The Tupelo journal., 1903-01-23

q iiotSii,S IL y Vi 1IS lod11
bronco; he dropped them to lean over
the fence and look up the road, away
from the wagon.
what is it hat you see up there?"
she asked, ca~relessly, in Spanish.
Something that your white-haired
friend will be glad to see,' he an
swered. She looked, saw the dust
cloud coming, saw the little, caking
pool of blood, and went white in a
moment.
That" she cried, that is what
your antelope meant! You knew
that cattle were coming this way to-
day"
"a thousand head passing up to the
White river country. And wild, very
wild"
They will trample them; kill
them.''
You thought about that when you
kissed him." he sneered; 1.-The blood
goes straight and the wind is right.
He will have a run for it-your lover"
Then the oar of padding feet was
louder and the herd was coming.
They were so yards away-and a
great, white steer, horned in splen-
dor, lowered his muzzle and beloved
and tore the earth and shot out in
advance. Another followed, and still
another, each breaking into that
rocking rum, each n stretching out
his nostrils to taste the polluted air.
They plunged together over the little
kpool of blood; they rolled over and
over, horns tossing, feet stamping,
throats acclaim.
1t was the blood stampede that
makes half-wild cattle wholly de-
mons. A clap of lightning, a sudden
shot, even the appearance of a dis
mounted man, will send the mercurial
herd rushing in panic fear; but let
them once scent blood and all hell is
loosed in them. No pack OF wolves
follows with the relentless fury of
range cattle on the trail of blood.
Huddled by the barn, still showing
his teeth, but half in fright, at the
box of demons that he had opened,
the man who laid the trail knew all
this. And the girl knew it best of all.
She was between him and his horse
as she turned on him.
You did this-you murdererl"
Il will GO" he said; Il will cut it
loose-it will stop the cattle"
"Yes-you! 1 will go myself" He
jumped at her as she sprang into his
saddle. She saw the movement. His
lariat hung at the sadile-horn. She
brought it down on his wrist. The
same movement started the high
strung little roam, already a-quiver
with fear. His heels clattered against
the bars; Belle, astride like a man,
her calico skirts tucked about her
hips, was riding after the red cloud,
swinging wide into the sabe-brush to
pass them.
thoroughbred. He was the swiftest
thing coursing that day in the four
cornered race between cattle, cow
boys, hunted team, and woman, yet
he had 200 yards the worst of his
start. But, like a thoroughbred, he
caught the bit and shook out his dap
pie, name, and laid his belly to the
earth as he skinned. Over sage
brush, over treacherous ant-hills,
tangling gopher-holes he sped, the
reins loose, for he knew his work.
Two cowboys, caught in the press,
fighting, swearing, striking brutally
at heads and horns as they were
borne Oh, called to her in warming;
but the roam rounded the pack,
shook himself free, and galloped on.
And then Belle saw what she had
feared. Knowing their peril, but
ignorant OF the cause, the two Eng
lishmen we're hurrying on ahead with
the carcass still humping from the
tail-board. The cattle in the road,
where the running was freer, had
gained upon those on the TANKS.
They were going in a wedge, with the
speed of an express train. The
COWS, feeter and fiercer than their
males, we're leading on. Half q dozen
cowboys skirmished before, shooting
and flashing out desperately, trying
to back-fire by a cou%nter-panic,
taking chances of life with every
gopher-hole.
A moment Belle ran before the
herd; then calling to the a who
understood as only a. cow-horse can
understand, she cut an oblique
course across the herds face. She
gained the road; the herd was be-
hind her, and the ROAM, gathering
his nerve for a final squirt, made for
the wagon. She shouted, but the
roar behind drowned her voice, and
so h reached for the holster,
where Emilio kept his knife. AS she
whipped it out and drew even,
reaching for the carcass, the wagon
slackened and stopped. Her own
horse swerved in his course, and
shot past before she could check him.
The off-horse, what with fear and
exhaustion, had stumbled and fallen
dead. And the wedge was coming on,
now but a quarter of a mile away.
Deadly is was their fear, the two
Englishmen, who had jumped to the
ground, stood and stared to see her
turn in beside the standing horse
and, without any ceremony, cut his
traces and refns. He reared and
plunged; Justin caught his bride.
Mount quick!" she shouted. And
before he could grasp the situation
she had pushed Dudley to her roam,
almost thrown him into the saddle,
and mounted behind.
AS the snorting horses bounded