The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-05-19
CORA BRANDON.

mined on going to her lover. Telling
her parents that she was going to visit
relatives, she saddled her mustang and
set out to ride 200 miles to Sabinas,
Mex, 100 miles in Texas and 100 miles
more beyond the Rio Grande. When
well on her way she exchanged her
clothing for mans attire, donning her
brothers suit which she carried with
her. Nearly all of the way she rode
alone and often slept out on the plains
with the wolves bowling about her
camp fire. When she reached Sabinas
she interviewed the lawyer who had
been employed to defend Randall. A
little investigation convinced the
young girl hat the circumstances sur
rounding her lovers case presented
few encouraging features. The lawyer
could not even tell her when Randall
would have to appear in court for trial.
ut might be a year or maybe two
years" he said, before the honorable
court would take up the matter" She
found the wounded man and learned
from his own lips that he did not know
who shot him. He had never been
badly hurt and he said that he felt
| sorry for the Americana. Miss Bran
don sought the jailer, who at first pos
itively refused to permit her to haVe an
interview with his prisoner. Il have
my orders" he said. Il cannot let any
one into the prison but the lawyer or
one of his relatives-a mother or his
wife or sister"
His sister will be here tomorrow
replied the quick-Witted girl, and she
walked away.
Next day the girl again donned fe-
male attire and saw her lover. She
told him of her plans to effect his
escape. From the jailer she obtained
| permission to bring in her lovers sup
per, and going Out she Immediately
purchased a splendid horse and a re-
volver for Randall. By arrangement
this horse, together with her own, was
to be ready for mounting at a certain
hour that evening near the Jail. In the
evening when the girl entered the jail
with Randal's supper she invited the
jailer to step inside, saying that she
wanted him to help her to open a bot
tie of wine. She set the few dishes
that she carried ON the floor, and hand
ed the bottle to the thirsty Mexican.
When he stepped toward the only win
dow in the gloomy vault to secure the
benefit of a few struggling rays of light,
she quickly handed Randall a revolver,
and whispered the word, Now" The
Texan bounded forward like a panther
and brought the weapon down on the
j%ailer's head with so much force that
he fell in a heap on the stone floor,
barely uttering a groan. To make
sure of keeping the poor devil silent,
they drew a handkerchief through his
mouth and tied it fast at the back of
his head, and after binding his hands
and feet they walked out of the jail
and locked the door. 1t was now quite
dark and they mounted their ponies
and rode quietly out of the little town
without attracting the least attention.
When the sun rose mex morning they
were little less than so miles from that
gloomy prison, and they were about
the same distance from Texas. They
might have reached home without fur
the trouble, but a captain of rurals,
who was guarding the famous Free
Zone against smugglers, received
notice of their escape and he hurried
squads of his command to the various
groupings on the Rio Grande. Just at
the moment when the happy lovers
were congratulating themselves over
their good fortune, they were sudden
ly confronted by six Mexican dragons
They turned aside into the chaparral
and although the MeXicans sent a
shower of bullets after them they sue
ceeded in getting out of sight Of Their
p%ursuers, and after a hard ride of some
hours reached the Rio Grande. Here
they were overtaken by another squad
of rurals, and after exchanging shots
with them they boldly plunged into the
river, preferring to take the risk of
drowning rather than to be carried
back to a Mexican dungeon. The sol
diers rained bullets about them, and
teveral dragons continued the pursuit