The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-09

Our horses picked their own way
down the dark. bowlder strewn hillside.
When we reached the plain. there was
an instant's pause. Lee drew his rifle
from the beckett that rested under his
left knee
"ReadyF he asked. was quite as
ready as was likely to be. but he wait
ed for no reply. Dropping the reins on
the neck of his horse, he sent home his
spurs and dashed out into the moon.
light. yelling like an Indian and pump
ing his repeating rifle with both hands
as he went. As we came Spider swerv-
ed his horse and drew his pistol. Then
he recognized u.s.
''Hoorayl"h he yelled at the top of his
shrill voice. 81 knowed you'd come
We got 'em Whcopl Zip. yip yipl
Come onl ben a-follerin them thieves
all night.
Lee and were riding side by side
Spider was some little distance ahead,
shouting these remarks over his shoul-
der. He intended to stay ahead, too, for,
ride as we might. neither Lee nor l
could catch him. The three men who
were driving our cattle did not wait for
u.s. Firing an ineffective shot or two
they turned to one eide and vanished in
the shadow Of the hill. Spider turned
his horse in pursuit.
"Come back" called Lee. "Come
back here. you kidd You crazy2"
Spider paid no attention whatever.
tut rode on at the best speed his pony
could show
''Come back. say. or I'll rope your
pony an throw himi' shouted Lee
again.
"Have ter get within cast first, an
you cant do 1t. returned Spider de-
family. What he said was quite true.
We were losing ground at every stride.
We were well into the shadow now.
"Come backr' ! called in despair.
Twill you obey orders or mott" Spider
STOPPED instantly
Course. IL it's an order it goes. he
said. "But what d'you wanter pull up
fer when we JUS got er chance ter get
them thievesf" Lee had no words to
waste at the time. He took Spider by
the collar Of hfs flannel shirt, lifted
him half out Of his saddle. shook him
soundly, cuffed his ears and then re-
turned him. with thump. to his seat.
"S'pose You wanter get er hole shot
in your fool little hide JUS because you
think it's smart" said Lee, when he
had completed these operations to his
satisfaction "You couldn't tell where
them rustlers was a-waitin fer you in
the dark there. Now get them cattle
movin fer home er I'll take of yer
chaps an spank You with 'em." To nv
great surprise Spider took these correc-
tions and cantered away to obey his
or1ers without word. But. then. Lee
had always been very good to Spider.
"S'pose ] reelly UIghter not shook
i'm so. the cowboy went on regretful.
ly when Spider had left II couldn't
let I'm get 10 uppity. though. Their
wonldn' be no livin in the same camp
with i'm. But ne scared me, that's a
fact. That's re, lily why thumped i'm.
Id be nighty sorry if that kid got
hurt. an he was fxin ter get hurt the
very best he knowed. Here he comes,
now. GRIMM go the grin runs ever his
face all down bis back
Them rustlers was a-waitin fea .ne.
was theyf" called Spider as soon as he
got close enough. ''Well. JUS you look
over there once" He pointed to a
moonlit space between two deep shad.
ows nearly ,oile away. Three men on
horseback were crossing it rapidly.
going in the direction of Aqua Caliente
There was no doubt about their being
the thieves. No other men would have
been likely to be in that deserted place
at such time. or. il they had been
they would have shown themselves be.
fore when Spider was firing distress
sigma.
do you suppose tset those fellows
will go after more men and then come
down on usH" asked Lee as Spider re-
turned to his work
"Nope. replied the cowboy 'They
can't afford ter take no chances. er
they'd "A staid an fought it out. 1t amt
no joke fer man ter get ketched liftin
cattle roun here. You en- raise the
country ter 60 after i'm. an IL he's
caught he don't get ter Jail alive. Them
sellcrs was gonter take these here cattle
across the line into Mexico--it amt
more'n 90 miles from Aqua Caliente-
an sell 'em there Better get them cat.
tie over the divide an movin to 'rds
home, though, as soon as we kin It's
mos sun mp now"
Tne cattle. tired and thirsty. started
willingly enough toward our camp by
the river. but they moved very slowly.
after the manner of cattle. We had our
hands full In hurrying them. all three
Of rs.
As Lee had said. it was nearly sun.
rise The cattle had hardly crossed the
low ridge when the summits Of the
bills were reddened BY the FIRST beams
OF the sun that shot up over the level