Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-23

and went TO his rest. WaiiSh tooS
down the rugged hill to the bottom OF
the ravine, then turned seward, ana
at last the wide gulch opened broadly
to the shore Of the Pacific.
The cliffs were from so to 300 feet
high and full Of wave worn caves. war
rem drew rein on the beach and Tor
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 hurtfui
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
Stoner knew, had swept 1t nightly,
torn out the long compacted bar and
placed instead quivering mass OF
uuicksand so treacherous that not even
q 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
q few rods, and he galloped on. Sud
denly, in one heartbreaking, breathless
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 fiat on his breast and
tore himself loose from the poor ami
NAL, over whose back the mingled sand
and water were running, as 1t 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. Or
to this time he had not shouted; only
his horses wild death scream had told
of the tragedy. What was the use
Who would be passing along that lone
" road? Then he thought of Tessa
and Of life. He raised his voice in
clear, strong shout for help, again and
again repeated
Far off along the deep ravine there
came cry in response and horses
hurrying feet, and hope awoke In hi
heart. The margin Of life was five
minutes now-not longer. Faster, fast
er, oh, fearless rider!
atom, where are your
"Here, Tessa. Don't come too near"
But the mountain girl knew the dan
ger. Creeping down stairs for drinl
Of water, she had heard her fathers
words to Warren, had thrown shaw
about her shoulders and run to thu
pasture. There she caught her pc
horse, sprang upon his unsaddled back
seized a RATA as she passed the stable
and galloped at the utmost speed
down the ravine, hoping against hope
for many minutes had necessaril!
elapsed since Warren started.
She sprang to the ground and tossed
the rawhide rope to the one arm h'
held above the sand. She folded he
shawl and put 1t over her horses
shoulders and tied the RATA rount
like collar. Then she led him slowl!
away from the quicksands, and War
rem thought his arm would break, bu
slowly, reluctantly, painfully, the sane
gave up its prey.
"Your father told me to take THU
road, Tessa," said the young sheriff.
eyes, l know that, and I heard on
Of the men tell him today that the ba
was swept out"
There was a long silence between
them.
"Tessa, 90 with me to San Luis
said Warren, "and let US get married.
And Tessa went.
Old Stoner heard the news q few
days later. Within an hour he hat
retired from business" The CAM
was broken up, the hunters disappear
ed mysterious lights flashed at inter
walls all night from the points Of tn
cliff, and the next day old Stoner him
self disappeared. leaving his family
the ranch and the live stock. 1t wa
said that he made the best Of his wa,
to Mexico and finally to South Amer
lea. The world Is large as yet, ant
men who have money can ramble owe
good deal Of it without finding
past they wish to escape from. Blu
Tessa lives In her San Luis Obispo cot
tage, with orange trees over it and Ii
Marque roses on the porch, and sh
thinks herself the happiest woman Il
California.
Squares of Consecutive Numbers.