The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-07

| otVc Va ulcLu ts10S SuG MECu 0uU tQe
pine seemed suspended over thciE
heads, and to need only gust Of wind
to come hurting down upon them
the barren valley was thickly streWu
with trees and boulders which had fell.
Ell In q similar manner. Even as they
| passed, great rock came thunderina
down with hoarse rattle which woke
the echoes In the silent gorges, and
startled the weary horses into q gal.
lop. =
As the sun rose slowly above the
eastern horizon. the caps of the great
1 Mountains lit up one after the other,
like lamps ut festival, until they were
oil ruddy and glowing. The magnih.
cent spectacle cheered the hearts OF the
three fugitives and gave them fresh
energy. At a Wild torrent which swept
out Of a rayine they watered their
horses, while Lucy partook of a hasty
breakfast. Lucy and her father would
hnve rested longer, but Jefferson Hope,
was inex0rable. ''They will he upon
our track by this tlme," he said. "Ev-
erything depends upor. our speed. Once
safe in Carson, We may rest the re-
mainder Of our lives"
| During the whole Ut that day they
struggled on through the defiles, and
by evening they calculated that they
were more than thirty miles from their
enemies. At night time they chose the
Dase OF q Deethng craw: where the
rocks onered some profession from tue
cnln wlna; ana there. huddied together
Inr Warmtn, tney enjoyed a lew Aours'
steep. beiore dayprcak, however, they
were up ana on their way once more.
Ihey nad seen no Signs OF any pur.
suers. ana Jenerson Hope began to
tnink tney were Iairly out OF the reach
OF tne terrible ORGANIZATION whose en-
NIFTY they mad incurred. He little
knew now Iar tllat iron gasp could
reaen, or now ~ was TO close upon
theni ana crush Lnem:
ABOUT inc MIDDLE OF the second day
OF taeir nignt tneir scanty store OF pro-
VISIONS Degnn 70 run out. This gave
sne aunter Attle uneasiness, however,
10. .p mere was game 70 De mad among
me mountains. ana ne ma frequently
De1ore nad 10 depend upon his ri1e for
tue neeos OF ire. choosing sheltered
DOCK, nc piied together few dry
branches and made a fire,
ut Wnich MS companions might
warm themselves Tor they We're now
nearly 5'Mh, Feet above the sea level,
ana tnc ar was bitter ana Keen. Hav-
ing tetnered the horses ana bale Lucy
odieu, ne threw MS gun over his shout.
DER ana SET out IN search OF whntever
chance might throw IN MS way. Look
ing PACK, ne saw tne OLD man and the
young glIl croMcnlng over the blazing
IRE. While the three animals stood mo-
uonless IN tne background. Then the
intervening rocks MO them from his
view.
he walked Tor q couple OF miles
throush one rav1ne, after another with
OUT success, tnougn from the marks
upon the DARK OF the trees and other
indications, ne judged that there were
numerous bears IN the vicinity. At
last. AFTER two or three hours useless
search. ne was thinking OF turning
BACK IN despair. wnen casting his eyes
upward, ne saw sisht which sent
thrill OF pleasure through his heart.
On the edge OF . 1utdng pinnacle, three
or Tour hundred Feet above him, there
stood creature somewhat resembling
sneep IN appearance, out armed with
glgantic pair OF norns. the big:horn
.ior 30 IL ls caned-Was acung, pr0ba-
Diy, as o guardian over mock which
was invisible 10 the hunter; put, Tor
tunateiy, ~ was neading IN tue oppo..
sue direction. ana had not perceived
rine upon q rock. ana TOOK long ana
steady aim before drawing the trigger.
Inc animal sprang INTO the air. t0ttcr.
ed moment upon the edge OF the pre-
cipice: ana then came crashing down
into the valley beneath.
Ine creature was 100 unwleldly 70
MT 80 the nunter contented himseif
WIN cuttlng away one naunch ana part
o! the nahk; WIN TINS trophy over
his shoulder. ne hastened to retrace his
steps. Tor the evening was already
Drawing In. he nad hardiy started,
however. DeIore ne realized the dincul'
" whicn faced Elm. In MS eagerness
ne had wandered Iar past the ravines
which were known to him, and 1t was
no easy matter TO PICK out the path
which ne mad taken. the valley IN
wMcn ne FOUND nimseif divided ana
suDdividea into many gorges, Which
were 30 ike eacn otner tnat II was
Impossible 10 disunguish one from the
other. he Io4iowed one Ior mile or
more until ne came 10 mountain
torrent, Whlcn ne was sure that ne new,
er seen Deiore. convinced tnat ne nad
taken wrong turn. ne tried another,
ous WIN 1e s1Me result. Nisn. was
coming on rapldiy, and II was; almost
dark DeIore ne at last found nimself
III ~en.e WnicE was Iamlhar 10 MN.
Even tnen " was no easy matter Tor
nlm 70 keep 70 me rignt track. ZOE tne
moon haa not yet risen, ana tue nign
cnns on eitner slde maze the oDscurity
more proIound: Welghed down WIN
ms burden. ana weary from MS exer-
tlons. ne silm6led aionS. keeping up
nus heart WIN tne renecuon mat every
step prougnt MN nearer 70 Lucy, ana
tnat ne carried I WIN MN enough 70
insure mem lou 1or Tue REMAINDER OF
Melr Journey.
ne mao now come % inc mouth q
Tue very denies IN Whlch ne had lei.
tnem. Even IN Ine darKhess ne conla
recoHni1e Tue 0utllne OF tne GINS wMca
70, Soun s.e,t,n. LII, Lney muss ne resected;
Ne aWaiune MN anx!ousiy, Tor ne nad
gladness of his heart he put his hand
scho " avuu nI LILY as sis.ai nut
| ed for an answer. None came save his
own cry, which clattered up the dreary
| Silent f0VtnR. Nn0 W0R n0tnn NICK to