The suburban citizen., 1902-04-05

4
Of his life before him. Presently, as
dust overhung the near bluffs in front
OF him, he let his pony go at top speed
Yet he was hardly abreast OF the
swarm Of wild riders when the bluff
coulees emptied in long, ant.like files
upon the riverfats.
The Indians seemed not to notice hin,
at first; they must have thought thai
two Of their own riders We're scurrying
along before them. Carl now noted
that Bear Bonnet was no longer rid
ing with him neck to neck. The Sioux
had dropped a hundred yards or SO to
| the rear.
The messenger gave his pony an ap.
proving slap upon its neck. If Bear
Bonnets buckskln, with the legs of a
coyote, couldn't keep the pace, he
thought, his own more heavily weight.
ed .nimal must be superior to the In
dian stock.
He made the most of the precious
moment when the Ogalallas seemed
to be considering his identity Then
the Indians recognized him as a white
rider, probably fleeing from the cour-
ageous Dakota in the rear, and with
tremendous enthuslasm-judging from
the noise they made-launched their
ponies in pursuit.
The washout canons of Pony Creek
were six miles away. He knew the
intricate windings of those canon-cuts,
and If he could reach them far enough
in advance, there was some chance to
dodge his pursuers there. He leaned
well forward, and his Spanish tick
lers" sought his pony's fanks.
The response was running which
resembled the skimming rush of a
frightened antelope. Across two miles
Of space, in that clenr atmosphere. he
heard the whoops of the Sioux. A pro.
cession OF sage-bushes fitted by as il
blown by the wind, Presently the fly
ing rider looked behind. to see what had
become Of Bear Bonnet. With some
surprise he noted that his first and
casual judgment Of the Indians cleaii.
limbed buckskin had been after all
correct. Bear Bonnet was not losing
ground, but to what end was the In
dian thus giving chase?
Apparently the young Sioux had
thought it necessary, for his own safe
ty, perhaps, to change his tactics, to
seem to be taking a very earnest part
in the chase. The express rider could,
easily perceive that it might become
necessary for Bear Bonnet to show a
hostile hand in downright earnest.
Very well, let him take care OF himself,
If need be, but not come too near! Carl
took a revolver from his holster and
twirled the cylinder to see that its six
percussion-caps were in their places.
In the meantime the string OF low
lying riders was stretched for half a
mile on the messengers left. There
were more than hundred in pursuit,
according to the messengers judgment,
and a large squad of the foremost
were certainly riding ponies as feet
as his own.
Ahead of him, three miles away,
the bluffs met the river; a mile be-
yond their rise lay the washouts of
Pony Greek; and still mile and a half
beyond the creek his trail descended to
the stage station in the valley of the
Platte.
Carl's pony had already made a sharp
gallop Of six miles when the Sioux
had appeared; and the animal was,
moreover. weighted with mail bags
and a heavier saddle than the In
dians used. Despite this handicap, the
messenger swept across the fiat val
ley to the foot of the abrldging bluffs,
keeping nearly even pace with the
Sioux.
But their lines were surely converg-
ing upon his trail and a score of their
swlftest riders were now scurryng up
the hill slope but a quarter-mile or SO
upon his left. 1T We're not for the
fact that the pony express trail bore
to the right, at the level of the high
lands, Carl would now have turned
to the river for the slender chance Of
escape by swimming across.
His horse had made a splendid run,
but was plainly giving out. Carl cast
a backward glance. Bear Bonnet was
within fifty PAGES, and was easily hold
ing the pace. The messengers only
hope now was that he might reach the
Pony Creek canons in time to gain
cover from which he might stand off
the Indians until help should possibly
arrive-a hope slender enough at best.
At the level Of the bluff the foremost
Sioux were swiftly bearing in upon his
trail. Under his legs Carl could feel
the sharp heaving Of his ponys hanks.
The animal was steamlng wet and
painting like n wolf run to earth. Carl
only wondered that the gallant bay
had not dropped in that terrible strain
ing up the blur.
Again the express rider looked be-
hind him. Bear Bonnet was now In
close chase. not more than thirty paceS
away. Even as Carl looked, the young
Sioux unstrung his bow and fitted an