Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-12-23

upon the brink of the big ditch and
fed toward Lapeer's.
Sandy reeled in his seat, then looked
| behind to see two of his pursuers, un-
| able to check their ponies, go plowinS
into the washout, while still another.
whose animal had set its feet in a
srandstill, was flung neck and heels
! over the bank. What fate awaited
those Indians at the bottom of the cut
Sandy could not tell; he was too quick
ly out of sight.
But three of his pursuers were out
of the race; that he knew. Then he
felt a sense of mounting exultation as
he noted how his calico pony was
running upon the very rim of the
washout, clearing wide, dry bitches
and water ruts in 1.-THE. quick leaps,
and scudding like a hunted fox over
ground a fox might have chosen to
| foil the best of horsemen. This-this
was Nez Perce mountain pony.
The remaining Cheyennes followed
hotly after the flying messenger, but
prudently kept farther up the slope.
They were no longer shooting, but
Sandy noted that they were forging
ahead and holding their lances in
readiness to thrust him through at the
first favorable turn. Plainly there
must be one more lodging match, one
more running of the gauntlet, before
he could hope TO reach Lapeers. Hold
ing to his seat, Sandy awaited tho
trial.
1t came soon. At the bottom of
small ravine the calico pony made an
other of those lightning turns, and
ran straight up the draw. All but
three of the Cheyennes had crossed
above, but these three, noting the cum
ming maneuver, wheeled upon the
slope and came plunging down togeth-
er to head it off. The calico responded
with fresh and unexpected burst of
speed, and the foremost Indian, rising
in his saddle to hurl his lance, lost
his seat and was pitched head fore
most under his horses feet.
The riderless pony and the mounted
Cheyennes came together at the bot
tom of the draw, with further dam
age to the excited Indians, and San
dys calico, lodging them, went by
like the wind.
Sandy, shouting with exultation,
looked back at turn of the ravine to
see single Indian chasing him on
foot, and frantically trying to load a
rife as he ran. The others were evil
IDENTIFY still engaged in the effort to
eXtricate themselves from the difficult
ty into which the riderless pony had
thrown them.
One minute later the express rider
emerged from the ravine, with his cal
leo running straight for the ridge trail,
and saw dozen more Cheyennes look
ing for him along the washout below.
Sandy heard their shrill yells Of dis
appointment as he came into view 200
yards above and in front of them, and
sped swiftly away down the slope
The Indians at once gave over the
chase. and it was as well for them,
perhaps, that they did, for at the foot
of the ridge Sandy met Blue Bob and
the gun men of Lapeer's.
The men at the station had seeh the
Cheyennes ride out upon the ridge to
cut Sandy off. In that clear atmos-
phere, three miles away, they had
watched the express messenger as he
approached the Indians, and had seen
him and his pony apparently swal-
lowed up and lost in a cloud of rush
ing horsemen. Then they had seen
the calico pony suddenly emerge like
a jack rabbit lodging ring hunt, and
they had waited to see no more.
AS a result of this feat of his talent
ed Nez Perce pony and of his own
pluck and skill, Sandy remained at
I.apeer's as rider and wrangler until
the abandonment of the route
Youths Companion.