The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-26

the men as he dragged Aldrch from the
horse and laid him upon the ground
1T was rough enough" replied the prls-
oner gingeriy. The cow puncher laughed.
You are going to have a rougher one than
that" he said
Aldrich did not reply but soon realized
what in store for him when one of the
men lassoed fine young bull which was
seized by six or eight of the cowboys and held
firmly. His face laled slightly, for he knew
that it was useless for him to reason with
men in liquor. They were doubt good
hearted fellows when sober. but now they
were incapable of seeing the end of what they
about to do.
Aldrich did not utter sound when he was
lifted from the ground and tied securely to
the back of the bull. The branding irons had
been heated and were ready. Suddenly the
odor of burning flesh filled the prisoners
nostrils, and the next moment the infuriated
animal, smarting from the contact of the
branding iron, darted forward like arrow,
and sped away over the prairie.
Aldrich realized that his chances to escape
with life were small, and closing his eyes
against the scene in front of him, a vision of
loveliness came to his mind; an image, the
original of which he had once seen, and had
Travelled all the way to Texas to see again.
jolly Merton was sitting upon her little
black pony watching the red sunset over the
wide expanse of prairie. This was not the
first time that she had sat thus, and re-
turned in mind to the scenes of the visit to
the East with her father little more than
] d
in her life, since she had brought back the
image of a face, form and the memory OF
a short conlpanionshp which had fingered
with her. There had been a promise to meet
again, but he had no doubt long ago forgot
ten the Texas girl in the whirl of the social
world which surrounded him.
Jolly had been reared in the open air, she
had learned to ride pony and throw a lasso
as we'll as any of the in her fathers
employ, and often amused herself in riding
down and lassoing young bulls that had
never before felt the restraint of halter.
AS she sat this evening on her pony and
watched the sunset, she was very beautiful.
broad-brmmed hat rested on her head.
and falling about her shoulders was a
Of rich brown hair. No wonder the rays OF
the setting sun fingered to kiss the fair brow
of the ranch girl as she gazed with that sweet
absent -mindedness into the far west.
Suddenly dark object low down on the
horizon appeared in the plane of Jolly's view.
Instantly she brought to her eyes the field
glass which hung suspended from her soul
ders by a horsehair braid. For a moment
she gazed steadily through it, then gave the
pony smart slap on the neck with her hand.
This sent the little animal forward in pursuit
of the object which was moving swiftly
across the prairie.
About the horn of her saddle hung the coils
of long lasso which beat lightly against
her knee as the pony sped along. There was
a frown of displeasure on Jolly's face; too
we'll she understood the object she was pur-
suing, Too plain, was the work of drunken
COW punchers On she sped, urging her pony
to greater effort. Already the horizon had
halved the disk of the sun and jolly knew
that the flying object might be lost in the
shadows of gray twilight if not soon over
taken.
Her eyes were strained toward the object
she was pursuing All, it was growing larger,
she was gaining, the distance between was
perceptibly lessening.
She had spoken gently to the pony again.
and now they going so swiftly that the
riders feet were cutting through the grass
with a swiShing sound, close was the
ponys body to the ground.
On, on, on, until the object grew so large
that the naked eye could see the body of
man bound to the back of wild young bull
which was fleeing with the idea of running
away from the mysterious burden on its
back. The was sitting upright, his arms
secured to his body and his legs bound to
the animal
Jolly's cheeks were aglow as she lifted the
coils of her lasso from the horn of her sad
die. Her pony was breathing heavily the
long chase was telling his powers of en-
durance, but his speed did not decrease. Sud-
denly she spoke to him again, for the infu-
rated bull with it's helpless rider was making
for clump of cottonwood trees on the prai-
rie. Jolly drew a long breath and closed
her lips firmly. She was near enough to
throw the asso but would she make it before
the cottonwoodS were reached?
Raimond Aldrich had seen that clump Of
trees, and felt that death lay there. Nearer
and nearer he borne until only a few
yards of prairie lay between him and the
gotto to enter which was to be dashed to
pieces. He closed his eyes to the fearful fate
that he knew awaited him. Just then the
sounds of clear, sweet voice reached his
ears.
mind his fall! Keep your head up!" were
the words he heard.
All, was it the voice of the image he was
adoring in what he believed to be the last
moments of his life? A thrill of the most