The Somerset reporter., 1897-07-22
A COWBOYS RIDE.

would order steer OF a fat COW driven
from the corral, and e.ling the name
of the Indian to whom IL vas issued
turn it loose upon the prairie and the
mercies of the gentle red man.
The excitement was great, but Joe
Strange observed that CIR of the In
dams took 10 part in the bloody sport.
Old Pink Eye was narrowly watching
some men in the busy throug, and
when joe started toward thu commits
sary til Sioux stealthliy followed him.
1t was apparent that hc VAS the person
watched
Strange was partner IN the business
of the Flying 5 Cattle company and
would draw large sum Of money from
the governments representative al Pine
Ridge in payment for heof cattle fur
nished to the agency en- that day.
The money was plid before the ey
of tine watching SieuX The Ind
fastened from the commissary, ALL
then il was Joe's turn t. 90 a spying
Old Pink Eye made his way t. where
a couple of cowboys Were l0unging and
said somthing in an undeltone, after
which the trio separated. The men
Were Dune Moore and "a fellow whose
real name aas unknown. hat who re-
joiced in The elegant suhrluuet of smoky
Bill 1t was plain thai the fellows
were wurkiL5 a scheme, and Joe deter
mined to be on his guard, for tn
money must be in Chadron on the fol-
lowing day.
AT the time of this incident the coun-
try lying between the agency and Chad
ron, Nub., vas IA waste of wild grass
land, and the better tharoughfares If
today were represented by a dim trail
\ fleet horse and a trusty six shooter in
the hands Of lone cowboy We're the
only express and insurance company
hut those We're generally reliable, and
joe Strange intrusted his money to
their care
Calling to Charley Ray a dashing
young cowboy, he sauntercd careIessly
down the Tail and uufalded plan to
outwit the Iadian and his white allies
Charley was to ride out with the night
herd, and when web cut Of sight Of
camp Strange would JOIN him and turn
oyor the money. Then Charley was To
make dash for Chadron.
The start was made but subsequent
events proved that Pink Eye had kept
the conspira ors posted
Ray was mounted ON the best horse
i'll the section and was armed with six
shooters and favorite rifle. His in
structions We're to deliver the money to
the Elkhorn National bank at any cost,
and Joe limited that it might be adyisa-
BILE to be PR pared for a running fight.
1t was $3.50 When he started, and he de
termined to make the trip, distance Of
so miles, by daylight
The first ten miles were passed without
mishap then, looking back, the messen-
ger could see in the moonlight trio of
horsemen just descending Il long ridge
and riding Al a keen Rallop They We're
Dune Moore, smoky Bill and the half
breed Pink Eye
Two miles more and the Hat ranch
was abreast, and there the flying horse
man noticed that the corral was filled
with tough COW horses What if the rob
beers changed horses there! Well the old
pinto he was riding was full of nerve,
and, as the rider observed, lit would
be a cold day when a COW horse passed
him. " Besides, what We're the shooting
irons for: Dune Moore was good shot,
but he couldn' shoot till he came i'll
range, and rlght there lay the difficulty,
81, A. Il
that what The pinto was there for and
Charley Ray leaned forward in the sad
die with an exclamation that was partly
a word of encouragement and partly an
honest cuss word, while the good horse
galloped on
The robbers secured a relay of horses
at the Hat ranch and began the pursuit
anew but Ray had got the start III the
meantime and kept it pretty well, al
though the robbers were nearly always
in sight Forty miles, . u hours, and
the race Is not yet finished. The pinto
travels more slowly now, but the pur
suers make squirt, and something must
be done The only thing to do Il
promptly done The three rifle balls fol
low each other III quick succession in
the direction Indicated by the sound of
gallopiug huufs This checked the rob
bers for a time but they did not give
up the chase
The country now became more roll
ing, and the robbers could safely ap-
proach within 300 or 400 yards by keep
ing the ridges just how the robbers
would attempt to secure the money the
messenger did not know, but that they
Were desperate characters was well
known throughout the section Ray did
not think that they would murder him
as long as "A chance remained TO secure
the money ly less dangerous course,
but his position was such that he did
not care to ll>k his head to the marks
manship Of Dune Moore just for pal
try 81, 400 or 50, which, after all, was
no matter of his He resolved to hit the
trail just us hard as ever the old pinto
could put his hoofs down, and, if that
would not suffice. take the next chance
that offered.
Aside from constant apprehension at
the sound of hoofs in the rear, nothing
marred the beauty Of the moonlight ride
until point within five miles of Chad
ron was reached The occasional howl
of a coyote only lent interest to the sit
uation. 1t is strange that such things
sometimes give cheer to "a state of other
wise utter loneliness.
But now something hapDpned to