The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1896-04-29
WEDNESDAY,. APRIL 20, 1896
FALSE DAWN.


der and begging me TO tell him where
Edith Copleigh was when another lull
came and brought light with it. and we
saw the dust cloud forming on the plain
in front of us. So we knew the worst
was oyer. The moon was low down, and
there was just like the glimmer of the
false dawn that comes about an hour
before the real one. But the light was
very faint, and the dun cloud roared like
a bull. | wondered where Edith Cop
leigh had gone, and as l was wondering
I saw three things together First. Maud
Copleigh's face came smiling out of the
darkness and moved toward Saumarez,
who was standing by mel heard the
girl whisper, "George, - and slide her
arm through the arm that was not claw
ing my shoulder, and | saw that look on
her face which only comes once or twice
in a lifetime, when a oma is perfect.
ly happy and the air is full Of trumpets
and gorgeous colored fire and the earth
turns into cloud because she loves and
Is loved-at the same time ! saw Sau-
marez's face as he heard Maud Cop
leigh's voice, and so yards away from
the clump of orange trees ! saw a brown
holland habit getting upon a horse.
1t must have been my state Of over
excitement that made me go quick to
NEEDLE with what did not concern me.
Saumarez was moving off to the habit,
but l pushed him back and said stop
here and explain. I'll fetch her back"
And | ran out TO get at my w horse.
! had u perfectly unnecessary notion that
everything must be done decently and
IN order aud that Saunarez's first care
was to wipe the happy look out Of Maud
Copleigh's face. All the time l was
linking up the curb chain l wondered
bow he would do it.
Icantered after Edith Copleieh. think
lag to bring her back slowly Oh some
pretense or another. But she galloped
away as somn IN she saw me, and | was
forced to ride after her in earnest. She
called back over her shoulder: $50
away. I'm going home. Oh. go awayP'
two Or three times, but my business was
TO catch her first aud argue later. The
ride Just fitted in with the rest of the evil
dream. The ground was very bad and
now and again we rushed through the
whirling, choking dust devils' in the
skirts of the flying storm. There vas a
burning hot wind blowing that brought
up a stencil Of stale brick kilns with il,
and through the half light and through
the dust devils across that desolate plain
fiickered the brown holland habit on the
gray horse. She headed for the station
at first. Then she wheeled round and set
off for the river through beds of burned
down jungle grass. bad even to ride pig
over. In cold blood l should never have
dreamed Of going over such a country
at night. hut it seemed quite right and
natural with the lightning cracking
overhead and a reek like the smell Of
the pit in my nostrils. | rode and shout
ed. and she bent forward and dashed her
horse, and the aftermath Of the dust
storm anne up and caught us both and
drove us downward like pieces of paper.
l don't know how far we rode. but
the drumming of the horse hoofs, and the
oar Of tho wind. and the race of the
blood red moon through the yellow mist
seemed to have gone ON for years and
years, and l was literally drenched with
sweat from my helmet to my CATERS
when the gray stumbled, recovered him.
self and drew up dead lame. My brute
was used mp altogether. Edith Copleigh
was in a sad state. plastered with dust,
her helmet off and crying bitterly.
why can't you lot mo alope?' she
said. II only wanted to get away and
go home. Oh. please let mt goP'
"You have got 10 come back with me.
Miss CopleiPh. Saumarez has something
to say TO you,'
1t was a foolish way of putting it, but
/ hardly knew Mss Copleigh, and
though | was playing providence at the
cost of my horse ! could not tell her in
as many words what Saumaroz had told
me. thought he could do that better
himself. All her p%retense about being
tired and wanting TO go homo broke
down, and she rocked herself 10 grd fro
in the saddle ~ she soAhed, and the bot
wind blow her black hair to laelsard. |