Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-02-15

her elbow which assured her of assist
anc At the same moment a sinewy
brown hand caught the frightened
horse by the curb, and, forcing a way
through the drove, soon brought her to
the outskirts.
You're not hurt, / hope, miss said
her preserver respectfully.
She looked up at his dark. fierce
face, and laughed saucily. I'm awful
frightened" she said naively; whoever
would have thought that Poncho would
have been SO scared by a lot of cows?'
THANK God you kept your seat" the
other said earnestly. He was a tall,
savage-looking young fellow, mounted
on a powerful roam horse, and clad in
the rough dress of a hunter, with a
long rifle slung over his shoulders. II
guess you are the daughter of John
Ferrier," he remarked. Il saw you
ride down from his house. When you
see him, ask him if he remembers the
Jefferson Hopes, of st. Louis. If he's
the same Terrier, my father and he
were pretty thick"
4; Hadn't you better come and ask
YOURSELF" she asked, demurelv.
The young fellow seemed pleased at
the suggestion, and his dark eyes
sparkled with pleasure. I'll do So"
he said; we've been in the mountains
for two months, and are not over and
above in visiting condition. He must
take US as he finds u.s."
He has a good deal to thank you
for, and so have l." she answered; hes
awful fond of me. If those cows had
| jumped on me he'd have never got
over it"
"Neither would l." said her com
panion.
"You2 Well, I don't see that it would
make much matter to you, anyhow.
You amt even a friend of ours"
The young hunters dark face grew
SO gloomy ove this remark that Lucy
Terrier laughed aloud.
"'There, / didn't mean that" she said;
"of course, you are a friend now You
must come and see us. Now 1 must
push along, or father won't trust me
with his business any more. Good-by!'
"Good-by," he answered, raising his
broad sombrero, and bending I'VE hel
little hand. She wheeled her mustang
round, gave it a cut with her riding.
whip, and darted away down the broad
road in a rolling cloud of dust.
Young jefferson Hope rode OF with
his companions, gloomy and taciturn
He and they had been among the Ne
vada mountains prospecting for silver
and were returning to Salt Lake City
in the hope of raising capital enough
to work some lodes which the,
had discovered. He had been as keer
as any of them upon the business unit
this sudden incident had drawn hi
thoughts into another channel. TIL,
sight OF the fair young girl. as franl
and wholesome as the Sierra breezes
had stirred his volcanic, untamed hear
to its very depths. When she had van
ished from his sight, he realized that
crisis had come in his life, and tina
neither silver ~speculations nor an
other questions could ever be of sucE
Importance to him as this new and all
absorbing one The love which ha6
sprung up in his heart was not the sud
den, changeable fancy of a boy, but
rather the wild, fierce passion of a maj
OF strong will and imperious temper
He had been accustomed to succeed il
all that he undertook. He swore IL
his heart he would not fail in this il
human effort and human perseverance
could render him successful.
He called on John Terrier that night
and many times again until his face
was a familiar one at the farmhouse
John, cooped up in the valley, and alb
sorbed in his work, had little chance Of
learning the news of the outside world
during the last twelve years. All thi.
Jefferson Hope was able to tell him
and in a style which interested Lucy
as well as her father. He had been
pioneer in California, and could mar
rate many a strange tale of fortunes
made and fortunes lost in those wild
haleyon days. He had been a scout
too, alid a trapper, a silver explorer
and a rancfiman. Wherever stirring
adventures were to be had, jefferson
Hope had been there in search Of them.
He soon became a fayorite with the