Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-12-16

circumstances.
The daughter of the house had
come out to meet him as he APP
preached. When she saw It was her
| own favorite horse he had brought
home. her face lighted up by smile
which went straight to his heart. Be-
fore his visit came to an end he dis
covered that her name was Edith.
What more he discovered about her
no one but himself would know; but
It could not have been otherwise than
pleasant, for he arrived at his home In
the highest spirits. He counted the
days until he thought he might call
again, and he made them as few as he
possibly could. 1t was strong evidence
of Broncho Sans Partially for his
young friend that he took but mild ex-
ception to what must surely be a de-
traction to an embryo cowboy; but
then Sam himself had seen the young
lady. and her grace and sweetness had
made an impression on even his case
hardened sensibilities.
THAR amt no kind o. use in tallSin'
about it," said he; its human natur.
I'm an old man now, but l was young
once myself an know. He's fellow
thet's got sand, an she's a real good
appearin' gal an ] allow it amt no
ones business but theirs"
The road up the valley was narrow
and rough; one side was often much
higher than the other; and many fur
rows and holes lay as pitfalls before
the rider. All riders, however, had
rot such horses as Comanche. He
knew what was expected Of him. With
a splendid stride he went over the
difficult path as If over English turf,
clearing this treacherous gully with a
spring, swerving to avoid that pile
Of earth washed down by the even
ing's rains, leaving one landmark after
They talk to this day Of the time in
which he made the distance.
| Jack sat him like the good horseman
! he was. His excitement was intense,
but every faculty seemed under per-
feet control. One thinks and remem-
bers at such times with unwonted
quickness and vividness. Not knowing
what duty or peril awaited him, nerved
for whatever it might be, he still
found himself wondering whether Sam
and the other man could get the
horses to place of safety. Then he
thought, for what seemed to him a
long time, but was probably few
seconds, of his far-away home. Then
the absorbing theme of what he must
soon encounter took the place of all
else. The horse began to breathe a
little hard, but his pace never slack
ened. At one time Jack fancied he
heard hoofs behind him, but he dis
missed the idea as absurd. The next
moment he saw something which made
his heart beat fast. What had shown
itself in the gray light of dawn as
q slender turbid rill was now a large
stream, and rapidly growing higher.
Instinctively he called to his horse.
Faster the noble animal sped on; the
water was around his feet. There was
turn in the valley where it narrowed
a surging torrent reached his knees as
he rounded the point Of the cliff. In
five minutes he slackened his pace, fo?'
there, parting the flood which eddie,l
around it, tugged and tore at it, hurled
logs and stumps and tree trunks at x,
was Simpsons ranch, and at the win
dow on the lower side was Edith.
In the lee, as it were, of the house,
the water was comparatively quiet and
shallow. In a second he was at the
window, the horse standing still, with
heaving TANKS and laboring breath.
There was scant time for ceremony,
but the expression of joy on the girls
face told the story and he managed
to reach her hand with his. Only a
few words passed at first, Her mother
had spent the night with sick child
at a ranch on the hill. At daybreak,
alarmed at the prospect Of the wash
out" the hands had gone to look after
the stock, and the Mexican woman to
escort her mother back. Then the
flood had come suddenly and cut Of
their return.
Jack always said his plan of rescue
was pure inspiration. At the right
separated from the house by wide
and deep torrent the ground sloped
from a mesa. Could he reach that
slope. He loked around the corner
of the house, the horse barely main
tanning his footing. Halfway up the
slope and few rods above the house
stood the stout stump Of cedar, and
his lariat hung at his saddle bow
How he blessed his practice with 1t!
The first cast was successful, the lool
lay over the stump, and pull tight
ened it. In a moment he was back al
the window; in another, Edith step.
ping from the sill, sat behind him and
chung to him. Again he guided Co.
manche to the corner; he wound the
lariat around the pommel OF the Mexi-
can saddle. He drew long breath
and rode into the torrent. The
thorough bred was swept off his feet
before he had gone ten yards, but he
swan strongly and boldly; the laria'
was taut as a bowstring, but 1t held
It seemed an hour before the middle
of the stream was reached. His breath
beat fast the girl said nothing, but M
felt her clasp tighten; and still tht
horse swan on, and the torrent, balket
by the stout iariat of its prey, actually
aided their escape. They neared tn,
slope; Comanche gained his footing
they were saved! Jack had never
taken his eyes off the horses head ant
! the knot on the pommel, and he hat
never seen stalwart bearded mar
gallop down the slope and jump from
his horse just before they gained th'