The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-09
SAVED BY A MYSTERY,
Ivy JULIAN HAwTuoRE.

"They pulled him OF his saddle" said
She, "but he still kept hold OF tho
bride; and thOre was strIsglc, aud
the headstall came or the horses head
aud Tom was carried of with tho bride
in his hand and the hoadstall attached
to It. Oh, how Tom did hghtthoml
1t was magnificent, Ho lsa' strong "a
q lion, you know, and active and bravei
but It was no use, there woro too many
of them. They all went fghtinG down
towards tho pit, A sort OF roaring
noise came from II, At tho brink oil Il
there was . final struggles they puahed
him oVeTi but the heaislalI caught on
point OF rock that stuck up uJ the
mouth OF tho pit, like great black
tooth, and Tom still held to tho bride,
90 that when no went over ho did NOT
fall to the bottom, but hung there by
the hrldls, dangling over tho pitt They
canuot reach him whore he IL, and as
long as no can hold on no is sale. But'
II tho headsIall breaks, or he gets tired
and lots 20, no Is lost"
Here was u queer state Of things in
deedl Was 1t fancy or iacIP The do
tails were groIeaque and tantastlc-one
might say imposlbloi but tho conYlo-
ton OF lmogene'a manner and the WV
idness with which she described the
episode were too ntense sud contagious
TO admit OF sEepIicigm, Common sonse
condemned tho story as absurd but
another sense, Of which am happy to
believe 1 posiess small share, warned
mo to po'tpona my opinion.
"Whnt else did ybu sGoY asked.
ut all Disappeared then rs quickly as
II came" sho replied. ~ wat sitting
on my horse in tho road, with tie Blue
mountains across the valley in tho dls'
lance. But know what must do, and
that you would hUIp me-"
"But how lid Tom happen to he In
tho place you described IL II on tho
way to tho place where you were to
meet himT
mo, don't know or understand
anything about that, hut he Is there
and wo must snvO him."
"And are YOU suro that We arc follow
ing tho right path2
"Oi course AMI Wasn't l over, 1t
hall au hour ngo2 don't moan With
my body, you know, but was hero this
morning, aud / remember every foot OF
the way. IN about minute. now, we
shall come to fork in thu road; and
on the left we shall see u tall stone arch,
all covered with cactuiei and Wild
piue,, and with big black autS' nest
on one corner. We shall turn TO the
right and 20 down steep slope, and at
the foot OF 1t Ia this trunk Of great silk
cotton fallen right across tho path but
il IL all rotten, and our horses will kick
1t into powdar-lhere is the arch"
She broke of and pointed with her
whip Sure enough, there was tho arch,
and the ants nest, too. After this
turned moekly to the right and followed
my guide down tho slope and kicked
my way through tho rotten trunk oil tho
silk cotton without feeling the least sur
prise. A dozen years must have elapsed
since the last human being had passed
this way.
There could no longer DO any doubt
that We were going to SEQ the rest OF the
adventure according to schedule, and
when considered the strange rabblo oil
thieves and murderers which imOgen
had 80 piCturssquely portrayed, could
not help thinking that revolver would
have been quite as useful an ingredient
In the coming melee as rope wonld DO.
We might have made shl, with Llama
for rope. hut there is nothing that
can take tho place OF good seven
shooter, such as was at that moment
living loaded in my bureau drawer at
home. Imogeu may have supposed
that all men AZ all times carried re.
yolvors, as n matter Of course, iust us
they wear nocktie or suspendors.
"Aiy dear" said "when We begin to
get near tho place you must let mo
know, and will 80 on in advance and
see that all is clear. ltthero should DO
any trouble, you know, you could DO oil
no use, and might DO very much IN the
way"
Scarcely had l offered this nllruistic
ucgGstion-whieh indicated, think,
quito Us valiant soul as ever Tom could