Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-02-05

he ate like famished man then the
guns, which he inspected, loaded and
laid handy, from time to time ques5,,
tioning, with haggard eye, the trHli
up which he had come =,
It was n cruel, hard task Grace ha d
set herself. She argued with her piti-
full heart all the way and aVerted her
eyes from the tired pony she was
leading, lest the sight of 1t should
blunt her purpose,
She rode, with all speed possible, to
the Punta de Aqua, four miles south
east of the ranch; and now running
| bank-full and furious, on red rise.
| Once there she tried to force Farris' s
pony into the creek, and when he re-
fused to take water alone, she guessed
desperately mt her chances, took her
life in her hands, and drove her own
frightened and reluctant horse in,
with spur and quirt dragging the other
after her.
When she had gotten them both in
to the stream edge she held Rush back,
and sent the other ahead with a sharp
lash of her quirt. When she was well
into the current she drew her small
revolver from her saddle pocket, aimed
carefully at his head, and, setting her
teeth in sort of agony over the
cruelty of the deed, shot him.
The swift, red, muttering waters
caught him, wbirled him round and
hurried him away, down stream.
Grace fought her way out; and it was
all she could do. She rode home
across pastures mt hard pace, with
the courage and trelessness of man,
but with her heart aching and her
eyes half bin lei with womanly tears
over the fate of the poor, tired little
pony.
No reasoning nor philosophizing
availel to soothe her shocked and
smarting sensibilities. 1t was the act
itself that hurt her SO, the act, that
seemed like treacherous murder of
the willing creature that had helped
you through thus for.
But she had short time to dwell on
the matter or grieve herself over it.
As she came laundering down toward
the ranch house, mt II full run, and
bending low in the saddle, she saw,
above slight rise that hid from her
trail up which Farris had come, and
hid her flying figure from anyone
travelling it, n line of dust that indi-
Gated several riders, approaching at n
moderate pace.
They were about a mile distant
from the house, on the west, she the
same distance away on the southeast.
Could she make it in time? She
would she must
Good help me" she gasped; Good
defend the right! Come, Rush !" and
bending yet closer over him, bracing
herself firmly in the saddle, sho dug
the spur deep into Rush's side, Mt the
same time bringing down the quirt,
again and again, with the whole
strength of her arm.
The horse, which was good one,
md whose ability to make splendid
lash had given him his name, at such
ayage and unaccustomed punishment
prang forward in pain and fright,
md ran the mile that separated them
rom the man whose life hung upon
heir help in long, convulsive leaps,
ike wounded deer.
She dropped the rein on his neck
nd threw herself off him rs he stoppe
1t the door; and he wheeled and ran
b the corral, every limb shaking.
"They're coming" she gasped, as
he staggered in to Farris, cramped,
anil dizzy from her terrible |
ride.
"I know it," he said, quietly, "Go
nto the further room I'll fight it out; ;
his is cruelty hard on you.
The food and rest had steadiel him !;
lis face was washed, his wound hound
up decently; and us he glanced over
MS arsenal, rose mp to the height of
his six feet, and turned very white
but manly and determined face toward
her; he was decidedly afi9ure to please
n womans eye and touch woman's
sympathies.
40, horrible" !" she cried. "No, no
you wouldn't have any chance at all
you'd be shot down like-oh
Come" she drew him with her to
the kitchen, and dragged out from
llt1it loOnl bcSOnu sOule women
clothing. She hurried calico dress
onto him, bound n red Mexican hand
kerchief over his head and brows, and
threw "A sunbonnet on over this. Then
she caught up pan, filed it with po-
tatoes and thrust it into his hands
along with n sharp knife.
go, sit down." she cried, hysteri-
cally, seeing the dress, though broad
enough for two of him, was foot too
nhort, and showed his dusty cowboy
boots.
"dere," and she pushed a chair in
to the back of the room between the
stove aud table and turned it so his
back would be toward the door; "peel
the potatoes, when the men come in. "
de did everything just as she told
num- You're captain, Miss Pendle-
t.oohh-you're .oh trump" he said
-, they IL never suspect for a moment"
lheh looking up and seeing her
blanched face and shaking hands, he
cried;
80, don't be SO frightened; don't
feel so ba5lv1 T'1 rotbn. -