Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-07-17

singing brand put on him. Thei for
mer checked Stanley when heswould
have addressed Ringwood, and pres-
emily father and son swung into their
saddles and galloped down the road.
AS they vanished in the faint light
Ringwood rushed for the barn, loosen
Ing his pistols in his belt as he ran.
The two servants watched hiea scorn-
fully as he saddled his gray with in
credible swiftness.
"Marse Ringwood scared de fight run
down dis way muttered Sam. HE
des nuttin' but trash, fo' all he so good
lookin'. Cord Almighty, wish all de
boys wasn't gone! Whar ebberybody,
Lee?"
Alice samee time off 'cept hunt
hills was the brief return, which
meant that some Of the men had an
afternoon and the rest were after some
refractory cattle in the hills
"AIarse Ringwood gone like de deb
BILE after him." growled Sam And 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 scant two
miles they kept to q badly marked
road, then before them yawned the
mouth of Sewer canyon. The broken
trail merely a gray pencil mark among
| Jagged powders and treacherous wave
washed stones. roun;.ed by cd world
| foods
| A second the gray hesitated. and in
that second Ringwood distinctly heard
again Norris Voice:
| TO ride through that trail at speed
means almost certain death!' And he
exulted that the words flowed in his
soul like 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 slimily 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 and rare quality which
carries through everything; he believed
in himself. Presently nine-tenths of
the canyon We're behind them, though
the frowning walls yet hung above.
Once panther Missed like an infuri-
ated cat in their way, bat the oncom-
ing might Of the two daunted her, and
she fed ANONYMOUSLY to the recesses
of the cliff sides and mouthed resent
fully after them, dragging behind her
tail twice its natural size.
But now open woods, the canyon was
in the rear, and before Ringwood a
tiny fire, with a crude half tent hug
ging it, and in its shelter four men.
Thanks to the half mile of soft earth
between them and the canyon, thanks
to a quarrel already bred among them,
they did not hear Ringwood 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
1t might be harmless passing stran-
ger, and they did not care for the noise
of fusillade just now.
The answer came clearly on the
wind: Oh you! Throw up your
hands" a command they thought I'M
necessary, as their hands were up and
their rifles in them. They answered
with fourfold volley of shots. In the
next instant the gray was on them, and
in the chaos that ensued Ringwood was
only conscious that he got in several
shots, that the butt of his pistol had
proved quite useful, that two forms
had chung to 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
full, in spite of the fact that sparks
perhaps from the tent fire. swan be-
fore his eyes, that the nearest robber
made a soft cushion. Then fire and
sparks went out blackly.
When light came again, the moon
was pouring down her full splendor.
Over him bent two anxious faces, while
A1iS wv IL ISchSu VI lue WHISKY uSeu W
battle his forehead and temples. A
sigh of relief hailed his open eyes.
THANK God!' sobbed Stanley. II
thought he was gone! And after set
ting the four of them"'
mo, only stunned" returned their
patient, rising obstinately to his feet,
but glad to cling to the nearest saddle
to steady himself, the earth whirled
round so strangely. 81 am all right,
Mr.. Morris. Don't trouble yourself any
further by coddling-the son of cow
ard.'
Stanley stared, then said nervously:
by Jove, he's off his headr' But his
father answered by taking the tall fig
ure in his arms.
Lad" he said brokenly, "Pve learn
ed my lesson. A man is just himself,
after all-not his father or his grand
father-and I'm hoping my boys may
be towards some day like you"
The Prisoners Retort.
The chaplain Of the house of correc-