The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-07-13

side of the panic stricken herd. In the
ordinary maneuyers Of the cattle Taylor
had but little use for his bride rein; she
knew quite as well as he the proper thing
on such occasions. and in cutting ont cat
tie no steer could hope to evade her. either
by dashine into a thicker TT by crowding |
into the dense portions Of the herd She /
never lost sight or scent of the marked bo |
vine. or failed to bring her rider alongside. /
Tavlor valued her above all else in his /
possession He allowed no one to ride or
even stake her cut to grass, and he unually |
reserved her for stampedes and other
special occasions that required the best
horses as well As the best men
And 50 it happened a. they rode that
night and watched the moon-shadows grow
long and slender before them that 1t sud
denly dawned upon Taylor that for some
time his horse had been aiding them in
following the trail and he exultingly
shouted .Cofiey, we shall catch them
sure just fall behind little and watch
Bess for few rods dropping the reins
a. he spoke over the horn Of his saddle
The noble animal feeling her head at lib
erty. sheered at once into the trail and fol
lowed Its every tun A. beagle follows the
hare.
The discovery was most timely. for
short distance beyond they iound the trail
had been crossed and recrossed for several
miles BY a band of mustangs. which doubt
les, scented the horses of the outlaws.
+ and obliterated the trail in manner that
must otherwise have delayed the pursuers
for hours.
And now at last the moon went down
and the darkness that precedes the dawn
/ brooded ike pail over that great billoyy
T prairie. where the pale horse. unchecked
aud untiring. plunged along No rem
guided her footsteps; no word Of command
{ reached her ear.
The light Of approaching day stole over
the plain. and the dewdroI~ upon the rank
/ gra,, sparkled in the rays Of the morning
sun. The Ettle scissor tails, with their
+ plaintive notes fitted about in the mes
quit tress that sparsely dotted the land
+ ~sape, and far aboVe in a sky serenely
+ blue these ever present great carTion birds,
.s, graceful IN distant flight and 81 repul
sive when AZ hand. Goaied about in circles
that seemed To- realize the very poetry II
motion
But the eyes If Taylor aud Coicy a
they reached the crest ~ divide that
commanded quite an extensive view Of
the country. we're 6xed upon iva objects
moving slowly along few miles in ad
vance But a single glance and a word.
The hor>.-- were ~uddeuls stopped and
turned back down the slope where the
men dismounis,l 10 prepare ior the enopunt
r. whieh bath deemed inevitable.
You haze done yuur duty well old
gal aud now We u DE- ours said Taylor.
ralting the ae,k II hi horse afiectionately
Whsn they again assembled the ridge the
two objects had disappeared over a distant
.ssn and putting spar To their horses they
ha,te,,ed To cl,-e the distance between err
ghty pere discovered
The surprise of the outlaws when they
hr.t eaueht sight If their pur-uer>--whe
had u,auy~uyrsd - >tillfally that they we're
I,=- than halt a mile away was dnabtleSs
yrry great.
For a moueu, they drew Together as #
for consultation but unprincipled raihaus
D. the, werr. they did no, lack courage
and a, -.u As they saw that their par
.,irer~ dd no, nuinnmber them they At
ouec decided Ia give battle
There werr uo prclitainarie-, no attenspt
ysas made hy either side ca adjust the little
difficulty aud the first shcck was short
sharp aud decisive. CcfGey and Taylor
sl,y-.-l Ia a. rapidly a, possible Rpm the
outlaws. vho had unstrnmg their carbiues.
faced about and sat upon their horses
s,,olly awaiting their approach Both
sides opened FIRE a. >oon a. they sn' fairly
within range,
Well mounted aud equally well armed
- the outlaws were IL would seem at hrst
glance, a, Il aeither side had any advantage
apou that open plain, bat the onslaught
s.-,u demonstrated that the latter we're no
match for those two coal, determined
marx -meu. whose hye- had beeu spent
among the big game aud hostile Indian
tribes, Of Western TexR~
\ - eahhre bullet struck Garter in the
shoulder, SCATTERING .he bone The arm
dropped helpless. and his earbine fell.
A. he stopped in the saddle To r,aaiR it
with the other hand, his horse suddenly
SHE'D and he fell ncsvJly 10 the ground,
hi foo, pushing through the stirruP and
out beneath the dew soaked tapadera,
when the now thoroughly frightened AMI
NAL dashed madly If dragging hi> rider
at his heel,
Smith took in the situation At a glance,
but he could offer no assistance. and hurl-
ing Il curse deep and vindietive at his as
sailants he put spurs To his horse. and
before they realized his intentions was go
ins at full speed toward belt Of timber
that skiued creek abou, mile 10 the
north
Then there ensued race, with life or
death for the stakes. The outlaws : horse
was the freshest and he had gained start
Of several rods The magazines of the
carbines held only seven cartridges each,
nearly all Of which had already been used,
!. and as the disadvantage Of an empty gun
under present conditions was not to be ig
nored the remaining shots could not be
risked in uncertainties, Ii he could reach
the timber, he could then laugh at his
pursurers, Of pick them Oa at leisure If
they did not speedily get out of range.
but an obstacle unseen and unsupported
Law between him and this city of refuge
Just before reaching the trees his horse
stopped abruptly ON the bank ct y dry
arroyo. and refused e. descend.
There was not IA moment TO lose He
sprang from the saddle and dashed down
into the gulch But glance must have
satisfied him that it offered no protection,
and its level, sandy bottom could be raked
bv shots from either direction Up the
opposite bank and oyef the intervening
space toward the timber he ran but the
delay bad been fatal, as the Texans had
now reiped up their steeds On the opposite
hank.
Two more shots rang from their carbines
and the outlaw fell, struck by both bull
let's He struggled to his feet, but finding
/ L., o,,,IJ not stapl shnutad. Y IN ve