The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-25

through drifts and over iee-crusted
! banks, With her rough-shod feet her
] chances were 40 to a mans one.
The cries ceased; but, in spite of the
/ distance that still lay between him and
/ his Dursuers. Jim heard the cracking
1 sound of a hundred moccasined feet on
the snow, and he knew the war party
was closing around him.
Jenny was weakening with fright
and fatigue, and only the last danger
I Gus slope and the broad icy river re-
NAMED to be crossed. His only saliva
ton lay IL the little exhausted steed
he had loved and petted for years.
Laying his hand on her ouivering,
swollen neck, he whispered:
Jenny. ole girl. don't fail me; pull
US through. Jenny, Jenny, don't go
back or Teller when he's just found
out what Twin means, and who'll live
better, so help him, if just once more
he kin see her eyes a-laughing and her
brown hair a-shining in the sun. That S
the girl, brace Up; you're the best
chum man ever had.
Straining every muscle in response
to the caresses, the plucky little beast
cleared til last drift and struck the
trail leading to the river. With a yell
of RAGE the war party swept down the
mountain sides, floundering with diff
ficulty through the drifts A bullet
whizZed past the flying pony; a second
partly severed a wing from one Of the
frozen chickens; then came another
and another.
The savages would at least kill this
quarry, if they were to be defrauded of
the chance of torture.
Just as the bank of the stream was
reached, Jim's right arm dropped use
less at his side. 1t stung a little, and
the blood made q scarlet trail on the
road.
In moment more the fugitives were
on the river and in spite of Jennys
cautious advance, the treacherous ice
was quaking and cracking under every
football
In the middle of the stream a second
shower of bullets greeted them, spat-
tering over the icy eXDanse-one clip
ping a hole in the crown of Jim'S hat,
While another struck poor little Jenny
squarely III the heart. AS she lurched
heavily forward the ice gave way, and
the water. deadly cold, surged over
horse and rider.
For brief moment, as he sank en-
tangled in the stirrups, it occurred to
Jim that the fight might be up. But
once again at the surface, with the
dizziness OF man accustomed TO des-
perate emergencies, he extricated him
self from the saddle and by the dexter
Gus use of his feet managed to float
along the edge OF the broken ice, test
ing the crust, as he dritted, with his
one strong hand.
Little by little, exhausted by loss of
blood and cold, Jim worked his way
along, cautiousl-- drew his body over
the cracking edge, and eraWled slowly
and with great difficulty, to the shore.
Once there the danger was past, for the
Indians feared both the treachery of
the river and possible ambush on
land.
Bandaged and freshly dressed, smil-
ing family at the attentions pressed
upon him, was the hero of the Widows
THANKSGIVING reception. At 10 o'clock
that night the light was still stream
ing through the cabin window, and the
whole camp allowed, as it sought con
ISOLATION" over Jake's bar, that Jim
was altogether too previous a critter."
Their spirits revived however. when
they reverted to the prestige that
would accrue to the Gulch from a gen
uine wedding.