The Globe-republican., 1901-07-04

riding. came out of a sharp cut into |
the canon of Two-owe-tee- a brief
examination convinced us that we
should find no better point at which
to make a break in the herd and turn
them back upon the rustlers. The gap
OF Two-owe-tee was here some two
hundred yards in width with inacces-
sible sleeps on either hand.
We rather counted on fight, and /
F'erd planned for it like general. He I
even consented that Florence should t
take a part in cannonading the herd, I
whereat she at once became a calm and /
superior person. She agreed to keep /
close in to the mouth Of the cut, after /
we should get the herd going, and in |
a certain length of time to take her |
flight back over the trail by which we |
had come.
Even when we told her we should
fight, pointing out from a height the !
high banks of dry run where we
should make our stand when we had
run the herd over the ruStlers, she APP
proved the plan.
We quickly took our places. Flor
ence stood just outside the mouth of
the cut, with several giant crackers
and some matches in hand She was
a little pale. but cool and collected, and
showed sign of fear.
The foremost horses of the herd
were soon close at hand OF course the
dust they raised completely hid us
from view OF the rustlers in their rear
They were coming at a free trot on
each side of the creek channel We
waited until the leaders had halted,
snorting, in front of u.s. Then we light
ed our crackers and flung them-eight
| or ten-One after the other. Florence
! took her part in the cannonade. throw
/ ing her crackers as far she could
toward the horses
! For half minute the canyon roared
! and reverberated with an astounding
racket. This thunder and smoke flung
the leading horses back upon their Eel
| lows until all were punched like flock
| of scared sheep
Then we rode at them, each of us
finging a final cracker upon their
! heels, and all of yelling like crazy
Bannocks at a frolic- In no time we
had them going-just hitting the
! wind in the widest kind of .'coun-
ter-stampede-" We followed, aware at
| first of the active operations of rus
| tiers in our front The swerving lines
| told plainly enough where they
were. The dust and confusion pre-
vented our seeing anything more than
| half dozen yards distant
BY great good luck, we came together
in crossing a curve of the creek-bed
| We rode at the tail of the herd until
assured that the frightened horses
would long as they Were able
that our stampede could not be coun-
tered for an hour more We knew,
from the time which had elapsed, that
the rustlers, not fearing Immediate
pursuit, had saved wind and speed
for long chase.
And now we turned back. determined
| to take our stand in the mouth OF the
cut and guard the pass until the stock
| men should begin to come in from
| Lander. 1t was only through the gap
| of Two-owe-tee that the rustlers could
| hope to run stock Off our range
Dust hung heavily in the gap, and in
order to dodge the rustlers, if posi-
BILE, we rode back down the creek chan
nell which held only here and there
| pools of water.
larger force close at hand or they
would doubtless have charged us at
once. They looked about rather anx-
iously, scanning the creek banks above
and below.
Presently the four got in line and
began moving slowly toward us. They
evidently wanted to make sure at the
first fire.
Halt where you are or somebody'll
get hurt." shouted Fred The rustlers
glanced at each other Two OF them
grinned wickedly- They came on with
out pausing.
Halt, there, I tell you." he called
and in tone that would have stopped
! any but the most desperate of men.
. j The men fingered their Winchesters
!
! Then in a breath and out of the dust
F that still banked along the sleeps
, Florence came galIoping directly to-
. ward them.
The fellows turned their heads quick
. 1y at hearing the patter of her pony
hoofs, and the leader wheeled his horse
sharply about The latter lowered his
rifle he had ha1f-presented when he
saw a girl confronting him. 1t was
well enough for him that he did so.
Florence q
, little to one side of this astonished rus
, tier.
Those are my brothers down
there" we heard her saying in clear
voice Il going to help them drive
, the horses I guess my stirrup-strap Is
: breaking loose And she stopped
over on the side opposite the man. as
if to attend to her footing
Then, before the leader his men
could recover from surprise, Florence
, | Strengthened up and flung a kissing
; cracker at his ponyfs head