Gardnerville record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1898-1902, 1901-08-23
from. snerlrr Anything up in this
nart of fha cniInirxy.,

from. snerlrr Anything up in thi.
part OF the countryy"
"Ol. no, not particle. I've beer
visiting my old school In the noun
tains and took the trail home dow
Cayucus."
This was plausible enough. for ther,
was blind trail that entered the can
yon just east OF the angle OF The house
Stoner felt little relieved
Won't you put up and siay with u,
all night."
mo. Mr.. Stoner; must 20 down Il
kestral to see my friends there. It's
only an hours ride"
THAT settles It," thought stoner
"Plenty of stout fellows to use as sher
lff's deputies there. He has probably
stumbled Oh traces and is going fol
help lie sat aud smoked and slipped
his hand back under his coat. Easy
to shoot the fellow he said 10 himself
Well. goodby. Stoner." said Warren
suddenly. Il suppose the beach road
is as good as ever
Perfectly safe. only when yon cross
Toro creek Keep on the sand bar. Its
as hard as iron | crossed there today
Thank you. Adios.''
Simple. smiling speech. those words
OF Stoner, and yet they were intended
to send Warren TO his death more sure.
ly and safely than by bullet of pistol OF
pellet of secret poison.
Stoner took an extra swig OF brandy
and went 10 his rest Warren rode
down the rugged bill TO the bottom of
the raylne, then turned ssaward, and
at last the wide gulch opened broadly
to the shore of the Pacific.
The cliffs were from 30 TO 300 feet
high and full of wave worn caves. War
ren drew rein on the beach and for
fully ten minutes watched the ocean
sway and rise. His thoughts throbbed
with dreams of Tessa. He would take
her away from her narrow and hurtful
surroundings. He would force Sfoner's
consent marry her and mike her happy.
lie rode rapidly south. and in half an
hour the pltSlh of the Toro appeared In
the midst of sand dunes. breakers roll
ing in and The steady river rolling out.
Here was the long sand bar. ten feet
wide aud stretching across hardly an
inch higher than the water surface.
Warren was beginning TO have some
suspicious of Sfoner. but not such rs to
lead him TO doubt the simple directions
he had received. The sand bar looked
safe. but within a few days the sea, as
Stoner knew, had swept 1t nightly.
torn out the long compacted bar and
placed instead a quiyering mass of
quicksand so treacherous that not even
light footed rabbit could cross with
oui being swallowed up and dragged
bodily down. Warren rode swiftly for
ward. lie had crossed sand bars hun
dreds of times. Some horses would
have been wiser. but the animal he
rode had been bred in the valley.
The approach 10 the bar was hard for
n few rods. and he galloped on sud
denly. in one heartbreaklng. breathess
descent nolseless but unntterably
dreadful. Tom Warren's horse went
down. down, and the soft. Shiny sand
came up TO his name. He shreked out
that CHASTITY cry of appeal and agony
that desperate. dying horse win some.
times utter.
Tom knew the peril. Ee had drawn
his feet from the stirrups and lifted
them up at the first downward throb.
but the sand began TO grab at him also.
He threw himself Hat on his breast and
tore himself loose from the poor ami
NAL. over whose back the mingled sand
and water were running. as il rolled
from side to side in Intellectual strug.
giles To escape.
Tom spread himself out over as much
surface as possible. but slowly. resist
lessly. the mighty force drew him down
ward. The hard beach WAS only Ten
feet distant. but practically the chasm
was lnpassabe He fell his horse
sink ont of sight The sand grpppd his
own knees and arms. his thighs and
shoulders. Two Inches more. ard the
end by suffocation was inevitable. Up
to this time he had not shouted: nulv
his horses wild death scream bad told
OF the tragedy. What was the usei
Who would be passing along that lone
ly road? Then he Thought Of Tessa
and of life. He raised hls voice IN a
clear, strong shout for help. again and
again repeated
Far of along the deep raYine there
came cry In response and horses
hurrying feet. and hope awoke In his
heart. The margin of life was 1--WE
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