Morris tribune., 1901-04-20

go. go. this minute, Tom.
lmpassive as Stoner was he felt d
little startled by the sight.
where in the devil did you come
from. sheriff? Anything up in this
part of the country?"
"Oh, no. not a particle. I've been
visiting my old school in the noun
.tains and took the trail home down
Cayucus."
This was plausible. enough, for there
4 was a blind trail that entered the can
.yon just east of the angle of the house.
Z, Stoner felt little relieved.
Wont you put up and stay with us
oil night?'
No. Mr.. Stoner: ! must go down to
Kestral to see my friends there. It's
only an hours ride
i "That settles it, thought Stoner.
! ..Plenty of stout fellows to use as sher-
ifs deputies there. He has probably
( stumbled on traces and els going for
help" He sat and smoked and slipped
his hand back under his coat. .tEasy
to shoot the. fellow he said to himself.
''Well, goodby, stoner," said Warren
SuuueulI SuppoSe TIE pedCu IOdu
4 is as good as ever?'
]; Perfectly safe, only when you cross
Toro creek keep on the sand bar. It's
/ as hard as iron. crossed there today"
THANK you. Adios."
/ Simple, smiling speech, those words
j of Stoner, and yet they were intended
] to send Warren to his death more sure
" and safely than by bullet of pistol or
! pellet Of secret poison.
Stoner took an extra. swig of brandy
I and went to his rest. Warren rode
/ down the rugged hill to the bottom of
4 the rayine, then turned seward. and
at last the wide gulch opened Broadly
/ to the shore of the Pacific.
i The cliffs were from so to 300 feet
high and full of wave worn caves. War
rem drew rein on the beach and for
/ fully ten minutes watched the ocean.
| sway and rise. His thoughts throbbed.
with dreams of Tessa. He would take
| her away from her narrow and hurtful
surroundings. He would force Stoner's
consent, marry her and make her happy,
He rode rapidly SOUTH and in half an
hour the mouth of the Toro appeared in
the midst of sand dunes. breakers roll
ing in and the steady river. rolling out.
Here was the long sand bar, ten feet
wide and stretching across hardly an
inch higher than the water surface.
Warren was beginning to have some
suspicious of Stoner but not such as to
lead him to, doubt the simple directions
he had received. The sand bar looked
SAFE. but within few days the sea, as
Sto1ler knew, had swept it nightly,
torn out the, long compacted bar and
placed instead quivering mass of
quicksand so treacheroIs that not even
light footed rabbit could cross with
out being swallowed UP. and dragged
bodily down. Warren rode swiftly for:
ward. He. had crossed sand bars hun
dreds Of times. Some horses would
have been wiser, but the animal he
rode had been bred in the valley.
The approach to the bar was hard for
denly, in one heartbreaking, GREATNESS
descent, noiseless but unutterably
dreadful. Tom Warren's horse went
down, down, and the soft. Shiny sand
came up to his name. He shrieked out
that CHASTITY cry of appeal and agony
that desperate. dying: horse will some
times utter
Tom knew the peril. Ee had drawn
his feet from the stirrups and lifted
them up at the first downward throb.
but the sand began to grab at him also.
He threw himself fat on his breast and
tore himself loose from the poor ami
NAL. overlwhose back the mingled sand
and water were running. as it rolled
from side to side in Intellectual strug-
giles to escape.
Tom spread himself out over as much
surface as possible, but slowly. resist
lessly, the mighty force drew him down
ward. The hard beach was only ten
feet distant. but practically the chasm
was impossible. He felt his horse
sink out Of sight The sand gripped his
own knees and arms, his thighs and
shoulders. Two inches more, and the
end by suffocation was inevitable. Up
to this time he had not shouted; only
his horses wild death scream had told
Of the tragedy. What was the use?
Who woulc be passing along that lone
~ road? Then he thought of Tessa
and of life. He raised his voice in a
clear. strong shout for help. again and
again repeated.
Far off along the deep ravine there !
came cry in response and a horses
hurrying feet, and hope awoke in his
heart. The margin of life was five
minutes now not longer. Faster, fast
er, oh, fearless rideI
TON. where are your
Here, Tessa. Don't come too near"
But the mountain girl knew the dam
ger. Creeping down stairs for a drink
of water, she had heard her fathers
words to Warren. had thrown shawl
about her, shoulders and run to the
pasture. There she caught her pet I
horse. sprlng upon his unsaddled back.
seized a RATA as she passed the stable I
and galloped at the utmost speed !
down the ravine, hoping against hope.
for many minutes had necessarily
eNv q.