The Forrest City times., 1901-06-28

seats, however, as our ponies were gun-broken to firing from the saddle, and would not shy even at cannon shots. They were, in fact, accustomed to the crack of dynamite and black powder, used in breaking rock and splitting logs near our house.
 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 free trot on each side of the creek channel We waited until the leaders had halted, snorting, in front of us 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 as 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 fel- lows until all were punched like a flock of scared sheep.
 Then we rode at them, each of us fiinging a final cracker upon their heels, and all of us yelling like crazy Bannocks at frolic. In no time we had them going-just hitting the wind" in the widest kind of 'coun- ter-stampede." We followed. aware a t first of the active operations of rustlers in our front. The swerving lines of horses told us plainly enough where they were. The dust and con fusion prevented our seeing anything more than half dozen yards distant. By great good luck, we came togeth- CT in crossing curve of the creek-bed. We rode at the tail of the herd until assured that the frightened horses would run as long as they were able that our stampede could not be coun- tered for an hour or more. We knew, | from the time which had elapsed, that the rustlers, not fearing immediate | pursuit, had saved wind and speed for | a long chase.
 ] And now we turned back, determined d 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. It 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 possible, we rode back down the creek channel. which held only here and there pools | of water.
 But luck turned against us just IS we had reached a point nearly opposite the mouth of the cut. While riding across a flat where the ditch was ex- tremely shallow, we sighted four 1 horsemen scouting cautiously. eyi dently trying to discover the cause of the tremendous racket which had turned the stock. They might easily have thought that miners were at work blasting rock somewhere near-doubt- less they had come to some such con- | clusion.
 But they saw us before we could get to cover. They were between us and the mouth of the cut, and they wheele in an ugly fashion, holding their 1 Winchesters at a ready" We slipped out of our saddles and got behind our ponies.
 The fellows were suspicious of a larger force close at hand. or they would doubtless have charged us at once. They looked about rather anxiously, scanning the creek banks above and below.
 As the dust had cleared somewhat. we could see their faces quite plainly. | They were not more than 50 or 60 wards away. Three of them were dressed as cowboys and looked like ordinary line riders. The fourth, and apparently the leader, wore blue wooden shirt and a stiff hat. He had a dropping black mustache and long hair
 Presently the four got in line and began moving slowly toward us. They