The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-07
PART III.

hind her father had been made 50 sud-
,Lcnly that she was In the saddle and
the horse galloping sway before she
realized what was going on. She did
not scream out and she did not faint.
AS the horse sped forward she asked OF
1.-THE man holding her ON the saddle:
''Nhat does this mean--where are you
tnlsiug me-"
"lt's all right, lady-ail right" he re-
piled. "Sorry TO put ye TO any trouble,
but there's no call TO be afraid of US.
We wouldn't hurt you fur TO money"
"Dut you have kidnaped-abducted
mel"
"Ycs, you may call IL that way, but
don't go 20 taking on about it, The
man with you on the platform was your
husband. j take it?''
''iIe is my father"
"It's all the same. He'll want you
back and bc willing TO come down with
the cash. II he comes TO our figger
you'll be back in day or two.
"Then you kidnapped me TO eXtort
money from him?' asked the girl.
that's about the case, but we shan't
be too hard on him. Don't worry on
are all right"
A girl with less nerve would have
tainted. One with less presence OF
mind would have tried TO throw herself
cif the horse. Ninettc was badly up
set over the adventure, but as the gullop
contInued she made herself believe that
it was only money the gang was after,
Il nc cc.N,. 81 ,1,,.. ,a,,1I IN
with her father she would be restored
TO him When the gang drew up TO lay
the ambuscade she knew that a single
rnan was in pursuit. Who could il beT
1T was not her father--it was not one
of the train hands--was il Lieut. Has
kcll? She found herself hoping that
IT vrs, even though she knew one of the
oltlaws had gone into ambush to take
his life. When the man who had been
left behind rejoined his companions he
oalled out: "All right" aud they knew
that they were no longer pursued. The
thorses were taking It easy now, and
Ninette asked of the man behind her:
"Were we being followed?"
"Yes."
"And what has happened?"
"Nyny. the fool who was after us Is
1yin' dead back thar"
The girl was shocked and grieve4. II
might not be Lieut.. Haskell. but in Ler
heart she believed il was. Had il been
daylight the outlaws would have seen
tenrs In her eyes after that. At mid
night the trail took sharp descent
and debouched into a valley, and the
first horsemen to reach the level pulled
up his horse with jerk and cried out:
"Thern devils hev broken loose and
Jumped the ranch and the house is all
afirc."
"Them devils" meant the Indians
from the reservation thirty miles away.
Tlcy had reached the ranch an hour
btfore. There was wounGed man
lying there and half-breed woTaan
Hwho did the cooking. The score of In
tfians met with 10 opposition. They
killed and scalpeG-they plundered and
lear.ed, and when ready to ride away
Ehey set fire to the honse. The wounded
man had told them that Blue Pete and
his gang were out ON the Cedar Hill
trail. and after firing the house the
Indians had gone into ambush rear by.
The four horsemen rode forward cau-
tiously, and had begun to believe that
the Indians had cleared out when tiey
received sudden volley from a dozen
rifles. Three horses and riders went
down---the fourth horse made sud
den spring as a bullet wounded him
and then went tearing away across the
level. This was the horse on which Nj
nette Livingstone was mounted. The
outlaw behind her escaped the first vol
ley. but the horse had not gone two
hundred feet when a second was fired
and he threw up his arms and fell out
of the saddle. She caught the reins as
she settled herself down, but made no
attempt to check the horse. Two or
three of the Indians were mounted ON
horses taken from the ranch, but after
a pursuit of half a mile they gave up
the chase. II was lucky they did, for
at the end of another half mile the
wounded horse caTne 10 halt and lay
down in his tracks and died. AZ ono
O'Clock in the morning the girl sat down
on a stone beside the dead horse and
'tii<Q W itIliLt iifI oAAudtlOn. one IdI
escaped the outlaws--she had escaped
the Indians. but she was alone in tho
root-hills and perhaps worse or than
when a captive. She dared not move
unit, daylight camc. and wheu IL came
how could il benefit her? She crouched
idpwnand shivcred in the cold night air
md shook with fright as the mountain
lions and gray wolves snarled at each
other in the thickets. At three o'clock
in the morning she heard footsteps APP
rroaohiro. Soon thereafter she could
distinguish the head and shoulders of
p rcoF, against the starry sky. An In
uion? No. An outlaw? Perhaps. but
she preferred captivity 20 the present
situation. She rose up with "here /
am" and the next moment Lieut.. Has
Aell stood beside her.
:. IL was not such foolish move on tho
Fart Of the officer 20 continue the pur-