El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-05
PAGES 9 TO II.

startling news that not only had Paul
! Browns valuable thoroughbred failed
| to be found, but the bay FLY which
| Ellery had intended for his sister, by
| far the finest colt on the place, was
| missing also. That the corral had been
| visited by rustlers the night before was
| the immediate conclusion amid such ex
element as had rarely prevailed at the
K ranch in all its history.
The men were all hastily mounted
and ready for pursuit, Ellery sharply
| regretting Jim's absence now, when
! any detection in the ranks so seriously
counted. The plan was for the party TO
divide and in the common phrase, ride
the fences of all the fields, looking for
the point where the fugitives had passed
through The natural conclusion was
that the thieves had made their way to
the north, on account of the difficulties
i'll any other direction, which appeared
well nigh insurmountable, but ON this
side the country was hilly and broken,
and progress in the night must neces-
sarily have been slow. There was pos
sibility that with fresh horses and good
daylight to favor them they might over
take their property, or, failing that, they
might at least determine the course as
to make ultimate capture reasonably GER
tain
But Paul Browns part of the expedi
ton was brought to untlmely halt.
They had gone only as far as the deep
coulee back of the barns, where they
were advancing in single file down the
narrow trail, zigzagging to the bottom,
when, as Brown leaned forward in the
saddle eagerly pointing out to Ellery
certain tracks he discovered in the soft
mud of the trucking stream below,
without an instant warning his horse
began bucking, and the saddle at the
same time lurching strangely to one side
he had no time to save himself from an
ugly tumble. He was almost stunned
by the violence of the fall, rendered
worse by the yielding, pebbly slope.
down which he rolled helplessly, but a
feet and with inexpressible evaporation
was examining the saddle which had
played him such a scurvy trick.
''Well, I'll be hanged.' he roughly
calculated, incredulously regarding the
broken ends of a strap, while the others
crowded around to see. The ladigo
straps ON the off side of the saddle
plainly had been cut and SO deftly that
the Tightening of the cinches had but
served to weaken the break, reserving
the actual giving way until some such
strain as was involved in this steep hill
should be brought to bear. 1t seemed
that no more diabolical scheme to him
der pursuit could have been devised
than this, and the others anXi0usly
looked TO their own trappings, which,
however. were found TO be all right,
from which it seemed evident that the
enemy. happening first upon Browns
saddle, which had been nearest the
door, had been frightened away before
molesting the rest.
''But must go back and rig up new
ladigos," exclaimed Brown sullenly.
feeling an ugly wrench i'll his foot as
he sprang upon his horse bareback, the
saddle loaded up in front of him. You
fellows go on though. We've fooled
away too much time already. Look
sharp along the north fence. You'll find
a cut somewhere. I'll be up with you
before you gone far. -
But he found, when he dismounted
at the corral, that his ankle gave him
poignant pain. Already it had swollen
until the pressure of his heavy riding
boot was like clasp of steel. He drew
his knife and cut the lacing that adjust
ed its shoelike fit oyer instep and ankle,
sharply extending the opening at either
end i'll very wantonness of impatience
tearing out the leather tongue which.
relieved of the restraining lacing, flap
ped pesteringly up and down against his
foot as he stepped. He was in mood
to interpret literally the Scriptural in
junction and cut off his very hand if it
should offend. The acute physical pain,
with the harassing feeling that he ought
to stop and bandage the foot, perchance
Exchange the heavy boot for looser wear,
eemed in his eager haste to be gone
imply maddening. He was limping
niserab1y toward the Toulouse, where
e knew some ladigo straps were hang
ng, when Mrs. Ellery's musical voice
allied to him from the gate:
''Oh, you are not gone. How fortunatel
want my horse saddled, Mr.. Brown.
Will you call one Of the boys to attend
o it, please?''
Il am afraid the boys are mile
way by this time, Mrs. Ellery," he re-
urned, with grudging civility. 1--WE
hink we are on the track of the thieves,
nd every moment counts now,' adding
his last by way of broad hint, which
q felt was eXcusable under the circum-
tances.
But Mrs. Ellery was so comfortably
of the entire reasonableness
her purpose that she could scarcely
ave imagined such an anarchical con
ition of things as that anybody should
eriously object to furthering her de-
res. Indeed" she said, smiling in
Then if You are &C.
tally OH the trail few minutes one
'ay or the other won't count for much