Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-01-14
/ refined myself tightly ana fo,,,sht

lost.
1 refined myself tightly and fought
back the panic fear which babe me run
myself blind and exhausted in ten MIN
utes, and, instead weighed every stride
and held myself rigidly to the pace
which / calculated would leave me suf-
1icient strength to swarm over the park
palings il i had the luck to finish the
lace a little ahead of those sWif, horse
men.
The thought crossed my mind 10
swerve aside ana hide in the heath but
l dismissed the idea as useless IT
Was too open in that part TO afford
good cover, and | ran ten times the
chance of Gripping myself among the
thorns and bliers.
No, had nothing to trust to save my
own speed and endurance / doubted
whether they We're equai to the task
but i was fully resolved 70 run to II
stand before | was taken. / fixed my
eyes on the road and watched jealousy
every inch of the ground upon which
l must lay my foot had long had
my second wind, and at present / had
abundant strength in hand.
The pace at which | was travelling
did not distress he. The muscles and
sinews in calf and thigh felt like iron; i
was tempted to abuse their power ard
force the running, but | watched and
spared myself as a good rider watches
and spares his horse. | went Il long
way before looked over my shoulder
Sir John was pounding away 1T a
hand gallop in the middel distance.
him l was leaving hand over hand,
but even as 1 looked, over the ridge
flashed the two flying horsemen, ana /
knew that they had made the interview
ing distance sooner than | had calcu-
lated. / quickened a little, and then a
little again, and now | was doing all
could. Had 1 been half a mile away,
so that one wild squirt would carry me
IN, L could have gone faster, bat as
matters stood dared attempt no more.
The road gently rose and dipped once
again. l hung a trifie on the hill and
let myself out on the succeeding slope,
then came long strip over a dead
level
At the end OF this l glanced back
Sir John was now the hindmost and
the leading horseman had drawn terri
bly, near. The shining breastplate
marked the officer, who had outridden
his companion. He was mounted on a
tail white horse, and rocked easily in
the saddle as he was borne swiftly on.
The road ran squarely across the
healthy swells which marked this coun-
tryside, and now another slope lay be-
fore me. 1t was white as snow in the
sun, being deeply strewn with bright
quartz sand.
This made it dreadful travelling. but
! was distinct gamer, for along the
side Of the road ran a narrow bank
with smooth, grassy top. / bounded
up this, and went along as fast as be-
fore, while the deep clogging sand must
check the horse. 1t did so, for when
the bright figure of my pursuer cleared
the rise above the sand had improved
my lead considerably.
l began now to calculate, as mat
ter almost of pure Indifference to my
self. how far l should get before | was
caught. For that the latter was GER
tain ! knew very we'll. l was not such
a novice in the understanding of the
powers of good horse as to buoy my
self up with vain hopes of escape; nor
did l give way an inch. There is al
ways the unexpected TO hope tor. q