The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-03

again on the range in a course that he
judged would enable him to
meet Miss Steele on her homeward way
AS if by accident.
some Unree or FOUR miles from the
ranch the mesa he was crossing ended
abruptly in cliff some 900 feet down.
which extended for several miles in an
unbroken. line, with but one or two
pIaces where an animal could get up or
down. The view from the edge of this
cliff-or Trim rock as it was more
commonly called-over the wide valley |
spread out below it for miles and miles
was unexcelled, and Cameron, knowing
that Miss Steele must come up this cliff |
at one of two places, headed for the one
he felt she would be most likely to take
AS he drew near the edge of the mesa
he left the trail and rode over to the
cliff, and thinking perhaps to surprise
a bunch of antelopes feeding quietly in
the valley below him. as well as to pre-
vent Miss Steele from first seeing him
should she chance to be below, he left
his pony under a cedar. and, taking his
40. So Winchester in his hand. carefully
walked up to the edge of the cliff.
lu0 IOdu lOduAAS uO"A w IAO NoAAOy
ran close under the cliff and was lost
to sight around a point of the mesa
but short distance to his right Care
fully scanning the prairie, he could see
no one, but from the way three or four
punches of half wild horses were tear
ing across the valley below him he felt
satisfied that either she or some one
else had started them. and concluded
to wait few moments
Suddenly from far below came
sound that for an instant sent his heart
to his throat. for it seemed as if he
heard woman's voice, borne upward
from around the point to his right, and
yet it was far more likely to be the al
most human cry of a mountain lion
or even the childish yell of some lone
coyote, either of which could readily
be mistaken for female voice in dis
tress AS Cameron stood there. fairly
holding his breath in his eagerness to
catch the faintest sound from below,
one moment assuring himself that his
ears were at fault and the next so GER
tain that it was a woman's voice that
he could scarcely wait for it's repetition
in order that he could be sure which
way to go. once again there came faint
ly and yet stronger and more definite
| than before the cry Of distress. and
| that voice Miss Steeles, and before he
was really sure from which quarter it
came there burst into sight around the
| point of the mesa, not a quarter of a
mile away from him, but down in the
valley, the figure of girl on horseback
leaning low over her pony's neck and
urging him to his utmost speed on the
road leading up to the cliff, while some
40 or so feet behind her, riding as hard
as she, was the Navajo. Chatto. his
head band gone. his long black hair
streaming out in the wind. and whirl-
ing over his head in great loop his
rawhide reata.
It took Cameron but an instant to
grasp the situation and see that the In
dian had tried to overtake the girl and.
failing. meant to rope and drag her
from her horse. He quickly saw also
that, busted with his reata and not hav-
ing a chance to use his quirt. his pony
was falling slightly behind. for the
Navajoes seldom wears spurs. and the
girl was not sparing her pony's tanks.
but was using her quirt at every jump
Cameron first impulse was to spring
down the cliff and run to her aid, but
with groan he realized that it would
take him too long to do this, for it was
only by careful climbing that one could
get down the first 40 or so feet of the
wall. and then the rest would be slow
travelling at the very best The race be-
low him was in plain view now. and in
few rods more they would pass out of
his sight in the little side canyon
through which the road led up to the
top of the cliff. To ride back to that
place would take too long also, and the
man quickly realized that it was nc
time for delay.
To kill a Navajo meant trouble for
everybody around, for the whole tribe
would take it up and wreak vengeance
upon any white settlers they could find
hence the settlers dreaded and avoided
killing an Indian except in the last ex.
tremity. But Cameron knew that he
could kill the Navajo's pony and save
the girl. Throwing his Winchester over
rock on the edge of the cliff for rest,
estimating the distance at 900 yards
and taking careful aim at the shoulder
Of the Indians pony he sent a shot
which sped fair and true to its mark
The pony, struck just behind the shout
der and shot through the heart, rolled
headlong in the dust, sending the In
dian sprawling full 90 feet away. but
unhurt.
For an instant the Indian was stun
ned, but evidently thinking his pony
had fallen by accident he arose ani
started toward him. Cameron, hoy
ever, was ready for this move. Presum
Ing the Navajo would try to get to hi
rifle, which was slung in it's holster ant
underneath the dying pony, and before
Chatto had got half way to the animal
he sent a second shot, which struck be
tween the Indian and pony and showed
him what caused the animals fall
With true Indian instinct he turned
and ran in zizgag way to disconcer
Cameron's aim, to ditch or wash neal
the road, into which he threw himsel
and crawled and wormed his way dow1
to where the sides were high enough t.
allow him to run in STOPPING position
to some distance from the road.
Meantime Cameron, not daring t.
leave his coign of vantage until h
knew the girl was safely up the cliff
forced the Navajo to keep to cover b.
firing an occasional shot in his direc
!; ton until. with great sigh of relief
he saw her ''raise the hill at his lief
and stood up and waved his hat to her
} Up to this time she had scarcely know
to what cause she owed her. deliver
| ance All she knew was that shot wa
: fred, and she heard no more thunder o
horses hoofs behind her, but not bein.
too sure of what it all meant she neve
drew rein nor spared her pony until sh
saw Cameron s manly figure on the elf
and knew that she was safe.
A few moments later hysterical
sobbing girl threw herself from he
, saddle straight into the arms of tn
man who loved her and whom she nov