The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-01-20

'How little satisieg the contented
soul ]" said ], laughing.
"Littlep she exclaimed. 81 have
everything" 3" She gave me another
look that made my head swim.
"What IS that rumbling sound?"
Elinor asked dreamily, after we had
gone a little farther
I halted the team to listen. As /
did 80 1 felt my strength leave me.
Only once had / heard that sound, but
1 knew it now.
"What is it?" repeated Elinor, see-
ing my blanched face.
"rhe north herd has stnmpeded.
Perhaps they may take mp the gulch
oh, my Godl"
As | spoke there came over the
knoll, and directly toward ms, the
rushing, believing, irresistible mass
of maddened cattle. To attempt fight
was useless. We could not move far
enough over the rough ground. We
could not escape unless the cattle
could be diverted from the course
they were taking.
/ reached quickly over the dash
board and cut the traces that fastened
the horses to the carriage. The poor
beasts stood still, trembling. They
knew their danger. I lashed them
desperately with the whip, and they
sprang away, terror stricken, over the
plains. The leaders in the center of
the herd, seeing the fleeing horses,
swerved aside to follow them, and the
whole mass began to swing, as though
on pivot, toward the right. 1
gave gasp of relief; but in an
other instant 1 saw that the herd
was too large to make so short turn.
The left edge of the great circle
reached far beyond us, and was bear
ing down on us with awful speed. In
q moment or two it would pass over
us. There was no hope.
Mechanically drew Eliuor to me,
and she, scarcely realizing the danger,
nestled her head against my shoulder.
1 knew now what the odd, haunting
misgiving had meant. 1t was fore
boding, a warming. 1 had disregarded
it, and lured my darling to terrible
death. A few moments more and the
cowboys following the herd would
pick up her mutilated body and carry
it to the home she had never seen, and
in which We had hoped to be so happy.
1t was a grain of consolation to think
that should die with her. 1 closed
my eyes, straining Elinor to my breast
while awaited the shock.
1t seemed that we had set thus for
hours it could have been but few
seconds in realty--when ! heard cry
which, but for the desperate determin.
alton that vibrated through it, would
have scarcely sounded human.
opened my eyes in time to see a man
whom l recognized as the India1
| Shauk, force his mustang against thu
left edge of the advancing herd.
steer on the outer ring sweryed lit
tie to the right, and thrust his Ions
horns into the flank of one of hi
neighbors. The injured animal fel
upon his knees, and those Immediately
following crowded into the main hero
to avoid him.
Again and again, with almost in
credible rapidity, was the little mus.
tang forced against that moving mas,
as it raced down the slope, and eacl
time the left portion of the hero
swung few feet to the right. Shauk
was only following the cowboys
custom of making the cattle run in
circle, but knew from the desperate
energy with which he lGboIed that hI
was now doing it to save our lives
And I could only SIT and watch him al
foot by foot he crowded the gallopinG
beasts from the course that would
bring them laundering over the car
riage.
One final charge of the mustang
when the herd was but few feet from
us, and then the brutes went flying
past. Half a dozen steers shot ou
around our left, but none collide(
with the carriage, and we were un
harmed. 1 sat and watched the cattlt
disappear down the gulch, and saw
Shank stop his reeking pony besid
the carriage. Then J knew no more
When / became conscious 1 was il
my room at the ranch house, an(
Elinor was bending over me.
ooh, Frank, she cried, ~ am so glat
you are yourself once morel" Sh
kissed me again and again and reste'
her cheek against mine as if she coult
never leave me- Finally, however
she drew suddenly away and said
"The man who saved our lives is out
side the door. wouldn't let him &
away"
She led in Shauk, who received m,
fervent thanks in his usual stolit
manner aud refused to say anything
Neither would he accept any of th
little presents that Elinor, who knev
nothing of Ais history, tried TO pres
upon him. What did a man who wa
to be hanged in a few days want wit
trinkets? We werc at a loss to fin
any suitable expression for our graft
tude, until, with the tact that alway
distinguished her, ElinoF discovers
his pridein his saddle, and praised j
till the poor fellow actually sllowe
his face to re- AK IN a smile.
As soon aN was able l made anothe
trip to Santa Fe. was determined
that Shauk should not DO hanged if
could prevent it. pleaded busines
to Elinor, and would not allow her I
accompany me, for l did not wish he
to know the character of our rescureI
When 1 came away from the cit
three days later felt that had don
all that could be done. had pleade
that he had saved two lives to atom
for the one worthless one he ha
taken had consulted lawyers aud hat
triad to raise a Detition for his mar