The Irish standard., 1895-12-14

RIDE
rAKIK FOR A THIEF BUT He KEPT On

The details al Father Begley's Won
derful ride of 40 miles through the
| wiIds of the Cherokee strip make an in
teresting and thrilling narrative. The
subject has been widely noticed by the
press Of the country.
The hero Of the story is Rev. J. Beg
ley, who is stationed at Kingman, in the
diocese of Wichita, Kansas. He was
born in Kansas in the territorial days
and for twenty years has been a pioneer
missionary priest in the West. He now
has charge of the frontier of three do
ceses, those of Wichita, Oklahoma and
Dallas, Texas. About six years ago
stage coach In which the priest was rid
ing was upset and both of his legs were
broken, leaving them permanently de-
formed. Notwith standing this physical
defect he attends to the spiritual welfare
OF scope OF country that is 62G miles
from one end Of 1t to the other.
The Paladaro Ranch, in Hansford
county, in the Panhandle of Texas, is
owned by q young man named Quinlan,
whose mother went recently from New
York to see him. While visiting the
ranch she was taken suddenly i'll, and,
feeling that she had but few hours to
live, desired a priest Her son sent his
foreman On the swiftest steed in the
ranch 10 Englewood. Kan, the nearest
telegraph station, where he wired for
Father Begley. The priest Immediately
took the train and arrived at Englewood
at o'clock in the afternoon. There he
was informed that arrangements had
been made at the ranches en- route to
,se>I, INV NJ oSr fn7
thirty miles With ITO miles OF desert
country before him and an intricate
trail to follow he mounted an Indian
pony one hour before darkness and
bravely headed for the far-off PaladarO
ranch.
In ten minutes he was in the wilds Of
the Cherokee strip. At dusk he entered
the Salt Plains, where for ten miles
there was neither blade OF grass nor
drop of anything to drink but saline
water At 7:40 o'clock that night he ar
rived at the Stirrup ranch, having made
20 miles in two hours and five minutes.
After taking drink of milk he set him
self squarely on the trail and put the
spurs to a splendid COW pony. A dark
ness prevailed so intense that he could
not see the trail, but the sound Of the
horses hoofs on the beaten earth salts
fed him that he was all right.
After travelling some twelve miles he
came to one of the forks Of the Ci1nar-
ron river and found it very dry, but the
euicksands were very treacherous, and
he had great difficulty in crossing it. He
set a bunch of prairie grass Oh fire so
that he could find the trail at the other
side of the river, which he did success
fully. But the fire which he kindled.
spread more rapidly than he expected,
and he lost nearly twenty minutes put
ting it out, during which his horse broke
loose from him and started to recross
the stream, which it would have done
had it not been for the quicksands. This
was the only time the priest lost his
nerve, and when he regained his horse
he never let go Of the reins again.
After crossing the brow of hill he
saw a fire in the distance, and at II
o'clock at night he arrived at Box ranch.
whose proprietor had thoughtfully set
fire to a haystack as a beacon light for
the priest, whom he expected about that
time. Father Begley did not wait for
refreshments, but took the trail with
fresh horse. and at midnight crossed the
line into NO Mans Land, where he
passed a few settlements and found 4
more distinct trail At 2:1C in the morn
ing he arrived at Mckinley Bros. ranch,
where he got fresh mount, and at once
headed for the northern line of Texas.
He crossed the Adobe Walls trail on
the Canadian river at o'clock In the
morning, and ten minutes thereafter Sc
cured a fresh horse, being guided during
the last hour by the light of quarter
moon that had just risen. At o'clock
in the morning he crossed from mo
Mans Land into Northern Texas and al
rived at Paladaro ranch at 1850 a. NJ.
after completing nearly ITO miles in IL
hours and 80 minutes, a feat which. con-
sidering the nature Of the country, the
darkness of the night and the physical
condition of the man, is acknowledged
by all frontiersmen to constitute the
greatest ride on record.
Only one horse gave out under him
during the whole trip, and that IS what
is called an American horse IN CONTRA
diction to q. COW or Indian pony. This
horse sprained his leg in prairie-dog
hole and walked lame for nearly i've
miles. This happened about O'Clock IN
the morning. and, lacking the excite
ment of the rapid riding, the priest al
most went to sleep in his saddle. LII
Hansford county, Texas, he was met III
the HOIuluS ny WV 1tli lhSi "aAo SpS'A
seeing him riding so fast. thought he
was a horse thief and stopped him, but
his priestly dress soon satisfied them OF
their mistake, and they not only let him
pass, but offered him a fresh horse and
any other assistance he might need. AS
has been already stated, he ate nothing
during the trip and drank but once.
Father EegIey arrived at the ranch just
an hour before Mrs. Quinlan became I'M
conscious and five hours before she died.
He was very much fatigued by, his ride,
Ind did not notice it until after the
woman's soul had departed from the
BODY, for he stayed by her bed until
death took her away
Sympathy.
Eleanor G.. Donnelly9
A golden oil upon LIES creaking
wheels,
- cc,,rf!aSc f,1r