The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-06-19


not gone a dozen strides ere the
foremost horse went knee deep in a
ditch and flung its rider over its
head. / was in the hope the horse
had broken leg, poor beast, but in
trice the trooper had picked him
self up and remounted.
Butter Bum hole was in front. /
must rid myself of one if not two of
them in its black depths. If all
three would but ride into it and
sink so fathoms deep, there would
be less need for all the bother that
Iforesaw ere his majesty s dispatch
es left my hands.
When had suffered them to come
within 80 yards of me, the moon
suddenly disappeared behind bank
of clouds. But she suddenly peeped
out through little rift, and on the
instant l heard a sharp report and
caught the whistle of bullet as it
few past my head.
went on slowly, holding my
horse back and at the same time
calling loudly on his to hasten.
There was not yard between
them as they came to the hole, and
each rode at a rafting pace. You
would have thought they were
clearing the whole thing, but the
man on the left seemed suddenly to
drop to the earth, and over him roll
ed the fellow in the middle The
man on the right, following the
path that had taken, pulled up his
beast with jerk that threw it on
its launches, and saw him turn to
gaze at the men and horses rolling
and wallowing in the mud
Farewell, my masters" said l
and laughed long and loud as / can
tered off. But was reckoning a bit
too soon, for he sent another bullet
after me that took off my hat
Looking over my shoulder, / saw
that the man who had escaped the
marsh was following me with deter
mination. He had evidently seized
the situation and made up his mind
to follow my plans. So in and out
we wound, over a ditch here and
through a cluster of gorZe bushes
there, and he made no such foolish
mistake as to try to cut me off or
to take shorter route, but held on
at my heels.
The horse tucked his big thighs
under him and tossed his head.
Faith, believe he loved the spirit
of the thing as dearly as his rider.
And SO we went straight across
what bit of common there was, and,
skimming Dick Pritt's new fence
like swallow, landed in the lush
grass of the home garth.
There were yet three meadows be-
tween me and the signpost, and ii
was good going over all of them.
The air rushed around my hatless
head; the stars seemed to dance all
across the heavens; the hedgerows
shot up in front like ghosts, but we
were over and through them and
settled into our stride again before
l had time to count one.
/ saw the signpost-a black, two
armed thing-outlined against the
sky at the corner of the last field
We were close on the hedgerow
then, and as / settled down for the
leap heard Blunt s horse clatterine
up the narrow lane to my right
J The moon sailed out of the cloud
bank. We started at each other.
"Ahp' said he, "the troopers
! 1.-TWO of 'em in Butter Bum hole, ;
, says 1. "The third
, But the third must have ridden {
, rare horse, for at that instant ht
| dropped over the hedge with {
force that made the ground shake
We had drawn rein in the middle o.
, the highroad, and he caught sigh
, of us and came forward But within
/ a dozen PAGES his beast swayed ant
/ fell, tumbling him off into the dust
In spite of all his Roundheadednes'
he raped out a roaring curse
J "'Twas the rarest adventure,
| says. II wouldn't ha' missed it fol
| the world"
why, faith, says he, "you maxi
J me envious. The lane was tam'
> enough, a mere matter of straigh
ahead work.
$ He said naught of the dispatch
7 But at the corner of Dead Man
t copse / drew rein and held out m!
3 hand. "I'll go home,'' said I. "Yol
3 have no further need of me. We will
exchange horses and clothes as yol
l return.
"Let me keep my thanks til
e then, says he, giving me his hand
a Tomorrow or the next day we shal
meet again, Master Stephen.
3 But ere he broke into canter
0 pulled him up and wheeled abou
( again.
t "Ha!" says I. II had almost fol
gotten to give you the dispatch,
I and I handed it over. The dis
t patch9" said he "The dispatch
a But surely
h $50 you did not know that / ha
h itg' says /. Faith, but it lay yer
$ near my heart, and without NOR
}. ado l turned about and cantered of
L. s,.4 \ s<.l..