Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-11

out of the stockades, and the Tories, seeing
they had been led into a trap sought to
withdraw and seek safety in their fort, but
the retreat degenerated into rout and
the rout into massacre.
Grierson only reached the water in safe
ty, and plunging in at point quarter of
amile below the ford started across serene
in the consciousness that no horse but his
could breast the current at that place and
twirling his black mustache in we'll as
sumed Indifference But when 20 rods
from the bank birch canoe shot out from
under the fringe of willows, and from
another point came another, and then
another, and another, until nearly dozen
appeared, each piled by two pairs of skilled
and snewy arms and racing toward the
swimming horseman. He recognized then
the completeness of the trap in which at
last he was fated to be so miserably caught
AS the first of them came up he flung his
empty pistols ut their heads and was
knocked from his seat with a paddle for
his pains. In the water he fought like an
otter, diving and struggling, upsetting
couple of boats and fairly getting the best
of it until we'll directed blow struck him
senseless, and then, bound hand and foot
he was padded ashore and his horse swum
back by one of the party.
Back up to the stockade on the hill they
carried him, where, with returning con-
seriousness, his audacity returned, and he
flung grim jests at his capturers, railing
fellow he had nearly drowned, and with
racy songs and witty stories worked them
all into rollicking humor ere the sun
reached it's meridian.
And then he cast aside the assumed air
of good fellowship and stood forth an I'M
mitigated braggart, boasting of his own
prowess and telling of feats his horse had
performed. II s'pose your mare can jump
that palisade?" one Of them, the leader,
sarcastically suggested. Certainly she
can," Grierson replied indifferently
"Make her do it, and you are free man"
was the sneeringly given response. The
Tory rolled lazily over, exposing the thongs
that held him, and though the men under
stood his meaning there was some hesita-
ton before they were cut, being one and
all surprised at his seriousness in propos-
ing to take advantage of the merely idle
proposition and attempt feat made alb
y.
But the effort promised some sport and
recommended itself as a bit of refined tor
ture, and he was Embossed amid some jok-
ing and coarsely satirical comments. He
sat up and for moment sat chatting his
wrists, continuing unblushingly all the
while the flow of braggadocio, and then,
whistling to his mare which came trot
ting up with low whinny of delight, he
climbed into the saddle with stiffness
born, of his recent rough handling 1t was
all grim farce, but Grierson was taking
1t with an earnestness that was pathetic,
seemingly persuaded by his own lies that
the animal was really able to do it.
The small diameter of the Enclosure
made 1t impossible to secure running
start for the attempt, and so, in lieu Of
that, he began by trotting around the Cir
ole, gradually increasing his speed until it
was mad run, and then, with wild yell
and haunting laugh, he buried the rowels
of his spurs in Wild Goose sides and over
she went, as lightly as bird. With oaths
and cries the patriots rushed outside, their
weapons cooked and primed, but already
he was beyond rifle shot, riding with an
easy grace that showed his stiffness in the
stockade to have been counterfeited and
benevolently smiling back over his Shout
der at the thick headed clowns he so easily
outwitted.
But his period of freedom was not long,
for soon Augusta itself was taken, and
with it Brown and Grierson. The leader
Of the party responsible for the latter
capture and subsequent escape had been a
veritable Nemesis on the trail of the Tory
ever since, spurred on by the double mo-
tive Of ohagrin and revenge, and fancied
that at last the mans just deserts would
be melted out to him, but discovered that,
by the terms of capitalization, he was to be
held inviolate from all bodily harm. Grier-
son had hung his brother and shot down
his old father without provocation or
warning, and the penalty Of this and a
hundred similar misdeeds he seemed about
to escape and to return to England, an hon
ored officer in his majesty's service, per-
haps to be lauded for his loyalty and placed
in a position to win further honors.
A detachment had been detailed to
guard his place Of conflnement-a cellar
on Broad street, under building on the
site of the present old Eagle and Phenix
hotel-to prevent the enraged soldiery
from doing violence to him. He had for
moment come to the top to catch breath
Of fresh air, and sitting there on the steps,
with his head above ground, was the Gym
osure Of thousand angry eyes. Up the
street and slowly trotting in his direction
was continental mounted Oh the blooded
horse Of the captive, with his rifle across
the saddle pommel and his sword dangling
at his side. Grierson watched with a sort
Of bitterness what he considered the de-
basement of the intelligent brute that
caught sight of him and whinnied recog-
milton. The rider, absorbed in himself,
failed to notice it until directly opposite,
and then, only with darting under
glance that swept from the Tory's head to
the rifle and from the rife back to the
Tory. A breath Of fame leaped from the
latter's muzzle, and ere the sharp report
had died away Wild Goose, urged relent-
lessly on with whip and spur, had carried
Its rider-who at last had indicated his
ability to act as astutely as the Tory had
done, and at the same time satiated his
revenge-safely away, while Grierson lay
dead on the cellar steps, jagged hole be-
tween his eyes and an ounce bullet in his
brain.-Jas Jacques in Brooklyn Eagle.
The MRno1uka In E0vnt.