Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-07-16

nave addressed RlngwoOd. and pres.
entity father aud son swung into fheir
saddles and gall0ped down IN. road
AS they vanished ia the faint light
hngwood rushed for the barn. loosen.
inx his pistols 10 his belt as he ran.
me TWO servants watched him scoru.
fully as he saddied his gray with IN.
credible swiftness.
MarSe Haywood scared de firbt rpn
down dis way" muttered sam. "pe
des muffin but trash. TO all he so GOOD
lookin'. Cord Almighty. wish ali 40
boys wasn't gonel whar ebberybody.
LeeT"
Alice samee time of 'cept hunt
nils, was the brief return, which
meant that some OF the men had nm
AFTERNOON and the rest were after some
refractory cattle In the hills.
harse Rlngwood gone like de deb.
Die after him." growied Sam. Ana In.
deed the gray was flying at terrible
speed.
The far, dim starlight sifted reluc-
family down. and the horses feet
reached the ground more by, instinct
than sight. Ringwood bent over his
neck. Jockey fashion. For seant two
miles they kept to a badly marked
road, then before them yawned the
mouth OF SEWER canyon. the broken
trah merely gray pencil mark among
| Jagged powders and treacherous wave
washed stones. rounded by old world
| foods.
A second the gray hesltaied. and in
that second Ringwood distinctly heard
/ again Morris voice:
ITO ride through that trail Mt speed
means almost certain deathr' And he
| exulted that the words flowed in his
/ soul Ike wine. Then he drove the
rowels in his horses tanks, and the
gray In generous anger plunged down
the canyon way at top speed. every
beat Of his steel shod hoofs striking
| FIRE from the rocks. Now they crossed
bed Of clay worn sllmily smooth by
the soft tapping OF the low stream. and
| here goat might have fallen and TAX
/ en- no shame to himself. but the gray
had that superb aud rare quality which
carries through everything: be believed
Ia himself Presently nine-tenths OF
the canyon were behind them. though
the frowning walls yet hung above.
Once a panther Kissed Ike an Infuri-
stei cat Ia their way. but the oncom-
I ing might Of the two daunted her, and
she ICED lgnominiously to the recesses
of the cliff sides aud mouthed resent
fully after them. dragging behind her
n tail twice its natural size.
But now open woods. the canyon was
In the rear. and before BIngwood a
I tiny irc. with crude half tent hug
ging Il. and In It's shelter four men.
I Thanks 10 the half mile OF soft earth
between them and the canyon. thanks
10 n quarrel already bred among them,
they did not hear Ripgwood until he
was bearing down upon them. not fifty
yards away.
Then they acted In unison. -Four
rifles were cooked. a challenge rang
out:
stop or
II might be n harmless passing s'ran-
ger, and they did not care for the noise
Of fuSlllade just now.
The answer came clearly on the
wind: Oh youi Throw up your
hands, command they thought I'M
necessary. as their hands were up and
their rides in them. They answered
with Il fourfold yoiicy Of shots. In the
next instant the gray was on them. and
Ia the chaos that cnsued Riugwoad was
In ii SEVERAL
shots. that the butt Of his pistol had
proved quite useful, that two forms
had chung 10 his knees and had gone
down. that the badly scattered fire Was
catching the edge Of the tent, and then
he and the gray went down in their
turn together, Ringwood oddly thank
fui. 70 spite OF the fact that sparks
perhaps from the tent frel swan be
fore his eyes. that the nearest robber
made u soft cushion. Then fire and
sparks wen, out blackly.
When light came again, the moon
was pouring down her full splendor
Over him bent two anxious faces, while
his own reeked Of the whisky used to
lathe his LuEtueAu anu teAiEft9f a.
sigh OF relief hailed his open eyes.
THANK Godg' sobbed Stanley. y
thought he was gone, And after set
thing the four OF them"
mo. only stunned" returned their
patient. rising obstinately TO his feet
but glad 10 cling to the nearest saddle
to steady himself. the earth whirled
round so strangely. Il am all right.
Mr.. Morris. Don't trouble yourself any
further ty coddling-the son OF cow
ard"
stanley stared. then said nervously;
by Joye. he's OF his head But his
father answered by taking the tall hs-
ure In bis arms
Lad" be said brokenly, I've learn
ed my lesson. \ man is Just himself
fter all--not his father or his grand
father-and I'm hoping my boys may
- towards some day Ike you 81