The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-11-26

| at the gC0d-natured jest Oh MS manaA
ger. He was used to Whipple's final
injunction about not losing the yellow
| stuff He had an hour and half
! to make eight miles into Ouray, and
felt very easy about arriving in time
| to catch the passenger train before 1t
left. It had been years since any
/ trouble had occurred on SneffeIs road.
He rode along unconcernedly, mus
| Ing over the morning ride with Miss
| McSWain. As he neared the end Of
/ the third mile between the mine and
| the Potosi school, he wondered If she
would be working late and if he by
any chance would see her. There was
certainly a girls figure at the stile.
and pony fayoring Prince tethered
at the gateway. Could she be waiting
for him? II SO it was the first time.
He put the thought aside. It was too
much to hope fer.
AS he came into sight, Nellie Nc
Swain, for it was she, rose, and began
walking rapidly toward him.
tsMr. Alderson!" she gasped with
breathless excitement, you must
turn back. There's something wrong
tonight" She had leaned against
Swinging Sarah, putting out hand to
catch the bride rein.
why, what's the matter, Miss
McSwain?" Alderson's se1f-conscious-
ness disappeared at the sight of her
agitation
Jake Andrews just rode down from
1 the Revenue few minutes ago, and said
Black Jack and his gang from the Blue
| Hills are in this neighborhood to-day,
/ He thinks they are lurking about in
| the hills between here and Ouray. The
| telephone wires are cut, and there arc
| no means of communication with
| town"
/ Anderson remembered vaguely that
| the chief accountant had been vain
| ly endeavoring to get central few
minutes before he left the office.
i you know the gang she continued.
They stop at nothing-they would
/ kill man for five dollars
He looked down upon her with q iet
regard. and you waited here to tell
me this. It was good of you. Miss Nc
Swain" His words conveyed the rev.
erence he felt. Then he drew himself
up in the saddle and laughed-his gray
eyes swapping with the zest of adven-
ture.
The girls form grew tense, and she
chung ferce1y to the rein. you
shan't risk it, Mr. Anderson. The
towards may be waiting down there
now to pick you off. You have nc
right to place that gold in Jeopardy
Tho gold! How the words stuns
him. She was thinking only of it
and she was right Whipple would not
thank him for losing the bullion by
rash move. Yet it must reach Ouray
in time for No.
you don't understand Miss Nc
Swami must get this gold to the
station within an hour. It must be
therei"
Yes. but you need not so alone
Leave it with me while you 60 back
fer help-Swinging Sarah can move
faster without it, I can protect it
nobody will know-it will be safe witt
me. Go back, for my sake, Tom
Had he heard aright-was that his
first name On her lips? He seemed tt
see but dimly the clinging figure, as
through mist. Then he reached doWT
and lifted the carefully sacked rotor
from the saddle-bag.
what will you do with it? Where
will you keep it," His throat wa:
burning and he could scarcely speak.
"Here!" she cried, my dinner-bas
ket!'
"Gcod! I've no time to lose In
afraid I can't make it, but you shall
have your way Wait here till I come
hack
| Nellie McSwain stood motionIess fol
a moment as she heard him gallon
away. She looked at the white napkin
over her dinner-basket, concealing it!
heavy load.
What have I done?" Her first feel
ing was one of fear, and she was white
and trembling HE will never make
it, and the gold must be there. Ah!'
The idea came to her forcibly, and fol
a moment unnerved her Then came
that flash: her eyes for a moment re
sembled Alderson's. rejecting the fear
lessness of the western spirit. "1'll d.
it" The resolution Gained her.
Prince no doubt felt it an injustics
to carry such an unusually heavy din
ner-basket at such an extraordinar.
pace. And to think that his faithful
service should be so far forgotten tina
he Should be rudely stimulated with ;
ridiEg-whipi Yet he was merely beins
urged into a simple trot, and no OBJ
server would have accused his charm
ing rider Of cruelty to her beast.
She glanced back once or twice Tht
sun was disappearing rapidly from
view behind the treacherous path o
!, the U. S. snow slide, and til,
canon was narrowing pereeptibly il
i the gloom. This she knew was du,
entirely to her imagination, and triet
/ to maintain her courage by glancin.
, ahead toward Mt. Abram, the last peal
to release the lingering rays of tn
sun in the evening. She blessed j
for its kindly brilIianey as it stood
8 guardian sentinel over the mining
camp of Ouray, and was glad it SCENE,
SO deceptiyely close.
Two Of the most dangerous place
on the trail, the hanging rock an,
; the switchback. were passed safel,
,, and without interruption. There wa
only one more place to be particular
dreaded, the watering-trough, now hal
a mile ahead She tried to forget tn
frightful disasters that had occurre