at the northern sky
I and saw scared look on their faces
They caught hold of the constable ano
held him, and called to me:
"'Ride, Joel-ride for your life
Heaven help you, old mani
81 struck out with all speed to make
that twenty miles before the nigh
would come, but before l had gone
one-quarter of the distance the biz
zard was at its height and could no
see foot ahead of me. had to cover
! my face from the sleet and snow
blowing with terrific force, and at tn,
same time tried to guide the pony.
Suddenly the animal stopped, ant
looking out | saw that l had turned
completely around and was on the patti
l had just passed over.
II turned his head homeward agail
and gave him the reins, knowing h,
would be most likely to find the wa,
to the ranch
Terrible hours of anxiety the,
were for me, as we struggled on il
that binding storm.
Might came on. and did not know
whether we were nearer or further
from the ranch, as the now iadet
pony staggered along in the darkness
hour after hour
Suddenly / heard horse neigh
and my pony stopped still and did tn
same. The moment he was answered
he started forward with new life, an,
brought me up against my log sta5l
in which his mate was tied,
~ rushed to the house and found m
wife nearly crazy with anxiety. Sicl
as she was, she was trying to dres
herself to go out to look for our littl
girl. She told me that Shep had com
home at dark and '.~as whining, an
seemed to be looking for me; not find
ing me, he had gone off again.
81 feared the worst had happened
1t was not one chance in hundre
that the child had not persisted befor
this or that the sheep were not scat
tered In all directions.
1.-THE storm had now abated some
what. ! took shovel of Goals fror
the stove aud went out to the grea
pile of logs l had ready chopped t
build a new house the next spring,
81 was bending over, lighting fir
under them, when old Shep came tea.
ing up and jumped on my back an
nearly threw me on the Goals pu
my hand out to hold him, and he caugll
my coat-sleeve in his teeth and trie
to pull me along with him.
HE whined, and seemed to be try
ing 10 tell me something. He woul
hardly walt while ] finished firing tn
logs. In few minutes they famed II
and made light that could be seen fo
miles away.
Then turned and said to the do,
Take me to her, Shep
"He started off again on trot, a
business, looking about to see if ! wa
following and endeavoring to urge m
along.
when we came to the creek foun
the foot-bridge had been blown ava
by the fierce wind, and / had to wad
through the rapid water and crav
up the steep-cut bank on the othe
side.
THE dripping hair on the dog wa
freezing into icicles, but he kept O
through the gulch and up the hill yor
I Il H.