The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-07-04

evidently wanted to make sure of US
at the first fire.
Halt where you are or somebodyll
get hurt" shouted Ferd. The rustlers
glanced at each other. Two of them
grinned wickedly. They came on with
out pausing.
Scared as l was, 1 was far more
frightened in behalf of those reckless
men than on my own account. If they
could have known how quick and GER
tain Ferd is with a rife, they certainly
would have kept their distance. knew
one of them must fall at my brothers
first fire, and if they charged in sad
die did not doubt he would kill them
all before they could reach us-he is
just as quick as that on the trigger.
and he works his lever as boy fins
marble. His rife was already Ieveled.
covering the leader.
Halt, there, 1 tell you!'' he called
again, and in tone that would have
stopped any but the most desperate of
men. The men fingered their Winches-
tiers. They were about to begin the
night. Then in breath and out of the
dust that still banked along the sleeps
Florence came galloping at them.
The fellows turned their heads quick
ly at hearing the patter of her pony's
hoofs, and the leader wheeled his horse
sharply about. The latter lowered the
rifle he had half-presented when he
saw a girl confronting him. 1t was
well enough for him that he did so.
Florence coolly pulled up in front
and a little to one side of this aston
ished rustler.
Those are my brothers down
there" we heard her saying in a clear
voice. Il am going to help them drive
the horses. | guess my stirrup-strap
is breaking loose" And she stooped
over on the side opposite the man. as
if to attend to her footing.
Then, before the leader or his men
could recover from their surprise, Flor
ence Strengthened up and flung a hiss
ing cracker at his pony's head.
AT 10 feet she ought not to have
missed, but the pony lodged at the
motion of her arm, and her big vel
low cracker struck the rider some
where about his belt and exploded.
The man was knocked or thrown out
of his saddle, sprawling like a strick-
en- frog. The pony sprang away, reel
ing from the conclusion.
One of the mounted men yelled:
Dynamite" and all three put spurs
to their dancing ponies, and were out
of range and out of sight in no
time.
Ferd and l now advanced, with our
guns covering the fallen rustler. who
had raised himself to a sitting posture
and seemed TO be cropping for his Win
chester. He was blind and dizzy as
yet from the shock he had received.
Florence had dismounted and Sc
cured his gun.
I'm dreadfully sorry / hurt you,
sir, we heard her saying, ruefully. 81
only meant TO stampede your horses
and keep you from shooting at my
brothers."
She had indeed done execution. The
mans shirt front was blown away. his
breast and face were blackened with
powder, his mustache and eyebrows
were singed off, and his eyes were red
and bleary, and rolled like those of
drunken man.
He was still light-headed when Ferd
and l came up. We got him to his
feet and walked him around a bit.
Florence ran to a pool and brought
water in my wool hat. He drank
eagerly.
When he had fully recovered his
senses, we knew that he was not Sc
riously injured. He sat down upon
the ground presently, and although
the pain of his burns must have been
acute, he grinned at us in a kind of
grim humor.
Well" he asked, "goin' to shoot
me up?"
had already caught his horse.
"Get into your saddle and get out
of these parts" said Ferd. ''Try to
make an honest living in future, and
no one will hurt you"
The man, with grimace of humil-
iation, mounted his animal and rode
away. We were glad enough to see
the last of him.
We overlook the main herd of stam-
peded horses near the summit of the
pass. That night we slept upon beds
Oh spruce boughs. We reached home
about eight o'clock in the morning,
and found the rest of the family
awaiting us. They thought we must
have gone to Lander.
When the stockmen came back from
Lander they were in great state of
indignation. There had been no cele-
bration, and they had ridden hun
dred miles and back for nothing. 1t
soon turGed out that the rustlers
themselves had caused the false re-
port to be circulated.
/ must say that Florence is now
person of considerable reputation in
these parts.-Youth's Companion.
LITTLE WILLIE DREAMS OF
GIANT FIRECRACKER.