Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-05-01

IL was like n s lVer tnreau IN the
moonlight, stretching across the
plains until 1t seemed lost In the
foothills of the mountains, and be
bad but little tear OF striking any.
tbiqg that would iuinre his wheel,
so long as he kept in the middle
of it, but to venture TO escape the
dust by riding on either side was
TO court defeat, for the cactus
thorns were plentiful, and strong
enough to easllV penetrate the
rubber tires.
In an incredibly short time re
found himself at the end of his fret
ten miles and felt but very little
the worse for the ride that far. on
TO the east, probably a mile, he
could see the rays of light from a
ranch house, but he had no desire
to ask for the assistance OF horse
now. He believed that he had a
better chance of succeeding with
the wheel.
Such.a thing as the execution be-
ing DELAYED until later than four
O'Clock had never entered his
mind. Ever since the trial he had
thought of the people there more
as fiends than as human beings,
and he had no doubt that before
the clock in The Wild r Ick iAll
had finished striking the bour OF
four bis friend would be launched
into eternity through the trap OF
a gallOws if he did not reach there
in time to rescue him. Sometimes
he feared that they even might set
the clock ahead little, and then
he would throw such an additional
ferce onto the pedals as to send
his steel steed around the
sharp turns of the mountain road
at a dangerous speed. MAuy times
be came near striking the heavy
bOwldrrs that lined the road. So
mil aculOus was his escape from
these that 1t seemed az though
kind Providence was guiding his
machine.
When the second ten miles had
been completed he found that his
pace was ling on him, and his
heart sank as he thought ut tue
distance that still lay between nim
and the gallows impatiently await.
ing 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
iend, the hangnan. He would do
it.
In tue third ten miles it was
necessary to cross three mountain
streams that were unbridged. At
two of these he found 1t possible
to carry his wheel across by step
ping from stode to stone, but at
the other he had to wade across,
and the mOmeDtsry delay seemed
many times as long as 1t really was
and once on the road again he put
forth every effjrt make up the lost
time.
As he rode out OF the mountains
on to the level roads that stretch
ed straight away to the north FOL
seven miles to Wild Rock, his heaC
seemed TO he in a constant whir'
the heel seemed to run in zlgZsl
fashion over the road and then L
stop entirely for minutes at time
But dominant with the rider wa
that intense purpose to succeed
to beat the fiendish sheriff to th'
goal. He kept repeating, tim
after time: "I'Il do it, I'll do il!
1t lacked a quarter to four whel
he pissed the first scattere
houses OF the town. He had grow
simply a part of the machine. an
threw his force hrst on one an
then on the other OF the pedal
only because he had been dong s.
for how long-ts the rider 1t seem
ed for weeks.
The fierce barking of the town
n lmerable dogs aroused the sleeI
ing popuIace along the bushes
street, whose curiosity brougt
them to the windows to see til
cause of the cOmmotion. But onl
a white cloud of alkaIl dust, visibl
Ia the breaking dawn, was to
seen. The man and the whe
neared the end of the stragglln
street, but the pace Tad neve
slAckened until with crash u
, wheel struck the steps leading
the door OF the sheriff's office.
, side we're the two men Of the deal
watch and the sheriff. When tn
i. prisoner had given up sll'hope
the pardon reaching him, he aske