Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-04-28

Hi looked in that direction also. On
the road where it curved round tho
bluff, he saw six Utes riding into view
in seemingly disorderly bunch. But
certain wild order governed their
gsllop.
As they neared the top of the grade,
Hi heard startling zip, and orderly
enough, the bunch lessened, as the In
dians, one after another, equally timed
and spaced, with rifles Aourished,
dashed down the narrow approach to
this bridge.
Hi took no flying side shots at these
willy riders, but knelt with rife pointed,
and eyes strained on the bridge.
Framed in its skeleton archway, the
crest of the foremost horse appeared,
ana his hoofs, slung ont in his stride,
beat with thunderlap on the hollow
flooring.
Another stride, another quick roll
ing clap-and then the roar of the
rifle. Struck in the forehead, and the
horse plunged downward and forward,
and then fell sidewise across the
bridge within the limit CT the first
span.
Through the smoke of his Winches.
ter, Hi saw the Ute, dropping his
rife, crawl away on all tours, and then
his figure was shut from sight as the
flooring again Numbered under smit.
ing hoofs and the second horse raced
up and reared over the first still strug-
Cling one.
The second horse, hit in the neck,
as he rose, by His second shot
swerved, topplcd over the low guard.
rail-, and sank with his rider in
sounding splash below the bridge.
Down and back, with exultant snap,
went the lever, anu again the rifle was
ready. But the rest OF the Indians dared
not ride upon the bridge; swerving
to one side, they sped up the bluff, the
nimble horses leaping like mountain
goats along the slope, aud the first In
dian, darting from the bridge, making
leap for leap along with the horses.
Hi did not fire again, and soon, re-
gaining the bluff, the Indians were
out of sight.
Hi turned to the river. The Ute
who had tumbled from the bridge had
parted from his drowning horse, and
was now partly floating, partly swim
ming with the current. His blanket
was thrown off, and now and then as
he made stroke, Hi could see the
end of his short bow projecting over
his shoulder. But as the Ute had lost
his rifle, Hi suffered HIM to 20 on
with the current out of sight
Everything was silent now. AS
moment after moment passed in still
ness and inaction, Hi began to grow
restless. Doubtless tidgety side
wise movement saved his life. With
no sound to his unsuspecting ears, a
steel-tipped arrow, aimed for his back,
tore through the big muscles Of his
left arm. The pain was paralyzing,
but Hi sprang to his feet and brought
up his rifle with a whirl.
The Ute in the river, landing below,
had crawled along the bank, watched
by the waiting band on the bluff, but
unseen by Hi, until he reached the
opposite side of the corral. Rising
over the low wall to throw his strength
on the bow, he had been so sure OF
striking His broad back in the centre
at that short distance that he stood
still in incredulous confusion, his hand
flying back for fresh arrow as Hi
raised the rifle. But with instant
change of action, lie flung himself
backward behind the wall.
Disregarding alike the yell and the
Intellectual shots from the bluff, Hi
rushed after him. Leaping on the
corral wall, he saw the Ute plunged
into the river. And there Hi, with
pointed rife, kept him diving until,
well-nigh drowned, he was swept out
of sight.
Seated in the angle of the corral
wall, Hi leaned back, faint from pain
and loss of blood, and waited, his
eyes fixed alternately on the bluff and
the river-bank below.
The hot sun beat full in the rocky
angle, and he began to turn an eager
eye on the water. Still he watched
while the short slow shadow of the
corral wall crept on and past his rest
less feet.
Suffering from intolerable thirst, he
arose at last. No sign came from the
bluff, and he walked boldly out and
down to the water, where he drank
and bathed his arm.
The Utes were gone. From the top
OF the bluff. they had seen in the dis
lance the coming Of Grayling's men.
And Hi had hardly stepped up the
bank and upon the bridge, when he,
also, saw the big hats of the little
band of riders rising above the broken
ground.
His bloody shirt-sleeve caught
Rods eyes, while Grayling called out,
"Where's the Utes?"
"Gone, I reckon" answered Hi.
"Well, we'll 60, too" the old
freighter returned, promptly. "Let
me look at that arm, young fellow.
Hook up them mules, boys, and let's
be a-rolling. This here Colorado
climate is getting too hot for me, and
I reckon we'll try old Wyoming, up
about Washable, for our next trip"
Hi recovered from his wound soon,
but this was his last trip to White
River also, until. after the Meeker
massacre, the Utes had resigned their
birthright to the trout streams and
game parks of that mountain land.-
Youths Companion.