Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-12-14

cracked brlskly under foot as tn,
two men rode fast leaving th'
little settlement in their rear. Fol
some time neither spoke, bat at
last the silence was broken b,
Lansing asking his younger com
paaIon: "Dld you ever try this
kind of thing oeforef
NO." replied the young man; 81
never have"
"Well, then, you want to bt
keerful. If you don't lose youl
head you're all right. The only
danger is that we may run on him
before we know It."
"And if we do, what thenF
asked the young man.
"WelI, he will probably com.
menca shooting, and if he does
and you aren't hit the first rattle
out of the box, why, yot want to
git of1'n your horse and get behind
something and shoot back. If ther
amt anything to get behind, keep
your horse between you and him,
and keep a.shooting. Whatever
you do, lop't let 60 of your gun.
But what We want to do is to see
him first, and then we've got the
play on him; and all you have to
do is to tell him to throw up"
"And If he don't throw up?"
asked Crandall.
"Why, then you let him have 1t.
The reward will be paid just the
same"
The apparent indifference with
which Lansing spoke Of the entire
matter, much as it he were discuss
ing the best method of hunting q
wild animal, shocked the young
man; but he had com nItted him.
self too far to withdraw.
They had been riding for several
hours in silence through the snow,
unbroken by aught save the scat
tered pines that here and there
dotted the mesa. Before them
lowered the mountains, through
whose passes the man whom were
after would have to pass in search
for safety IN balf-settled wilds
beyond. AS the two men rode
along, scanning IN each direction
the covered mesa, Lansing
suddenly wheeled his horse to the
right and when Crandall Joined
him he pointed to a narrow trail
where two horses had passed
through the snow.
That's him. He's driving one
horse and leading another, and he
hasn't passed by very long, either.
See, the snow hasn't had time to
DRIFT in," said be.
With the discovery his whole
dempanor had changed. A new
look came into his voice sounded
strange. lie even grasp his weapons
In a manner different to that he
had heretofore displayed.
Ties right ahead, and we wapt
to look out" older man continued
as they began to follow the trail.
AS they approached the summit
of each hill they would stop their
horses, and Lins'ng would dis
mount and crawl to the top, so
that he might look, without being
discovered, into the valley beyond
in order that they might not come
on the fugitive too 50 uddenly. They
had travelled this way for several
miles, when, relning in his horse,
Lansing pointed to what seemed
an old road leading off to the
one they we're following, aud said;
"Tbats the cutoff into the
basin. l thought he would take it,
but ne probably doesn't know the
country. You had better take it
and ride on ahead until you strike
tue road we're on again. Then If
,ou can't find his tracks, you had
better ride back to meet me until
YOU do. l will follow the trail up"
The young man tried to expOstu-
late with Lansing for the great
risk lie was assuming IN thus fol-
loving the trial alone, bat his com
panion was Obdurate, and cutting
the argument short, by again
warning the young man 10 be on
bis guard, be rode on, following
the trail in the snow, while the
younger man, finding objection
unless, took the cutoff road. He
had no difficulty III following it,
and he wondered why the man
they were iu pursuit OF had not
taken advantage of it. The whole
pursuit seemed almost like dream
to him. The snow, unbroKen save
by his horses football, stretched
away mile after mile in every direc
ton, with hero and there pine