Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-04-06

ton he could not compare with Old Put.
Despite the anxiety of the moment, L
noted his inferiority with some pride,
but then | remembered how much de-
pended upon the success of the pursuit,
and | continued to urge on my own
mount.
Strive and strain as we could and
ride and thump as | would with all my
arms and legs, we lost ground rapidly.
The girl turned her head once to look
at me, and | thought | saw a look of
triumph on her face, but | suppose it
was my imagination which was indus
triously tormenting me just then. /
groaned at the certainty of her escape.
and then hope seized me, for | remem-
bered suddenly that l, too, had a trick
to play. Old Put and / possessed a COM
mon language in which we often talked,
with perfect understanding. | put two
fingers to my lips and blew between
them a long, shrill whistle, which cut
the air and travelled like the scream Of
q fife. 1t was a request, a command
even, to him to stop and wait for me.
He twisted his long neck in the manner
of one listening, looking back at me to
see what | meant, but he went ON,
though with slightly diminished speed,
his manner indicating that he was IN
certain what | had said.
The girl was belaboring him with
the switch, for she must have noticed
his decreasing gait. | whistled again,
and as Old Puts pace sank to q trot
she beat him fiercely with the switch.
A third whistle, and Old Put, now in
perfect accord with me, stopped stock
still; not only that, but he faced about
and neigned %Joyously. The girl threw
.ne remains of her switch upon the
ground and began to cry, not pitifully,
but angrily. fiercely. | rode up slowly
and held out my hand to Old Put, who
rubbed his nose against it. He knew
his master and best friend. Never had
/ beaten him, and now there We're
stripes and welts ON his side where she
had pounded him with a switch, or
rather stick.
"Why did You not tell me what sort
of a horse he was, " she cried, IAN
then | would not have made myself
look so ridiculous, sitting here as if 1
had been tied and waiting for you to
come up?'
"Miss Howard, said l in some as
constituent, "do you expect me to show
you the way to escape?"
II do not expect anything from you,
a rebel" she said. "Do not speak to
me again"
All right; that suited me. l did not
wish to talk to her. She used words
only to inveigle me into some incau-
tious mood. But it was necessary for me
to tell her to dismount in order hat ]
might change saddles again, as | did
not intend to give her another such op-
portunity. | did not offer to assist her,
having had enough of that, but stood
beside the brown hack, watching her
with a look that was now strictly mill
tary.
"Why don't you help me DOWN." she
said angrily. "Have You no courtesy
for a lady?"
''You have declined such assistance
frerl atsie ell before, " l said in reply to
heI Inspected question.
''And | decline again. You needn't
offer it, 3" she said abruptly, springing to
the ground, when / had no thought of
Offering it.
AS soon as she was off his back Old
Put showed the greatest distrust of her
and aversion. He SHE'D as far away
from her as my hold on his bride would
let him, and his big, dark eyes shone
with wrath. | was glad that he had
come back to his senses, and he, like |,
should have known her thoroughly from
the first and always.
"We don't intend to be deceived by
her again, do we, old oomrade!" said
to him.
He nodded his head in emphatic fash
ion, and his big eye winked intelligent
ly. Her eyes flashed a little, but she took
no other notice.
Look well at this lady. Put" /
said DO you note her?"
He nodded.
"She's English, we're Americans,
and therefore she's an enemy and not TO
be trusted. Watch her we'll, / con-
tinued.
He nodded violently,
"Now, Miss Howard, 4" / said severe
", 'I've changed those saddles, and
they are ready for our use when we
need them, but meanwhile Well walk
again, as we've tired our horses out for
the second time, and all your fault too -
She said nothing, but walked on in
the way which | had indicated, keeping
eight or ten feet from me. She had
ceased to cry and had given her features
a fixed and angry set.
/ was troubled greatly. We had
wasted so much time over her futile
efforts to escape that the problem of a
nights shelter had grown more diff
cult and pressing, aud | intended that
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