Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-01-04
CHAPTER XXI.
A STERN CHASE.

How much Is your horse WORTH" I
asked the blacksmith.
"a matter o. saxty dollars"
III you kin him by hard driving. I'll
giTe you a hundred. and IL you get us
TO Decherd before the outlaws can
catch us III make II a hundred more"
"Weel, moo, don't want to be hard
on mon iyin for his life and wimmcn
fox too. III do the best can and ask
no money"
With that he belabored the poor
hsrse's tanks with the stump of his
whip and sent him galloping onward.
There were no springs to the wagon,
bat we valued our lives too well to
draw rein at rut or stone. At one part
OF the road l feared that II we did not
check our pace we would break a
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 boots behind, without a word
frem me he applied the lash. Now we
bounded into the air and now we were
tossed together like dice In a box.
"Git oop, We critterI' cried the black
smith, mingling Scotch and Tennessee.
Don't ye know ye're graggin bonny
leddies 6yin for their livesY And
down came the butt OF the whip. 1t
was narrowing to see a horse forced to
give his life to save ours, but cur 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 It
most vigorously when face to face with
1t. 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 it was wholly sympathy or
overstrained nerves ! did not know;
probably both. At any rate. protect
ed 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 a baby"
shut up, yo' little niggerP' she cried.
1 could not repress a smile at the re-
tort, seeing which, Jack realized the
absurdity of 1t all and broke into a
laugh, while the tears continued to run
down her cheeks.
Wont yo' let me support yo' against
the 1olting?" asked Captain Beaumont
ruefully.
''Yo'?" Do yo' suppose I'd let yo'
touch me? Yo' shot my best friend"
do yo' dislike me TO shooting-a
robber?" asked her admirer sadly.
81 hate yo'."
Beaumont settled down In a 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 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 it's driver TO get out
or the way. They must have supposed
our horse to be a runaway, for every
one quickly turned aside. There are
pictures Of that ride which / can see
today, so wildly were they stamped
on my memory. An old man with his
hands on the handle OF his pillow gaped
through iron trimmed spectacles, a wo-
man In a check gown and sunbonnet
stopped trimming plants in her gar
den and stood with the shears In her
hand to cape at us as II we were a
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 the
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 q
mile, we were terror stricken to see
man shoot around a bend In the road at
gallop. In a moment another follow
ed. We could not see II there were
any more, for we passed ever the sum-
NIT. Not far below a milestone told
us that IT was one mile to Decherd.
zone mile to their two. Can we not
do It, driverT' 1 asked quickly.
The only answer was another "Git
oop" and renewed hammering on the
horses rump. The eyes OF all were
strained to the rear. watching to see
Just what chance there was from time
to time between life and death, while
/ examined the carbines, which we had
taken care to bring with us. to discoy-
er If they were in good condition. At
every rise we could see either one or
more men coming like the wind. They
had evidently caught sight or Us ana
were straining every nerve to catch us
before we reached Decherd. told the
blacksmith to lay 1t on hard, well
knowing that between us and our pur-
suers was only the life of his horse.
He was raising his whip when the
horse stumbled and fell. pitching most
OF us out OF the wagon. fortunately on
soft ground. Getting up and running
to the PROSTATE animal, found him
stone dead.
We were still a quarter OF a mile
from the town, and the guerrillas
would be- on US in a jlffy. Calling TO
the others to help. turned the wagon
across the road and directed all to take