The herald., 1896-07-09

snort tlIile
From that day he became almost bru-
tai in manner He read all the letters
before they were sent and large vein
of viciousness seemed to break out in his
nature. His mine, of course, did not
turn out as he wished, and he vented
the wrath of his disappointment on his
wife and daughter. There was no pleas
ure in life for either of them, and by the
time Carrie was 16 years old she felt the
injustice of being compelled to pass her
days amid such uncongenial surround
ings and entreated her father to let her
and mother go away, II only Tor little
while. This only added to his fury. ana
many times he became so enraged Una :
he threatened their lives. Mother and
daughter frequently contemplated es-
cape, but always gave up the idea after
turning over in their minds the awful
dangers of the venture. They did not
know the way across the desert sands
and besides the only horses about the
place were two old creatures who could
do little more than carry them. Jef-
ferry had a fine animal. but he used 1t
all the time and seldom If ever let 1t out
of sight.
Visitors never came to the stone house
on the edge of the desert, as the road ran
some distance to the west.
AS time went on mother and
daughter occasionally contemplated su-
Jeffery grew suspicious. and to make
Wings as unbearable as he could he
hired an old Indian to act as spy and see
that his wife and daughter did not leave
him. The Indian was miserable wretch
who would not have hesitated to commit
murder. He did his duty so well that
mother and daughter were kept in con-
slant fear of their lives. Things daily
became more and more unpleasant. and
Mrs. Jeffery's health began to fail to
such an extent that she threatened to
break down.
This was the state of affairs about
the 1st of last March, just after Carrie
Jeffery's mines had failed to turn out
as he expected, he concluded to send
the Indian spy for the old wizard who
had guided him to the locality, to tell
him what was wrong.
1t so happened that the morning the
Indian left. Walter Newton, professor
of geology in a Pennsylvania univer-
sity, came upon the Jeffery spring, and
after drinking lay down beside it to
rest. At this moment Carrie came for
a bucket of water She almost lost
breath at the sight of stranger, and
Walter thought he must be dreaming
when he saw pretty girl in white
muslin dress trimmed with pink rib
bons standing before him.
L
quainted, and before the day was over
Walter had met Mrs. Jeffery and heard
most of the story of the cherries lives
of the two women. He wanted to stay
there and have a talk with Jeffery as
soon as he came from the mine, but
Carrie feared her father would kill him
and induced him to leave. Walter went
back to his party, few miles south, and
told them that he had discovered some
interesting indications in a certain can
yon, and intended to make thorough
investigation. He promised to Join the
party in week or so.
The next morning when Carrie went
to the spring Walter was lying in the
same place as the day before, but their
greetings were somewhat different.
They felt like old friends, and somehow
Carrie had forgotten all about her de-
sire to leave the desolate region.
Walter had made up his mind, simply
for humanity's sake, to help the two
women. and commenced his plans at
once. He found out all about the Indian
spy, and fairly boiled with rage at the
idea. He also discovered a deep canyon
about a mile from the Jef.e9y house
where he could stay at night and avoid
danger from being seen in the daytime.
Another thing he found was cave a
few hundred feet deep not far from the
spring. Walter had to keep out of sight
managed to see a good deal of Carrie
ar ner mother.
was a week before the Indian re-
trmed, saying that the wizard could not
come before the next moon. Jeffery al
once started for his mine, and in less
than an hour she Indian was in the deep
est recesses of the cave, tied hand and
foot, Walter having managed to jump
on him from behind a rock and subdue
the coward without much trouble.
Jeffrey was in no hurry to come back
from the mine. and in week many
things had happened. Walter had told
Carrie the old, old story beside the
tspring in the barren desert, and no
doubt it sounded as sweet to her ears
as to any woman that ever lived, for she
accepted him on the spot and mamma
gave her consent at once. 1t was planned
that they should all leave as soon as
possible.
There was no hitch in the arrange
ments. A note was left on the table
telling Jeffery that hey had gone, and
that the Indian was tied up in the cave
back of the spring, but with plenty of
food and water to last him a month or
more.
The two women bade farewell to their
prison that afternoon, and in company
with Walter, started across the desert
just as the sun was setting. This was to
give them a start by preventing Jeffery
following their trail in case he returned
that night Walters horse was a fine,
powerful brute, but those ridden by the
two women were the poor, jaded crea-
lures belonging to Jeffery and could not
be depended upon for any great amount
of speed.
The night trip across the southern part
of the desert was trying one to the two
women. To them every ghostly cactus
appeared to be some enemy, and in the
awful stiffness they fancied the howl OF
every wild beast to be the enraged Jeff
cry in pursuit.
No stop was made until morning, when
they had reached the western side of the
desert and there was little sign of vege-
tation. At a point called Windy Gap a
road commenced that led to Hinckley, &
station on the Atlantic and Pacific rail.
road. Walter, however, decided to cut
across the desert for DagSett and there
take the train for Los Angeles. 1t was
about seventy miles, and at the-.end OF
three days they had covered all but ter
of it without being compelled to urge
their horses. The next morning, after
they had been an hour or so on the road
a cloud of dust in the distance told OF
pursuit. BY the aid of a powerful glass
Walter assured himself that Jeffery was
on the trail. The horses were urged tc
their utmost, but it was a losing game
from The start, and the cloud of dust
grew nearer and nearer until it was not
more than four miles in the rear.
Walter had determined not TO give ir
and also made up his mind to shoot if il
became necessary. Mrs. Jeffery and Car
rie never lost courage When the cloud
of dust had gained another mile a sud
den turn in the road brought them to a