The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-03-26

the wheel, he would stop at the frss
ranch-house he passed and get horse.
In an incredibly short time he found
himself at the end Of his first ten
miles and felt but very little the worse
for the ride that far. OF to the east,
probably mile, he could see the rays
Of light from ranch house. but he had
no desire to ask for the assistance OF
u horse now. He believed that he had
q better chance Of succeeding with tho
wheel.
Such thing as the execution being
delayed until later than four, o'clock
had never entered his mind. Ever
since the trial he had thought of tbs
people there more as fiends than as
human beings, and he had no doubt that
before the clock in the Wild Rock Jail
had finished striking the hour of four
his friend would be launched into
eternity through the trap of gnllows
ii he did not reach there in time to
rescue him. Sometimes he feared
that they even might set the clock
ahead a little. and then he would
throw such an additional force onto
the pedals as to send his steel steed
around the sharp turns of the noun
tain road at a dangerous speed. Many
times he came near striking the heavy
powders that lined the road. So
miraculous was his escape from these
that it seemed as Though kind Provi.
dence was guiding his machine.
When the second ten miles had been
completed he found that his pace was
telling on him, and his heart sank as
he thought of the distance that still lay
between him and the gallows i'm.
patiently awaiting it's prey. He looked
at his watch and found that his first
20 miles had cost him less than two
hours of time, and he had over two
hours left in which to beat that fiend,
the hangman. He would do it.
In the third ten miles it was neces-
| sary to cross three mountain streams
that were unbridged. At two of these
re found it possible TO carry his wheel
across by stepping from stone to stone,
hut at the other he had to wade across,
and the momentary delay seemed
many times as long 90 it really was,
and once on the road again he put
forth every effort to make up the lost
| time.
AS he rode out of the mountains on
to the level road that stretched
straight away to the north for seven
miles to Wild Rock, his head seemed to
be in constant whirl, the wheel
seemed to run in zigzag fashion over
the road and then to stop entirely for
minutes at time. But dominant with
the rider was that intense purpose to
succeed; to beat the fiendish sheriff to
the goal. He kept repeating, time after
time: "I'll do it! I'll do it,"
1t lacked a quarter to four when he
passed the first scattered houses of the
town. He had grown simply a part OF
the machine, and threw his force first
on one and then on the other of the
pedals only because he had been doing
so for how long-to the rider it seemed
for weeks.
The fierce barking of the towns in.
Vulnerable dogs aroused the sleeping
populace along the business street
whose curiosity brought them to the
windows to see the cause of the COM
motion. But only white cloud OF
alkali dust, visible in the breaking
dawn, was to be seen. The man and the
wheel neared the end Of the struggling
street, but the pace had never slackened
until with a crash the wheel struck the
steps leading to the door of the sheriff's
office. Inside were til, two men of the
death watch and the sheriff. When tho
prisoner had given up all hope Of the
pardon reaching him, he asked to be
left alone and the sheriff had willingly
complied with his request.
At the sound of the noise made by the
wheel striking the steps the sheriff
stepped to the door and looked out. Al
the bottom of the steps lay the broker
wheel, and off to one side Icy the un
conscious form of a man. Summonina
the assistance of the two men with him
they carried the man into the Office ant
did what they could to restore him tt
consciousness.
"Some young Teller what was ridin
round at night on a bicycle has rur
into the steps outside and hurt him
SELF" replied the sheriff.
The prisoner was too much absorbed
in his own fate to give the matter fur
Their thought for a moment, and in thu
meantime the stranger seemed to b.
recovering from the shock he had re
ceived. But the long ride and the heavy
fall had been too severe, and when HI
recovered sufficiently from the latte
to speak it was with mind wandering
with the first symptoms of fever tina
was destined to last for days. The frs
words uttered in this condition gave ,
shock to the three men in the offic,
and carried a thrill OF hope to the con
demned man.
"Am l in time? must be! 1t ism
four o'clock yet! You mustn't hang
him!"
Its Burgess" cried the prisoner
springing from the cot on which he hat
been sitting. HE has the pardon,
know he has!"
A search throuph the straDper'