Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-04-20
CHAPTER XIV,

CHAPTER Nv.
A light snow had fallen during the
night, and on the comparatively little
travelled country road the lovers first
took there was no difficulty in following
the track Of Johns cutter. But on the
turnpike it was quickly lost among the
multiplicity Of others. Only from the
direction 1t took in emerging from the
road--turning towards the left-it ap.
peared that they had gone to Washing
ton. But, after driving half an hour,
the pursuers met a man coming from
Washington, who said that he had seen
no cutter with man and a girl In II on
the road that day. They went back to
where the trail entered upon the pike,
and, by more careful and acute observa.
ton than they had employed before,
found now that John had cunningly driv.
en- few hundred yards toward Wash.
ington, and then rctraccd his course and
gone In the direction Of Canonsburg.
He had evidently calculated upon the
possibility of what had occurred and his
trick had cost his pursuers nearly an
hour and q half of valuable time. The
consciousness OF having been so easily
outwitted still further cnraged Simeon
Mulveil, and he dashed his horses into
gallop.
The fortunate accident of meeting q
man who knew Cameron and had recog.
nized him, with girl, In cutter. on
the road to Pittsburg. saved the consta.
BILE from vain chase to Canonsburg,
and enabled him, though still far In the
rear. TO gain ground steadily in the pur-
suit from that time on.
John Cameron, confident Of having baf-
fed his possible pursucrs and dreaming
naught of the danger now following
swiftly, was wildly happy In possession
OF the greatest JOY and triumph Of his
life. Hetty, nestled close under his
arm, so bundled up that only her spark.
ling eyes. the blossomy roundncss Of her
cheeks and the tip of her little nose APP
peared amid her mutllings, In submission
to his insistance uncovered her lips lust
for n moment and the moment was so
long that the big black horse felt the
neglected reins lying loosely upon his
back, ard intoxicated by cxultation In
his own vigor and the inspiriting fresh
ness Of the morning breeze, took the bit
between his teeth and galloped madly
away with the speed OF the wind, his
bells sounding paean of rejoicing. That
was on the country turnpike; there was
no such good going on the Pittsburg road.
1t had been badly cut up by heavy
teaming during recent thaw, and the
snowfall of the preceding night hrd Caly
partly concealed and not filled the deep
ruts and holes in the frozen gr0Nnd. Add.
ed to that, when the sun was well up.
the snow was softened just enough to
"ball' constantly under the black horses
feet and worry him. Consequently. the
travel was slower than John hs! antici"
patcd. and it was the middle Of the af.
tcrnoon when he found himself descend.
ing the long, steep sidehill above Tenn
peranceyille and saw Pittsburg, across
the Monongahcla river, before him. But
that did no. trouble him. Anybody In
pursuit would have had the same DIM.
culties to encounter, and he had good
enough start to free him from anxiety
about the result of a chase. Besides, his
goal was In sight; the victory practically
won.
The little erryboat-propelled by horse
power-had been laid up for the season.
and since then all crossing of the river
was upon the ice. So thick and strong
"uS
wagons laden with COAL and each drawn
by four huge horses, had crossed 1t in
almost q continuous procession between
the mines Of Coal Hill aud the city, day
after day for weeks, without causing its
CLASSY floor to even crack; but II was no
longer so secure. Successive snowfalls
had made 1t rotten" and rivermen af-
tirmed that the swift current Of the
L
side" SO that now, though still perfect
ly safe for pedestrians, only rather ven
turesome persons drove horses upon It.
Those who did drive across followed a
curving course almost like great let.
ter =, that led from the ferry landing
on the South Pttsburg side to the city
wharf near the Point" that way hav-
Ing been carefully picked out by sound
ing where the ice was yet thickest and
strongest.
ITO ha continual