Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-05-11

help" He sat and smoked and slipped
his hand back under his coat. EASY to
shoot the fellow" he said to himself.
We'll, goodby, Stoner." said Warren
suddenly. II suppose the beach road is
as good as ever?''
Perfectly safe only when you cross
Toro creek keep on the sand bar. It's as
hard as iron. 1 crossed there today"
Thank you. Adios!"
Simple, smiling speech, these words
of Stoner's, and yet they were intended
to send Warren to his death more surely
and safely than by bullet of pistol or
pellet of secret poison.
Stoner took an extra swig of brandy
and went to his rest. Warren rode down
the rugged hill to the bottom of the ra-
vine, then turned seaward, and b. last
the wide gulch opened broadly to the
shore of the Pacific.
The cliffs were from 80 to 800 feet
high and full of waveworn caves War
rem drew rein on the beach, and for
fully ten minutes watched the ocean
sway and rise. His thoughts throbbed
with dreams of Tessa. He would take
her away from her narrow and hurtful
surroundings. He would lift her into
happier and better circumstances. He
would force Stoner's consent, marry her
and make her happy.
He rode rapidly south, and in half an
hour the mouth of the Toro appeared,
in the midst Of sand Dunes breakers
rolling in and the steady river flowing
out. Here was the long sand bar, ten feet
wide and stretching across hardly an
inch higher than the watery surface.
Warren was beginning to have some
suspicious of Stoner, but not such as to
lead him to doubt the simple directions
he had received. The sand bar looked
safe, but within few days the sea, as
Stoner knew, had swept it nightly,
torn out the long compacted bar and
placed instead quivering mass of
quicksand, SO treacherous that not even
light footed rabbit could cross with
out being swallowed up and dragged
bodily down. Warren rode swiftly
forward. He had crossed sand bars hun
dreds of times Some horses would have
been wiser, but the animal he rode had
been bred in the valley.
The approach to the bar was hard for
q few rods as he galloped on. Suddenly,
III one heartbreaking, breathless de-
scent, noiseless, but unutterably dread
full, Tom Warren's horse went down.
down, and the soft, Shiny sand came up
to his mane He shrieked out that
ghastly cry Of appeal and agony that a
desperate, dying horse will sometimes
utter.
Tom knew the peril. He had thrown
his feet from the stirrups and drawn
them up at the first downward throb,
but tho sand began to grasp him also.
He threw himself flat on his breast and
tore himself loose from the poor animal.
over whose back the mingled sand and
water were running, as it rolled from
side to side In Intellectual struggles to
escape.
Tom spread himself out over as much
surface as possible, but slowly, resist
lessly, tho mighty force drew him down.
ward. The hard beach was only ten feet
distant, but practically the chasm was
impossible. He felt the horse sink out
of sight. The sand gripped his own knees
and arms, his thighs and shoulders.
Two inches more, and the end by sutfo-
cation was inevitable. Up to this time
he had not shouted. Only his horses
wild death scream had told of the trag-
edy. What was the use? Who would be
passing along that lonely road? Then he
thought of Tessa and of life. He raised
his voice in a clear, strong shout for
help, again and again repeated.
Far off along the deep ravine came a
cry in response and horses hurrying
feet, and hope awoke in his heart. The
margin of life was five minutes now
not longer. Faster, faster, oh, fearless
rider!
tom, where are your"
Here, Tessa. Don't come too near. "
But the mountain girl knew the dam
ger. Creeping down stairs for drink of
water, she had heard her fathers words
to Warren, had thrown shawl about
her shoulders and run to the pasture
Then she caught her pet horse, sprang
upon his unsaddled back, seized a RATA
rs she passed the stable and galloped
at tho utmost speed down the ravine,
hoping against hope, for many minutes
had necessarily elapsed since Warren
started.
She sprang to the ground and tossed
the rawhide rope to the one arm he held
above the sand. She folded her shawl
and put it over her horses shoulders and
tied the RATA around like collar. Then
she led him slowly away from the quick
sands, and Warren thought his arm
would break, but slowly. reluctantly,
painfully, the sand gave up its prey.
Your father told me to take this
road, Tessa," said the young sheriff
Eyes, know that. and heard one
Of the men tell him today that the bar
was swept out.
There was a long silence between
them.
''Tessa, 60 with me to San Luis"
said Warren, land let us be married"
And Tessa went.
Old Stoner heard the news few days
later. Within an hour he had retired
from business. The camp was broken
up, the hunters disappeared, mysterious
lights flashed at intervals all night from
the points of the cliff, and the next day
old Stoner himself disappeared, leaving
his family, the ranch and the live stock.
1t was said that he made the best of
his way to Mexico, and finally to South
America. The world is large as yet,
and men who have money can ramble
| over n DnOd deal of IL without fiudin0 n