Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-03-15
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
For Blood Will Tell.


N@AAAAAAAAAAA
r T was rapidly growing dusk on
the wide prairie. and the stars were
Il just beginning to show like glitter
Ing diamond points. Just the sugges-
tion of the autumn was in the cool
night air. The stiffness as Jim and
Miss Waring drove along over the ST.
lent plain was broken now and then
by a 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 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 Questdo1. There's two things
out hyar that's more feared than the
Old Nick himself-One on ems perai-
rie fire and another's q perarie with the
wind a-blowin' a -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 nan-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 there" he yelled to the
horses, and. giving one of them a sting;
ing blow with his whip, they sprane
into run. Across the level plain shone
a light, the light at the ranch head
quarters nearly a mile away. To the
left Of it a 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 darting up.
Don't be skeered," Jim calculated,
as he whipped the horses into a YET
more furious pace; there amt no dan.
ger-leastwise for u.s."
Alice was a self-possessed city girl
with a generous stock of old-fashioned
common sense; but she was startled at
Jim's actions and her face had growD
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 reins between his
Arm, 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-llke this"-as the wagon bounced
and tumbled and ratified along; hate
ter do hit-but hit-caHt be helped,
when there's nfe-depends-on It."
A few moments more and the horses
dashed up to the big ranch headQuar-
ters house. Jim threw the lines to the
ground and seizing Alice by the waist,
jumped out with her.
''Sorry to be SO imperlite, but there
amt any time to wait-kin you ride
hossbackr'
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 a 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 in your life. Thar's the best hoss
in Mcleod County-racin' blood for
i've generations; there amt nothin' but
q perairie fire kin ketch him. Jump
him, Miss Waring, ride straight toward
the fire yonder; thar amt no danger
now till you git ter Mule Crick. Jest
over the crick a quarter Of a mile or so
thar's a Russian woman an her six
weeks old baby. She's all alone, for
I saw her husband In town when we
left. They haint backfired an inch,
and you've got to git the woman and
her baby over the crick. See? I'd go
myself. but the wind Is shifted and
this hull ranch'll be in danger afore
long. You'll pass your brother and
parcel O. men backflrin' along the line;
Aoa't stop for any explanations, but
tide fer the crick an ride as If Old
Harry was on yer track! You been't
afeerd, be your
cheeks.
"You say there's little danger Of my
losing my life, Jimr'
mot . bit-ef you only git that
woman across the crick in time; but |
don't wait-jump quick, fer the Lords
sake. or you'll be too late"
With q rude toss he threw her into |
saddle - II she had been a child, and
handed her the reins. Az he did SO he |
thrust q short, cruel rawhide into hei |
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. Ef
you have ter hit him give 1t to him red |
iotr'
It il long, sometimes, before q horse |
and its rider become acquainted with !
enc another; but 1t seemed but a 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 her
blood like an intoxicant. and she real |
tied that Jim had told the truth; 1t !
promised to be the race Of her life.
"Je-ho-sa-phatv' exclaimed q man |
who was plowing a FIRE furrow along :,
the edge Of the ranch where the men |
were at work. "Mr. Waring, look, Will |
you! Look at Prince HAIR
Mr.. Waring had not more than time |
to look up before he saw his choicest
mount pass by him like the wind. |
girl with hair flying behind her on his
hack tho horno zofnu o. 4 a m M that not 4,