Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-03-19

thought they We're clearing the whole
thing. blt the mar on the left seemed
suddenly to drop to the earth. and over
him rolled the fellow in the middle.
The nan on the right, following the
path that l had taken, pulled up his
beast. with a jerk that threw it on its
launches and l saw him urn to gaze
at the men and horses rolling and wal
lowing in the mud.
Farewell, my masters!" said I, and
laughed long and loud as 1 cantered OF.
But 1 was reckoning a bit too soon, for
lie sent another bullet whistling after
me that took off my hat.
Looking over my shoulder l saw that
the man who had escaped tile marsh
was following me with determination.
He had evidently seized the situation
and made up his mind to follow my
plans. So in and out we wound, over
u ditch here and through u cluster Of
gore bushes there, and he made no
such foolish mistake as to try to cut me
off or to take a shorter route, but held
OH to my heels.
The horse tucked his big thighs under
him and tossed his hcad-faith, I believe
he loved the spirit of the thing as dearly
as his rider! And so we went straigl.
across what bit of common there wa
left. and. skimming Dick Pritt's new
fence like a swallow. landed in ths
lush grass of the Home garth. O
There were yet three meadows be-
tween me and the sign post. and it was
good going over all of them. The air
rushed around my hatless head. the
stars seemed to dance all across the
heavens. The hcdgcrows 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.
1 saw the sign post, n black. two
armed thing. outlined against the sky.
at the corner of the last field. We were
close on the hedgerow then, and as 1
settled down for the leap 1 heard
Blunt's horse gathering up the narrow
lane to my right. The moon sailed out
of the cloudbank; we stared ut each
other.
"Ah!" says he. "the troopers"
1.-TWO of ZEN in Butter Bum hole"
says L. "Ine third"
But the third must have ridden a rare
horse, for ut that instant he dropped
Over the hedge with n force that made
the ground shake. We had drawn rein
in the middle of the high road, and he
caught sight of us and came forward.
But within a dozen PAGES his beast
swayed and fell. tumbling him off into
thn .1,psf I'm S,,ftn ne n11 lit, ,,N,,,l
headedness he raped out a roaring
curse.
"'Twas the rarest adventure" l says,
Il wouldn't ha' missed 1t for the world"
why, faith" says he, you make me
enviOus. The lane vas tame enough
Il mere matter of straight-ahead work."
He said naught of the dispatch. But
at the corner of Dead Mans copse 1
drew rein and held out my hand. IN
so home," said 1. You have no fur
Their need of me. We will exchange
horses and clothes as you RETURN"
Let HE keep my thanks till then"
says he, giving me his hand. '.To-mor-
now or the next day we shall meet
again. Master Stephen"
But ere he broke into n canter 1 pulled
him UP and wheeled about again.
'Hah!' said /, II almost forgot to give
you the Dispatch" and l handed it over.
The dispatch" said lie. ''1Nhe dis
patch! But surely"
$50 you did not know that 1 had it?"
says L. 'Faith. hut it lay very near my
heart!." AMI without more ado l turned
about and cantered off. leaving him
there in the moonlight. staring OPEN
mouthed at the packet in his hand.-
Pcalsson's Weekly.