The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-20

It was a perfect morning, the air dry
 and crisp and the roads in excellent
 condition. 1 dismounted for moment
 at the Arroya bridge and noted that the
 stream was wilder than l had ever be-
 fore seen it. In fact, it had grown into
 Ia rushing torrent, and the waters, mud
 dy and discolored, were boiling and
 seething within two feet of the bridge
 timbers-the result of the spring freshet
 from the snow-covered mountains. Re-
 mounting I climbed the long hill leis-
 urely, and four hours later entered the
 bank at Lr---, drew the necessary
 funds, transacted some other business,
 and at three o'clock started on my re- turn trip.
 About halfway between the camp
 and L-r- stood a little inn. or road house, the only building within radi- us of twenty miles, where refreshnlent was obtainable for man and beast. I stopped here for brief rest, and some- what to my surprise, as l entered the
 door saw my two ne'er- do- wells of the
 camp-Herman and Brown Pete-seat-
 ed at a table in the bar-room. I spoke
 to them pleasantly but received only
 an indifferent nod in return. I knew
 they bore me no love, however, and
 presuming that they were on their way
 to L----, partook of a glass Of beer and
 continued my journey.
 | I had left the inn perhaps mile be- hind, when distant hoof beats caught
 my ear, and looking over my shoulder, 1 saw two horsemen quarter of q mile to my rear. 'So,' thought I, these | two worthies are bound for camp, and
 not for L--. had begun to hope we
 were we'll rid of them"
 Noticing few moments later that the hoof beats were becoming more distinct, I turned In my saddle and saw that Hermann and Pete had consdera- bly, lessened the distance between us.
 'Wonder what they are up to-" l re- flected. Perhaps they want a race.
 We'll, they shall have It."
 The stretch of roadway at this point was the best on the route, the turf be- ing springy and smooth and firm as South African veldt, so putting a little extra pressure on my pedals l swung into pace of perhaps fifteen miles an hour Looking back presently, saw that the horsemen had also increased their pace, and from their manner of riding were bent upon doing even bet ter. l, accordingly leaned q little fur ther over the handle bars and was soon riding at clip I hoped might leave my pursuers behind. The effect upon Pete and Hermann, However, was well calcu- | latedted to make me uneasy Both had 1 begun to whip furiously. The ponies broke into swift run and I could hear the calls of their riders as I turned my ear toward them.
 As we were now fully ten miles from the inn, and no one in Sight. l had not the slightest intention of allowing them to come up with me. Moreover I had two thousand dollars in my coat pocket. of which l believed either or both of the fellows would not hesitate to relieve me, That their intentions were not friendly I was fully convinced, when one, two and three revolver shots rang put, and glance showed me conclu- lively that l was their target. On evel ground I saw that they must in lime overtake me- but if I could reach he long grade to the arroya was Suudliy CtIldlH CUutu UlSLdHcS IneIl, md so buckled down, without further 'etlection, to the hardest riding of which
 was capable. An occasional glance , ,ver my shoulder, however, showed me , hat the ponies were. gaining. Once my ( machine struck bit of loose turf; the Z onward wheel turned, and lurched un- i 'teadily toward the side of the road, I Z vas i'll control again in an instant, but I or the moment I felt the blood leave i; ny face, and my heart came up just q 2 rifle higher in my throat than was f omfortable, There was not more than mile ahead of me now to the top of q he hill. Barring accident I should , within three minutes or less wave my , at at my pursuers and simply double :, ny pace. If not-well, had my revol- t CT with me, ~and consequently fight s ng chance left. | That mile, I know, was the longest I $ yer covered but I did it, and putting r bout all the breath I had left into an f xultant yell waved my pursuers an h dieu and plunged over the brow of the [ i'll. There were two slight turns in q 1e first mile, and then a straight q tretch at a thirty degree pitch to the rroya bridge.
 I was so elated at my escape, of hich 1 now felt assured, that I not nly gave my wheel its head but con- U nued to prers the pedals until I re- " lined them with the greatest difficulty :. S felt them getting away from me, !, ', tried to back-pedal, but the strain of u
 emile race had told upon me u nd l was not equal to the effort With 'i
 savage jerk one pedal left my foot II nd the other did the same trick a mo- ? ent later. s' The pace was now terrific Each side =, the roadway danced past me in much r, e same manner as when through the e ndoW Of q railway car. l had :, atched the telegraph wires sag up and :, own between the poles. My head s, yam; the rushing wind blinded my r, 'es with tears; the wheel jumped and waved beneath me like thing of life, !, Id still faster and faster went, until, T., infused though my brain was, it o, ,wned upon me that if my speed con- /, lued to increase, the wheel must soon =, } racked to pieces, or if it held to- z, ,ther an inevitable collision at the Ar ., va bridge or at the turn just beyond f., Culd put an end to my ride and my ,,, e. I fully realized, however, that to mp or to fall off would be suicide; , Id so I clung to the bars in sort of n, ,mb despair that I noWN recall as come ,, ,rrible nightmare. ,r The end of the bridge which was ap- m Oaching was reached through a cut II ',