The Dickinson press., 1894-07-21

The young man tried to e~xpostulate
win Lansing for the great risk he was
assuming in thus following the trail
alone, but his companion was obdurate,
and cutting the argument short by
again warming the young man to be on
his guard he rode on, following the
trail in the snow. while the younger
man. finding objection useless. took the
"cut-of" road. He had no difficulty in
following 1t, and he wondered why the
man they We're in pursuit Of had not
taken advantage of 1t. The whole pur-
suit seeMd almost like a dream to him.
The snow. unbroken save by his
horses football, stretched away mile
after mile In every direction, with
here II there a pine, through whose
branches the wind seemed to sob and
sigh, making the only noise that broke
the stiffness of the wintry afternoon.
1t added to his feeling. Not a thing in
sight. He began to depict in his own
mind the manne Of man they were
pursuing. He had almost forgotten his
name. After all, what had the man
done that he. Frank Crandall. should
be seeking his blood? Perhaps, like him
self. the man had a mother and sisters
to grieve over any misfortune that
| "ONsAN ' SsShC AllIis 4llCSC SluSl IL HULL.
dred kindred thoughts passed through
his mind.
The sun was fast declining as he
Irsscd from the 'cut-off" into the main
'end again. The air was getting chilly
With the coming evening, and the snow
IN the distance took on colors of pink
n purple where the rays of the set
ing sun touched the mountain peaks,
kIp COnnnnh f1Nn p,,O{,, ,,oo<1 1o, ,,1,, a.
sc. II the man they were In pursuit of
had passed. hut the snow that covered
1t was unbroken. Then lie rode back
on the main road, in the direction from
which he had come, to meet his COM
a and the fugitive. lie had just u.s.
cended n of the many rolling hills
when, In the distance, ne discovered n
man riding a horse and driving an
other. At the sight his heart almost
stood still. He dismounted and, lead
Ing horse to one side, concealed him in
q clump of young pines. Then lie re-
turned to the roadside and waited.
The man was urging his horses for
ward, but they seemed to be wearied,
n mace but slow progress. Gram
dali felt his heart beat faster and faster
ut the length of time it took the man
to reach him. He examined his revolv-
CT and rifle, cooking each to see that
they were in order. 1t seemed to re.
lfeve the tension of his nerves. After
he had done this he knelt down so that
he could fire with surer aim, and watt
ed. He did not care much now wheth-
er the man resisted or not. If the fugi-
tive resisted lie would have to stand
the consequence Of resistance. 1t was
nothing to him. He could hear the
football of the approaching horses in
the snow, and he cooked his rifle so as
to be ready.
The setting sun shone full in the
mans face, but Crandall forgot to look
for the scar that the notice had said
was on the right check, although he
had resolved to do so .,articLlarly.
When he first discovered the fugitive
he scanned the road behind him to
discover Lansing, but the nearer the
man approached the less Crandall cared
whether lansing cam or not. He let
the man approach nearer and nearer,
80 that his aim would be the more &C.
curatc. He could not afford to throw
away the first shot. The face of the
man grew O and more distinct. Hc
seemed to be oblivlous to his surround
ings. Crandall felt almost disposed to
let him pass. hut the thought that every
n would think him a coward II he
did so, spurrcd him on, and rising erect
he ordered the man to surrender. The
horse that the man was driving In
front Of him, frightened at Crandall's
appearance, swcrved from the road,
leaving the two men facing each other.
For an instant Crandall looked
straight into the others eyes,. Then
the man raised his rifle from the poln-
mel of the saddle, and Crandall fired.
The horse which the man was riding
sprang from. the road, and at the same
moment Its riders gun was discharged.
The smoke from Crandall's own gun
blew back into bis eyes, and he turned
from it to follow the movements Of the
man Mt whom he had fired. AS he saw
the man still erect In his saddle, he
felt the fcvcrish haste to fire again
had shot and missed, and know that
their life may be the forfeit of their
failure. He threw another cartridge
into the chamber of his rifle and raised
it to his shoulder, but before he could
fire the man recled from his saddle and
fell, while his frightened horse galloped
off through the pines.
Crandall stepped toward him holding
his rifle prepared to fire again If neces-
sary. AS he did so the man raised his
hand and said, simply:
Don't fire-you've got me-"
Tho snow was already red with blood
where he lay. For the first time Gran
dali looked for the scar that the de-
scriptiOn said was on the right cheek.
Tor an instant he did not see it, and
his heart seemed to stop beating with
the fear of having made q mistake,
and when, OH drawing nearer, he saw
that 1t was there, that only the pallor
which had spread over the mans face
had made 1t indistinct. lie could have
cried out with joy at the feeling of re-
lief that passed owe him.
"Are you badly wounded?" he asked.
II don't know how bad it is. 1t Is
here somewhere" the man sail, placing
his hand OH his breast, rs if not certain
of the exact spot. at feels numb like
he added. STOPPING down, Crandall
%unbuckled and took OFF the mans pistol
belt and threw it into the snow, where
lay his rifle, and then he tore open the
mans shirt. AS lie did SO his fingers
came in contact with the warm blood,
and he involmniafily drew back with
a feeling of disgust.
did you finl it," asked the man,
WIN WIS WuAGiAta.S AIai NASSciy OAu VIII
had observed the iMavemcnt.
Recalled to himself by the question,
Crandall again tore at tic shirt, expos
ing the breast. Where tine blood did
not w it it lokcd like marble, de-
spite the dark hair on il. He could not
see the wound on account of the blood
until he had wiped the ;a;ler from the
breast, and then he found 1t.
"What do you think of it?' the man
asked.
Srherc it is" replied Crandall. He
could not SHY more. The appealing
tone III tho mans voice for some hope
some cncouragement-made him feel
faint and sick.
"yvhat do you think of it," the man
repeated in a %qucrulous voice, and as
he did so he coughcd until his mouth
filled with blood, and he spat 1t out on
the white snow.
Craldall shook his head and walked
toward where the horse was tied. He
folt that IF he watched the wounded