The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-04-20

4 lUt Nilt DIIliAf-s anu Ahf ahhA7 ~ -
= Just beginning 10 show Ike glitter
Ing diamond points. Just the sngges.
lion of the autumn was IN the cool
night air. The stiffness rs Jim aud
Miss Waring drove along over the r.
lent plain was broken now and then
by sharp. startling rattle. a 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 paris
why so. JimT'
Guess yon hain't ever ben on one
OF our Dakoty perairies afore. Miss
Warning. or you wouldn't have asked
such question. There's Two things
out hyar that's more feared than the
Old Nick himself-0ne ON ems a peral-
RE fire and another's a perarie with the
wind a-blowIn' foriy-mlle-an-honr
gale"
They rode on again in silence. Agnes
Warning had come from the far great
city to visit her brother on his Western
ranch. jim. the n-of-al 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 youf Thars
blzness for MS. sure's you're foot
high, Git up there?' he yelled 10 the
horses. and. giving one Of them sting
ing blow with his whip, they sprang
into a run. Across the level plain shone
n 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,
rs he whipped the horses Into yet
more furious pace; there amt no dan
ger-leastwIse for us"
Alice was a self-possessed city girl
with a generous stock of old-fashioned
common sense but she was startled at
Jlm's actions and her face had grown
pale.
"EYerytblng's all right said Jim, as
reassnrlng as he could under the cir
cumstances; don't you be skeered.'
He had seized the reins 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-lick a
team-like thls''-as the wagon ounced
and tumbled and ratified along; hate
ter do hlt-but hlt-can't be helped
when there's life-depends-on IT.
A few moments more and the horses
dashed mp to the big ranch headqnar-
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 10 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 mans
saddle on beautiful horse, aud 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 in your life Thars the best boss
+ In Mcleod County-racin' blood for
/ five generations; there amt nothln' but
peralrle fire kin ketch him. Jump
him. Miss Waring. ride straight toward
the fire yondcr; thar amt no danger
now till you git ter Mule Crick. jest
over the crick a quarter of mile or 50
/ thar's n Russian woman an her six
weeks old baby. Shes all alone, for
| 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 crlck. See? I'd 90
myself. bur the wind is shifted and
this hull ranch'll be in danger afore
long. You'll pass your brother and Il
parcel o men backfirin' along the line:
don't stop for any explanations. but
ride fer the crick an ride rs II Old
Harry was on yer track You been't
afeerd be youF'
The blood had come back TO the pale
cheeks.
You say there's little danger OF my
losing my life, Jlm?"
Not bit-ef you only git that
woman across the crick In time; but
don't walt-jump quick, fer the Lord 5
sake. or you'll be too late"
With a rude toss lie threw her into
saddle rs IL She had been IA child, and
handed her the relns. 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 n cyclone. Ef
you have ter hit him give 1t to him red
hot"
IT 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
lied that Jim had told the truth; i
promised TO he the race of her life.
"Je-ho-sa-p hat"' exclaimed maj