The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-01-04

as they began to follow the trail.
As they approached the summit o
each hill they would stop their horses
and Lansing would dismount an,
crawl to the top. so that he Nigh
look, without being discovered, int,
the valley beyond, in order that the,
might not come on the fugitive tOC
suddenly.
They had travelled this way fo,
several miles, when, refining in hi.
horse, Lansing pointed to what seem
ed an old road leading off to the righ
of the one they We're following, and
said:
That's the cutoff into the basin
thought he would axe it. but he
probably doesn't know the country.
You had better take it, and ride on
ahead until you strike the road we're
on again. Then, if You can't find his
tracks, you had better ride back to
meet me until you do. [ will follow
the ttail up
The young man tried to expOstulate
with 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 warning the young man to be
on his guard, he rode on. following
. the trail III the snow. while the young
er man, finding objection useless, took
the cut off road. He had no difficulty
IN following it and he wondered why
the man they were IN 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 direction,
with here and 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 this feeling
Not thing in sight. He began tC
depict IN his own mind the manner Of
man they We're pursuing. He had
almost forgotten his name After all.
what had the man done that he, Frank
Crandall. should be seeking his blood E?
Perhaps, like himself. the man had a
mother and sisters to grieve over any
mist, rtune that would overtake him
These anG a hundred kindred thoughts
passed through his mind. The sun
was fast declining as he passed from
the cut off into the main road again
The air. was getting chilly with the
coming evening, and the snow in the
distance took on colors Of pink and
purple where the rays of the setting
sun touched the mountain peaks.
He scanned the main road eagerly to
see if the man they were in pursuit of
had passed, but the snow that covered
it was unbroken. Then he rode back
Oh the main road, in the direction
from which he had come, to meet his
comrade and the fugitive He had
just ascended one Of the many rolling
nils. when, in the distance he discov-
cred man riding one horse and driv
ing another At the sight his heart
almost stood still. He dismounted
and leading his horse to one side, con
cealed him in a clump Of young pines.
Then he returned to the roadside and
waited. The man was urging his
horse forward, but they seemed to be
Wearied, and made but slow progress
Crandall felt his heart beat faster
and faster at the length Of time it took
10 reach him. He examined his re
yolyer and rifle, cooking each, to see
that they were in order 1t seemed
to relieve the tension of his nerves
After he had done this, he knelt down
50 that he could fire with surer aim.
and waited. He did not care much
whether the man resisted or not. II
the fugitive resisted he would have to
stand the consequence of resistance.
Ii was nothing TO him. He could
hear the football of the approaching
horses IN the snow, and he cooked his
rife so as to be ready.
The setting sun shown full in the
man 5 face, but Crandall forgot to look
for the scar that the notice had said
was on the right cheek, although he
had resolved to do so particularly
v hen he first discovered the fugitive
hescanned the road behind him to dis
cover Lansing, but the nearer the man
came the less CrandalI cared wheth-
| Lansing came OF not He let the man
approach nearer and nearer, SO that
his aim would be more accurate He
could not afford to throw away the
| first shot. The face of the man grew
more and more distinct He seemed
to be obliviOus to his surroundings.
| Crandall felt almost disposed to let
him pass, but he thought every one
would think him a coward if he so
| spurred 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' :
appearance, swerved 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 pOmmel OF
I the saddle. and Crapdall fired. The
horse which the man was riding
sprang from the road, and at the same
moment it's riders gun was discharg
ed The smoke from Crandalrs OWL
gun blew back into his eyes. and he
turned from ii to follow the move
mems of the man at whom he had
fired. As he saw the man still erect IL
his saddle, he felt the feverish haste
to fire again come over him that mel
feel when they have shot and missed
and know that their life may be the
forfeit of their failure. He threw an
other cartridge into the chamber o.
his rifle, and raised it to his shoulder
but before he could fire the man reel
ed in his saddle and fell. while hi:
frightened horse galloped through th'
pines.
Crandall stepped toward him. hold
ing his rifle prepared to fire again, i
necessary. As he did so the MAJ
raised his hand and said simply:
Don't tire-you've got me-"
The snow was already red Will
blood where he lay. For the frs
) time Crandall looked for the scar tina