The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-11-21
CHAPTER XXI.
A STERN CHASE.

4 y tant. The place was of too
great Importance for the gucr-
rillas to dare enter, and II we could
reach 1t before they could catch us we
should be safe.
How much Is your horse worth7"
asked the blacksmith.
"a matter O. saXty dollars"
"If you kill him by hard driving, I'll
give you hundred, and II you get us
to Dccherd before the outlaws can
catch us I'll make 1t hundred more"
"Weel, moo, don't want to be hard
on mon tiyin for his life and wlmmcn
folk too. III do the best can and ask
no money!
With that he belabored the poor
horses tlanks with the stump his
whip and sent him galloping on ard.
There were no springs to the lgon,
but we valued our lives too w, II to
draw rein at rut or stone. At one part
Of the road ! feared that If we did not
check our pace we would break q
wheel and be left with no means to
get on save our legs. l cautioned the
driver to slacken his pace; but. hearing
or fancying he heard the gathering Of
horses hoofs behind. without n word
from me he applied the lash. Now We
bounded into the air and now we We're
tossed together like dice In box.
"Git oop, ye crltter!" cried the black
smith. mingling Scotch and Tennessee
"Don't ye know ye're graggin bonny
leddies fyn for their lives" And
down came the butt of the whip. 1t
was narrowing to see a horse forced to
give his life to save ours, but our stu
alton was too critical to warrant any
slackening Of speed. Jack, who Of all
our force was usually most frightened
at danger ahead and would fight 1t
most vigorously when face to face with
IT., for once acted In reverse at seeing
the poor brute making leaps that were
killing him.
stop beating that horse, you brute"
she cried, "or I'll beat you" And she
sprang forward to seize the whip
caught her in my arms. She looked up
into my face and burst into tears.
Whether 1t was wholly sympathy or
overstrained nerves ! did not know;
probably both At any rate, | protect
cd her from the jolting by keeping her
In my arms. while she hid her face SO
that she could not see the suffering
horse.
"Jack," said Buck. you're nothin
but baby"
Shut up. yo' little Niger" she cried
l could not rcprcss smile at the re-
tort, seeing which. Jack realized the
laugh, while the tears continued to run
down her checks.
"Won't 20 let inc support yo' against
the joltIngI" asked Captain Beaumont
rucfully.
"Yo'2" DO yo' suppose I'd let 20
touch me7 Yo' shot my best friend"
"Do yo' dislike me TO shooting--a
robbcrT" asked her admIrer sadly.
II hate yo'."
Beaumont settled down In q corner Of
the wagon In dependency. After
awhile Jack slid down beside him,
whereupon he suddenly lighted up and
took ns much interest In our fight as
any one OF the party.
We were a wild looking load to the
few people who passed us. Whenever
we saw farm wagon coming or going
we would shout to its driver to get out
Of the way. They must have supposed
our horse to be n runaway, for every
one quickly turned aside. There are
pictures Of that ride which can see
today, 80 vividly were they stamped
on my memory. An old man with hi
hands on the handle Of his pIoW cape,
through iron trimmed spectacles. a wO-
man In check gown and sunbonnet
stopped trimming plants in her gar
den and stood With the shears in her
hand to cape at us as if we were
party Of witches who had lit on the
earth from the moon and were making
ready to take to the sky again. Ne.
groes, children, country lads, faced tho
road as we passed and stood wonder
stricken till we were out Of sight.
Coming to rise in the ground where
we could look to our rear for perhaps
mile, we were terror stricken to see n
man shoot around n bend In the road at
gallop. In moment another follow
ed. We could not see If there were
any more, for we passed over the sum-
NIT. Not far below milestone told