Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-27

Sancha only looked backward to make
certn n he was alone, and none others
SO near they could know what he did.
And what he did was this. Straight
forward he rode, keeping his horse
level with the head of tho herd, SO
SO that he might not lose sight of the
man in front, 1t required his best
skill to do this. The cattle rushed
forward like the wind. They were
more fleet than the horses. Sancha
guaged his own pace in comparison
with theirs, and thought, with sinister
Joy, that Macheco's mount was less
fleet than his own. 1t would be i'm
possible for HIM to keep long ahead of
them. And they were SO near that to
turn and try to cross their path was
certain death. And now Macheco
looked backward again, turning his
bead to the left. And in the instant,
amid the rush and turmoil of the race
he caughta glimpse of Sancha riding
there and knew that his rival was try
ing to compass his death. Before he
had ridden only for life; now he rode
for life and for revenge,
But as he rode new horror rose up
and fronted him. In the distance
something glittered. He looked again
and saw stream of water lying like u
silver band across the landscape.
Upon either side it was edged with
green. 1t was the valley toward which
they had been werding. 1t was this
the cattle had scented, that had filled
them with madness.
Macheco had never seen the place.
But he remembered the other vaauer os
had told him of it, and how it was
skirted by an abrupt cliff and that
only a narrow trail led down to it.
And now the herd was driving straight
for the cliff, and carrying him before
it. Certain death lay beyond.
They were upon the brink. Macheco
could feel the hot breath of the cattle.
He shut his eyes and made one short
prayer and his horse plunged into tho
abyss. And after him went the herds,
beasts by the hundred and the thou
sand, piling up their carcasses on the
green sod they had come such weary
way to find and hiding poor Machcco
forever from the eyes of men.
Sancha watched, and drew rein and
waited. When the patron and the
vaqueros came up he told them the
story in his own way.
''I did all that man could do. He
was ahead of them. L saw the danger
and warned him. And in trying to
turn them was almost carried under
their hoofs."
He ran on volubly, protesting this
again, until the patron stopped him
with word
at would have saved us trouble if
you had bee1," he said; and Sancha
quailed before him and was silent.
They did not search for the body of
Macheco. Piled deep above him were
the carcesses OF the beasts he had SO
long herded.
They turned homewari. All day
the patron rode silently at the hea d of
the cavalcade, but they who knew him
best knew he was not silent because of
the loss of his herds. That night they
made camp beside pool surrounded
by dwarf, stunted trees. They were
the best the desert plain afforded. The
patron examined them carefully; laid
his hand upon one, and calling to his
men said:
"This will do"
"For what, patron?" they asked.
'ro hang this hound upon" ho
answered, turning suddenly upon
Sancha. mot because he let my cattle
go over the bluff, but because he killed
Macheco.
He gave his orders rapidly. Some
of the men came forward and seized
Sancha. One produced lariat and
placed the loop around his neck.
Another swung the other end across
the low limb of tree. In u moment
his feet dangled above the ground
When they rode on in the gray of the
next morning, the vultures gathered
and began the picking of Sancha's
bones. New Orleans Times Democrat