Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1899-03-22

ing diamond points. Just the sugges-
ton Of the autumn was In the cool
night air. The stiffness as Jim and
Miss Warning drove along over the ST.
lent plain was broken now and then
by a sharp. startling rattle. sound
once heard never to be forgotten, the
danger signal Of the deadly rattle
snake coiled up in the long, brown
grass.
"Hit appears to me-" Jim was say
ing, that that air wind don't bode any
good to the settlers round these parts"
"Why so, JimT
"Guess you hain't ever ben on one
Of our Dakoty perairies afore, Miss
Waring, or you wouldn't have asked
such a question. There's two things
out hyar that's more feared than the
Old Nick himself-one on ems a perai-
rie fire and another's perarie with the
wind a-blOwin forty-mile-an-hour
gale"
They rode on again in silence. Agnes
Waring had come from the far great
city to visit her brother on his Western
ranch. Jim, the man-of-all-work, was
driving her out from the station, fifteen
miles from the ranch.
by the long-horned spoons" said
Jim suddenly, rising in his seat and
stopping the horses with tremendous
jerk, "look over there, will you? Thar's
bizness for us, sure's you're a foot
high! Git up therer he yelled to the
horses, and, giving one of them sting
Ing blow with his whip, they sprang
Into run. Across the level plain shone
light, the light at the ranch head
quarters nearly a mile away. To the
left of it dull, reddish glow had come
up and, now and then, at the horizon
line, where the darker part of the sky
was lost In the prairie. sharp flames
were darling up.
Don't be skeered," Jim calculated,
as he whipped the horses into yet
more furious pace; there amt no dan
ger-leastwise for u.s."
Alice was self-possessef city girl
with generous stock of old-fashioned
common sense; but she was startled at
Jim's actions and her face had grown
pale.
"Everything's all right" said Jim, as
reassuring as he could under the cir
cumstances; don't you be skeered."
He had seized the relns between his
firm, strong teeth, and now with one
hand, now with the other, now with
both, he was whipping the horses into
still greater speed. "Hate-ter-llck a
team-like this''-as the wagon bounced
and tumbled and ratified along; hate
ter do hit-but hit-can't be helped
when there's life-depends-on it."
A few moments more and the horses
dashed up to the big ranch headquar-
tiers house. Jim threw the lines to the
ground and selling Alice by the waist,
jumped out with her.
'Sorry to be so imperlite, but there
amt any time to walt-kin you ride
hossback"
Barely waiting for an affirmative an.
swer from the girl, who was passion
ately fond of riding, and who modestly
owned the gold medal for superior
hOrsewomanship in her city riding
club, Jim ran to the barn, flung a mans
saddle on beautiful horse, and before
Alice had time to recover from her sur
prise at this novel introduction to her
brothers establishment, the horse was
before her.
you say you kin ride; wa'al here's
the best chance to show hit you ever
had N 1tfa Thop,c hn hoe
In Mcleod County-racin' blood for
five generations; there amt nothin' but
perairie fire kin ketch him. Jump
him, Miss Warlng, ride straight toward
the fire yonder; thar amt no danger
now till you git ter Mule Crick. Jest
over the crick quarter of a mile or so
thar's a Russian woman an her six
weeks old baby. She's all alone, for
l saw her husband in town when we
left. They hain't backfired an inch,
and you've got to git the woman and
her baby over the crick. See? I'd 20
myself, but the wind is shifted and
this hull ranchll be in danger afore
long. You'n pass your brother and a
parcel O. men backfirin' along the line;
don't stop for any explanations, but
ride fer the crick an ride as II Old
Harry was on yer track! You been't
afeerd, be your
The blood had come back to the pale
cheeks.
"You say there's little danger of my
losing my life, Jim?''
mot a bit-ef you only git that
woman across the crick in time: but
don't wait-jump quick, fer the Lord 8
sake, or youll be too late"
With rude toss he threw her into
saddle as If she had been child, and
handed her the reins. AS he did SO he
thrust a short, cruel rawhide into her
hand.
Don't hit him with that unless you
have to-he's never been licked In his
life; but he can outrun a cyclone. Eff
you have ter hit him give 1t to him red.
hotr'
1t Is long, sometimes, before a horse
and Its rider become acquainted with
one another; but 1t seemed but few
seconds to Alice before she and the
noble animal were old friends. Jim was
right, Prince Hal could run; and after
the first few tremendous jumps and
Alice had steadied herself In the saddle
the thrilling excitement stirred hel
| blood like an intoxicant, and she real
ICED that Jim had told the truth: I,
promised to be the race of her life.
"Je-ho-sa-phatr' exclaimed a man