Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-06-27
CHAPTER ~.
CHAPTER Nv.
IN WHICH THE CATTLE ARE sTAMPEDED BY
IORENA'S GANG

LoRENA's GANG
had not an idea as to SPIDERS prob
able whereabouts. The desert was so
very large and Spider so very minute a
speck upon its surface that it struck me
after we had started out that our quest
was singularly hopeless one. Lee,
however, differed from me.
~ don't see no trouble in KNOWN
where ter 60. he said. pug Hollis,
he'll be prutty sure ter strike lords
Aqua Caliente, an Spider'll sure be in
his wake. All we got ter do is ter 70
ter Aqua Caliente, too; that's all. If
anything's wrong an that kids alive,
he'll be maxim some noise er other ter
let us know. He's a star at maxim
noise, Spider is It's right in his line. /"
By this time we were well away from
the camp, out Of sight of the fire. But
for the pole star that hung burning
brightly over our heads I would not
have had the faintest notion of the di-
rection in which we were going. But
Lee, with the plainsman's unerring in.
stinct, Hoped steadily along without
ever raising his eyes. Lee was not a
laxative person. The only sound that
broke the oppressive stiffness was the
dismal yelp of distant coyote, the
smothered pad Of the hoofs of our
mounts as they fell on the soft sand
and the regular click of the spur chains
against our heavy wooden stirrups.
Only once did Lee speak.
Moon comm up. Sect That's fine.
-, all ~,,t,o - ~
pointed to silvery sheen on the dark
blue horizon, into which a few minutes
later the full moon climbed. streaking
the rolling surface of the desert with
bright light and blacklist shadow and
silvering the stately forms of the tree
cactus that studded the desert thiekly.
A faint white line mile ahead marked
the course of trail, toward which, by
tacit consent, we turned our horses.
Suddenly Lee held up his hand as
signal that should listen. At first
could hear nothing. Then, sounding
faint in the distance, there came three
pops Of pistol
''That's him-somebody what wants
help, anyhow. +" called Lee. cover be-
yon' the rise. thar, they are. We On see
from the top. Les hustle-quickl"
Putting spurs to our horses, we soon
were climbing long, stony ridge that
for miles divided the plain, concealing
one half from the other.
Our horses stopped of their own ac-
cord as they reached the top. At fret
we could see nothing. Then my atten-
tion was attracted by moving blot
near the edge Of the black shadow
thrown by the ridge. AS we looked the
blot passed out Of the shadow and was
at once defined as bunch of cattle
driven by three horsemen toward Aqua
Caliente. Who these men were we
could not tell at that distance, but they
were not Of our force, and one of them,
from the peaked crown Of his hat. was
probably Mexican. They were driving
the cattle rapidly. One of the men stop
ped, and, turning, looked intently In
the direction from which he had come.
One of his companions came back and
Joined him. Then, after moment, they
both wheeled and galloped back to the
herd, where the third man seemed anx-
ASAoAy w aWoAe tACAs 4IN1uCubly lut
three were uneasy about something.
''They think somebody is a-follerin
'em," said Lee softly in my ear. They
were not far from the truth if they did
thinkso. A horseman emerged from the
shadow, and the brilliant moonlight fell
on the. diminutive form and bright,
new chaps of Spider.
The men saw Spider nearly as soon as
I. Two of them at once pulled up their
horses and stopped. evidently intending
to bar the way. Spider stopped also.
The men rode on, and Spider followed,
preserving his distance unchanged.
They repeated this maneuver two or
three times until at last the man with
the Mexican hat lost his temper. He
turned suddenly and darted after Spider
at the full speed of his horse.
Firing three quick shots at his pur-
suer, Spider whirled about, and, with
a yell Of delight, vanished into the shad-