The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-28
CHAPTER XXI.
A STERN CHASE.


straight road lay before us TO De-
cherd. a few miles distant. The place was
OF 100 great Importance for the guer-
riIlas 10 dare enter, and II we coulo
reach Il before they could catch us we
should be safe.
How much IS your horse worth?' i
asked the blacksmith.
~ matter o. saxty dollars"
"Ef you Kill him by hard driving III
give you a hundred. and II you get us
10 Decherd before the outlaws can catch
Us IN make IL a hundred more"
''Weel. moo. | don't want 70 be hard
on a mon nyin for his life and wimmen
folk. too I'll DO the best i can and ask
no money"
with that he belabored the poor horses
tanks with the stump Of his whip and
sent him gallopIng onward. There were
no springs to the wagon, but we valued
our lives too we'll 20 draw rein at rut or
stone. AT one part of the road feared
that II we did not check our pace we
would break a wheel and be left with no
means 20 get on save our legs eau
toned the driver TO slacken his pace but
hearing or fancying he heard the clatter-
ing OF horses hoofs behind, without
word from me he applied the lash Now
we bounded into the air and now we
were tossed together like dice In box.
"Git oop. ye crltterl" cried the black
smith, mingling Scotch and Tennessee.
Don't ye know yere graggin bonny
leddies hyin for their lives2' And down
came the butt OF the whip IL was har-
rowing 90 see a horse forced 20 give his
life 70 save ours, but our situation was
too critical 10 warrant any slackening OF
speed. Jack who OF all our force was
usually more frightened at danger ahead
ard would night IL most vigorously when
face 10 face with it. for once acted In re-
verse at seeing the poor brute making
leaps that were killing him.
"Stop beating that horse, you brute,
she cried, "or I'll beat your And she
sprenc forward 10 seize the WHIP. 1
caught her I'm my arms. She looked up
into my face and burst into tears.
Whether it was wholly sympathy or
overstrained nerves i did not know;
probably both. AZ any rate, / protected
her from the joltlng 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
a baby"
shut up, yo' little nigger" she cried.
could not repress a smile az the retort.
seeing which, Jack realized the absurdity
OF IL all and broke into a laugh. while
the tears continued 10 run down her
cheeks.
Won't yo' let me support yo against
the jolting?" asked Captain Beaumont
ruefully.
"Yo'g" DO yo' suppose ia let yo' touch
me? Yo' shot my best friend"
do yo dislike me TO shootlng-a rob-
berg'' asked her admirer sadly.
II hate yo'."
Beaumont settled down in corner OF
the wagon In dependency After awhile
Jack slid down beside him, whereupon he
suddenly lighted up and took as much
interest In our flight as any one OF the
party.
We were a wild looking load 10 the
few people who passed us. Whenever we
saw a farm wagon coming or going we
would shout 10 Its driver 20 get out or
the way. They must have supposed our
horse 10 be a runaway, for every one
quickly turned aside. There are pictures
of that ride which / can sec today. so
vividly were they stamped on my MEM
ory An old man with his hands on the
handle Of his plow gaped through iron
trimmed spectacles. woman In check
gown and sunbonnet stopped trimming
plants IN her garden and stood with the
shears IN her hand 10 cape at us as II We
were a party Of witches who had lit on
the earth from the moon and were maxi
ing ready 10 take TO the sky again. Ne
groes children, country lads. faced the
road as we passed and stood wonder
Coming TO rise In the ground where
we could look TO our rear for perhaps a
mile, we were terror stricken TO see a
man shoot around bend In the road at
a gallop. In moment another followed.
We could not see n there were any more.
for we passed over the summit Not far
below milestone told us that IL was
one mile To Decherd.
zone mile 10 their two. Can we not
do Il. driver?" l asked quickly.
The only answer was another "Glt
oopl" md renewed hammering on the
horses rump. The eyes OF all were
strained 10 the rear. watching TO see just
what chance there Was from time 10 time
between life and death. while examined
the carbines. which we had taken care 20
bring with us. 20 discover n they were
IN good condition. At every rise we could
see either one or more men coming like