The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-01-23

close by sage brush. And ineSperi-
enced as were their eyes, the two
Englishmen could see some commo-
ton running through the mass; the
units composing it were spreading
hither and thither; two compound
dots, mounted men, We're swinging
wide about them. The rumble grew
louder, lulled, rose again, and above
the noise came the sound of a dozen
shots, fired in quick succession.
Away back in his consciousness, Dud-
ley began to regret that they had
chosen, in their young British inso-
lence, to travel without a guide, who
might explain to them the strange
happenings of this incomprchensible
country.
Justin started at the sound of a
| frightened snort in his ar. He
turned to see his horses %quiyering in
| every nerve. Almost before he could
catch it's bride the near n was
plunging and pitching.
sect the reins!" yelled Justin;
"we'd best be out of here"
The team broke into a dead run.
Looking back, Justin saw the cloud
ominously, frightfully near. A strug-
Cling advance guard of long-horns
heaved out before, and ahead of them
were two men, riding like demons,
yet ever beating backward as they
rode. Then the red veil fell, and
there was nothing but a dust cloud,
rolling on nearer and nearer.
When the Englishmen were gone
Belle looked after their %retreating
wagon and sighed. She was just real
izing, now that the week was past
and these clean, courteous, easy
moving beings of another world were
gone, that she had been dreaming
dreams. Emilio looked also, some
times after the wagon, sometimes
after the girl. When he bent his gaze
on Belle he was serious enough, but
when his eye ran down the track of
bloody dots, he drew his lips back
from his white teeth and smiled. He
was holding the reins Of his roan
bronco; he dropped them to lean over
the fence and look up the road, away
from the wagon.
"What is it that you see up there?"
she asked, carelessly, 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; "the blood
goes straight and the wind is right.
He will have a run for it-your lover"
Then the roar of padding feet was
louder and the herd was coming.
They we're so yards away-and a
great, white steer, horned in SPLEEN
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 run, each n stretching out
his nostrils to taste the polluted air.
They plunged altogether over the little
pool of blood; they rolled over and
over, horns tossing, feet stamping,
Threats acclaim. The leaders crowd
ed against the corral until it's foot
wide posts bent and cracked. A
deafening roar, the below of q thou
sand mad cattle, and then nothing
but a tangled riot, speeding on and
on down the scent, a thousand great,
horned hounds after their quarry.
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 murderer"
II will CO." he said; 81 will cut it
loose-it will stop the CATTLE"
"Yes-you! I will go myself" He
jumped at her as she sprang into his
saddle. She saw the movement. His
lariat hung at the saddle-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.
The roam had q dash Of the
thoroughbred. He was the swiftest
thing coursing that day in the four
cOrnpra1 rooo ho%u,oon .,+<Io