Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1900-12-19
enough q hurt them. rtIa TOD az

enough to hurt them IT'S too late
now for me to put back. however. and
I'm going to stay here Il.
Herman looked at the sky. The
clouds had banked up thlckly and the
snow was coming faster and faster.
blown by constantly rising wind.
THE last time young Carruthers was
at the post" he thought the old road
was in USE" He does not know OF
the short new one II he takes the
old trail round the bluff they're lost"
Then he thought of Molly. whom ten
years ago in the far-off Apache coun-
try, he had taught to ride Molly, for
whom he had been bodyguard all
through her childhood. Without a
word to a soul he mounted and struck
off into the very teeth OF the storm.
Don't fail me this day, Joe Hooker
he said.
The horse, as IL In answer. galloped
steadily forward The air seemed
turned to Ice, yet the wind kept ever
rising. They came at last to the
parting of the old and the new roads.
Tiernan slipped from his horse, and
at part of the now disused trail,
sheltered slightly by an embank-
ment, he found the fresh marks OF a
wheel. Carruthers had taken the old
roundabout road. The blizzard was
at its height Herman blinded his
horse and bending low over the sad
die kept him to his task with encour-
aging words. For an hour they kept
steadily on in the face of the tempest.
To any others than that plains-tried
soldier and steed the blizzard would
have meant death. He had hoped to
overtake those whom he sought in
time to take them back to the new
path. The hope was given over long
since. Suddenly Joe Hooker stopped.
There was an obstruction on the trail.
Tiernan slid from the saddle. his
limbs already stiffened with the cold,
and with one hand on his steed's
bride he led the way gropingly for
a few steps There he found an open
carriage empty and with two horses
overcome in the trail Tiernan's
heart nearly failed him. He knew he
was almost on the point where the
Aahl lOduuGu llS 4 tlnftpS lllO
carriage occupants had sought shelter
under the lee of the. embankment.
Toward it he made his painful way. A
cry came family to his ear above the
bowling of the storm. He stumbled on
with his left hand stili grasping tight
| ly Joe Hooker's bride. In another
moment the steep embankment shut
out some of the fury of the wind
and the driving needleIike snow ceas-
ed for moment to blind his vision.
Before him in hollowi'ef the bank
he saw three forms, Twoswere pros
trate, the other was kneelingq and
the soldier realized that the white
1 face Of -xn.l.l 3 cG.,:.... s|sspl
| toward him. While ffoi1 theslfps came
the sniothered cry, Sergeant \ Tier
nan" N.s E.,N
Tiernan stumbled forward and sank
down beside the motoniess figures,
half covered with snows' Il ,f.4 a
Save them came in anguished
tones from the boy. Tiernan raised
the nearest form and looked into the
face of Molly Blake. Exposure had
well-nigh done it's work Then a
thought flashed into his mind, and
with an action as quick as the thought
he sprang to the side Of his horse and
thrust his hand into the saddle bag.
There was the bottle Of brandy intact.
In trice quantity of the stimulant
was forced between the lips Of the
storms victims and signs of return
ing consciousness were almost imme-
date. Herman used his saddle blan-
ket and overcoat as a. further protec-
ton and soon succeeded in getting the
three into still more sheltered nook
After long waiting the storm subsid-
ed, and then came the thump of hoo
falls. A minute later az troop of cav.
airy, led by Colonel Blake. broke
round the edge Of the bluff The
Colonel slipped from his horse ant
took his daughter into his arms The
troopers started a fire, and when Its
genial warmth had made itself fell
the story was told in few words.
Sergeant Herman, said Colone
Blake, that bottle of brandy saved
three lives"
Maybe" returned Herman, but yol
may thank what you said this morn
Ing for there being drop in it,
Patrick Francis Herman. retireC
first sergeant X troop, Seventh cav
} airy, wears massive gold watch. In
scribed on the inside of one case ar
! these words: From Molly Blake t.
Sergeant Herman. Commissioned
Officer and Gentleman" Within tn
back case Sergeant Herman had en-
graved these; 1--WE known the chev
ron or the plain sleeve to do the tricl
as well. Christmas Day. 1890"