The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-08

at this point, he turned into the road
The colonel watched the flying figures
1 until they were lost to sight in the
dusty distance. then turned away with
an impatient sigh
Through the frightening shadows
pursued and pursuers sped on. The
| brown horse, fresh from the stable, was
! swift and sure of foot and his rider
handled him with consummate skill,
holding him at a steady gait that
neither lost nor gained upon the men
| who followed. Up gentle fluctuations.
down little hills, through patches of
| shady wood and out again into the
sunshine. Mile after mile slipped away
under the flying hoofs. The three
horsemen and their horses were getting
blown.
Halt" yelled the foremost. The road
led into the depths of a pine forest
Halt, or we shoot" ne cried.
The young officer sped round a curve
in the road, and was lost to sight.
When his purSuers again caught sight
of him the brown horse showed signs
of tagging, and they had gained per-
ceptibly.
Halt, or we shoot" rang out the
command again.
Shoot if you dare, towards" called
back a clear. daunfless voice.
A bullet ,whizzed past the fugitive's
ear and lodged in the trunk of a pine
tree. The brown horse plunged and
reared and galloped on. Another bullet
tore a hole in the blue coat sleeve
The three men leaned forward in
their laddles and urged on their labor
ing steeds. The pine trees hung heavy
and low across the path.
stop, and you are safe-go on, and
We'll shoot you down. painted the
leader.
Another instant and the fugitive had
drawn rein, so suddenly that his horse
fell back upon his launches. His hat,
caught by a dropping pine bough, had
been dragged from his head. The fore
most of the pursuers saw a white hand
raised hastily, as if to stay the flood of
golden glory that tumbled down in
many shimmering ripple and sunny
curl upon the fugitive'S shoulders; saw
him turn about his exhausted horse,
and saw-odds guns and pistolslthat
the young officer was no young officer
al all, but a lovely young girl, with
flushed cheeks and bright, exultant
eyes-clad in an ill-ftting uniform of
a colonel in the continental army As
the three drew up almost abreast in
the road facing her, She-r-lid, Smllingly:
Gentlemen, the chase is over. You
have done bravely, but Lieutenant
Balfour has escaped you
And you, madam" said one OF the
udQ yOu A1O
scrupleS in misleading US, and hinder
ing his capture? And do you know
that there is a penalty attached to
voluntarily aiding in the escape of a
traitor?"
La, is there?" said Betty. saucily.
TT concerns me not, for 1 have aided
no traitor TO escape. And, pray, since
you are so learned in law, what is the
penalty attached to such a crime as
that of galloping ten miles after de-
fenseless woman, because, forsooth,
she has a fancy to ride forth attired
in her fathers old uniform? Methinks
it should be heavy. And do you know
sirs, that one of your bullets pierced a
hole in my fathers coat sleeve, and
came near to shattering my army? File,
fe upon your And, chirruping 10 her
horse, Betty rode fearlessiy through
the midst of her late pursuers, I'M
challenged and unmolested. And
Lieutenant Balfour, Is miles I'D the |
river, galloped away TO safety through |
the deepening dusk.
FRANCIS A SCHNEIDER