The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-03-29
THE DESPERATE
BY Cy Warman.

|
THE slanting shafts of the setting
sun glanced along the level pools
and gilded the ripples and shimmering
shoals of the quiet river-the Greer
liver-that lay along the edge Of the
| Adobe desert, like band of braid al
| the bottom of woman's skirt. A mo-
ment later the red sun dropped behino
| the Wahsatch mountains and the day
| was snuffed out like candle.
| Suddenly, now, a great black cloud
showed its shoulders up over the hills
| behind which the sun sank. With ma
! jestie swiftness it lifted its head, spread
| out its dark wings, Swallowed the waste
and filed the wild canyons with aw
full gloom. Far out toward the foothills
the unshod feet of mountain cayuss
were beating the hard face of the des,
ert, urged on by the cruel spurs OF his
pitiless master. For more than Sin
hours the horse and rider had been sim.
mering in the summer sun, and nov
they welcomed the shadows, ducked
their heads, and dived in under the
cloud; the horse eager for the cool
and the rider for the cover of night.
Across the desert another rider is
urging his steed of steel, his pilot point
ing into the storm-swept night. In q
darkened day-coach, behind the little
and his deputies sit staring at the storm
into which the daring driver is abou'
to plunge Now the rain begins to beas
upon the windows. A moment later II
is falling furiously, roaring upon the
roof of the cab and blurring the head
light. The iron horse and the cayuss
are running neck and neck now. Bott
riders know that they are nearing the
river, and so slacken their speed. A.
the cayuse comes to the waters edge
he braces his feet and stops short. The
riders first impulse is to dismount
abandon his horse. and find the railroad
bridge. which he knows must be near
at hand. but ghancing back he sees the
light of the locomotive and changes
his mind.
Just over the river stands Green River
station, with its watertank, where the
iron horse will stop to drink. It the
lone rider can reach the station before
the train leaves he can leave the coun
try which he does not like. As the loco
motive comes nosing cautiously up tc
the bridge the horseman drives his
spurs into the cayuse, and the foamins
animal plunges into the roaring river
The swift current carries him down
stream, and the engineers headlight
shines full upon him as he is swept un.
der the bridge.
Beyond the river the engine is stoppee
and the occupants of the dark car come
out to look for the man and horse
Long before they reach the river banI
below the bridge, however, the little
cayuse has touched land, leaped upor
the level bank and galloped up to the
station.
While the men were still searching fol
him along the river, the weary traveller
learned from the agent that the regu
lar train had passed, that the train
Mt the bridge was special, that il
would not be likely to stop at the tank.
and if it did it would not take passen-
gers.
And SO, being weary and not wishing
tired horse at the rear of the hotel.
secured room and retired.
Presently the key began calling the
agent at Green River, and when hi
hearkened it told him of tragedy that
had occurred at Coyote on the morn
ing of that day. A lone desperate had
taken the town, robbed the station:
killed the operator (who was the agent
also). stolen a horse, and escaped. A
special with a United States marshal
had gone down the road to look for
the murderer. The description that
the new operator had gotten from the
frightened people led the agent at
Green River to believe that the des.
peradc had been there but a moment
before. When the special pulled up to
the station and stopped; the agent told
the marshal of the arrival of the stranS
ger.
''That's our man." said the marshal,
and he Immediately surrounded the lit
tie wooden hotel, which was called the
Palmer house. Then, having secured
the number of the strangers room, the
marshal and one Of his men went up.
luey tT1cO Tue OOOE, IL WIS lOCkeO
They knocked, and the man said:
..Come in" The marshal said he could
not, and asked the occupant of the
room to come out; and the man an.
swered:. "Wait till I get my boots ON"
for he loathed to die half dressed.
Suddenly the door flew open and the
hunted man leaped into the hall Be.
fore the marshal or his deputy could
raise hand. the desperate man begar
unloading a couple of rapid-fring six
shooters in the narrow hallway The
two officers retreated. for the first shot
had Jared the hanging hall lamp GU,
and left them in the dark. Covered by
his own smoke, the desperate followed
the men down the stairs, and before
he had been missed he was already over
the back fence mounting his horse. The
horse was shot down by one of the