El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-16

of the river and ran out upon the ice
Franklyn knew it was Hi Conley. He
was followed by two or three others
and then a sleigh drawn by two horses
was driven out upon the river also
They were headed off.
All the men had guns or sled stakes
and the horses were headed down the
river in readiness to race with the ice
boat if by any possibility FRANKLIN
got by unScathed.
For a few moments FRANKLIN did not
shift the tiller an atom. The Ice
Wrath was headed directly for the
group upon the ice and half mile or
more ran out behind him before he
decided upon any plan. The reckless
and half drunken fellows would GER
tainly use their guns, and not only his
own life, but the girls would be sac
rif1ced. Fortunately Rose had not seen
their danger. She had crouched down
in the yacht most of the time.
Suddenly FRANKLIN tackled and took
q short leg to the eastward. The men
below did not move. They were well
out upon the ice, and no sane man
would run too close to the mouth OF
Upper creek. The ice yacht was SIM
ply gathering Roadway for a long
swOOp upon them.
And this seemed to be Franklyns in
tention, for the Ice Wrath soon came
about and aimed her nose directly at
the enemy. She bowled along, close
hauled, with a cloud of ice particles
dancing in her wake. Nearer and near
er she drew to that narrower strip of
safe ice. The chasm at the mouth of
the creek was skinned over with thin
and treacherOuS ice. Hi Conley stood
within easy rifle range of the edge of
the safe ice. There was little danger
of his missing a shot this time.
And then great shout went up from
the waiting men. The flying yacht
came ABOUT as though on a pivot. She
scared up like a sea gull, balanced on
her starDoard runners, while the main
sail dipped gracefully, and then she
shot away directly for that narrow
strip of black ice with the wind eX-
actly aStern!
FRANKLIN leaned over to port with
steady hand on the tiller and a sudden
light in his eyes. 1t was a desperate
chance, but in it's very daring there
was success.
Conley's rifle cracked vainly. The
Ice Wrath seemed to outspeed bullets
for the moment. Like an arrow from
the bow she shot down to the chaSm.
The black ice strained and cracked.
FRANKLIN could feel it bend beneath
their weight. And then, as the broken
ice cracked all about them. the yacht
leaped the chasm and sped out upon
the frozen river beyond
Looking back. the navigator saw their
pursuers tumble hurriedly into the
sleigh. but they were fairly outdis-
tanced. In few minutes the Ice
Wrath rounded the last bend in the
stream and safely made the pulp mill
landing. FRANKLIN had to almost carry
Rose to the railway station; but. once
seated in the cars. she recovered from
her fright. The train rolled out of the
town before the sweating horses of
their pursuers reached the landing.
Il was several years before Franklin
ventured into the region again. Hi
Conley was then serving a tern in the
state prison. Abe Bannock met Frank
Ign with some confusion.
''Of course. Mr.. FRANKLIN, if we'd
knowed you fancied the gal you could
have had her for the arsllin. 1 don't
reckon Rose will ever come back this
ere way. eh?"
Il don't believe she WILL" replied
FRANKLIN sternly, for. the memory OF
those blue welts upon Roses pretty
shoulders came over him very strongly
for the moment. My wife's expert
ence with you wasn't pleasant enough
for her to want to renew old associa-
tions.''