, 1904-04-20
The Black Sheep Of
The Kenyon Family
lOriginal.1

anu CudlI0 dkdlnSl thC vans OA -
porch outside in the moonlight stood a
man and a girl. For the girl the mixed
assembly had no interest except as a
spectacle. The man would have ap-
peared equally refined had it no beer
for the plains" apparel he wore and
a dissipated look in his face. He was
the son of an eastern capitalist and
had gone to the bad, which meant in
his case hat he was a fighting, gam
bling, drinking s~pendthrift. Mild a
nered when sober and unruf1ed, ne
was a very devil when drunk or spur
red to fight.
81 have heard that you go back east
tomorrow, Daisy" he said.
81 do, Paul"
And this is the last l shall see of
you as a girl. You marry the clergy
man this fallY"
81 do"
The man gave a slight shiver.
"You can't feel it more than / do,
Paul. You have brought this upon
yourself"
Eyes, and on you"
The music within ceased suddenly,
revealing the sound of a galloping
horse in the distance. 1t came rapidly
nearer, and q man, dashing up before
the door, called out:
"The red devils are coming! Broken
loose from the reservation! Light out!'
Ten minutes later Daisy and Paul
Kenyon were riding for dear life.
Each mounted on a good horse, the
girls skirts f1uttering in h wind, the
man squirting his own mount and be-
laboring hers to keep the pace. lie
knew they could distance an enemy
following, but the road they were on
Joined another a few miles ahead, and
there was no telling if they would be
cut off at the junction. AS they neared
it they heard the cultural voice OF In
dams to their right. Urging on their
horses, they cleared the junction, but
the redskins had heard them and gave
chase.
The white couples horses had been
using their strength and had 1t not
been that they were of the best stock
could not have raced ever with the or
binary Indian pony. The savage yells
behind added a new vigor, and for a
time they gained on their pursuers.
One of the braves mounted on a feeter
pony than the rest distanced his fell
lows, and they could hear him coming
up on them.
"Ride on, Daisy" said the man. "Ill
turn and settle this fellow, then I'll re-
join you"
"Must your" said the girl.
Eyes. Go on, sweetheart; don't fear.
I'll be with you in a moment"
He turned, and the girl rode on a
short distance, then drew rein and lis
tened. Two shots, one following close
on the other; then no sound except the
oncoming ponies, a matter of half a
mile away, and a single horse near by.
Was it life or death? The quick thud
of the horses hoofs told her that it
was either the one or the other. Then
the moonlight revealed Paul Kenyon,
and she swooned in his arms.
When she came to herself she was
riding, her back supported by Ken
yon's chest. A consciousness that
there was yet hope revived her. Seiz-
ing the reins, she bent forward, and
the speed was increased. For miles
they rode, permitting their horses to
pick their way, now leaving the blood
curdling yells farther away, now hear
ing them nea behind. Then suddenly
the girls horse, which was of a more
delicate mold than the mans, suddenly
collapsed and fell dead. Daisy landed
on a soft road and was unhurt. Ken
yon sprang to the ground.
"Here, quick! Take my mount!'
"And your"
II shall beat them off and join you"
He spoke as confidently as if he had
but an easy job before him. But he
did not deceive the girl. She knew
that but n of them could live, and he
would be the one to die.
"Come, your foot! No time to change
saddles! Give him his head and hold
on to the pommel."
He had her on the horses back be-
fore she could utter a protest.
zone kiss, Daisy"
She bent down and threw her arms
around his neck ~passionately. In a
twinkling he released himself and, Civ
ing the horse a slap on the haunch,
saw the girl he was to die for vanish
In the moonlight.
1t was but q few minutes before she
heard a shot and was sure he had am
pushed an Indian; her another, then
two in quick succession, then one.
There were five of them, which, with
the one he had used on the way, made
six, all he had. Then there was no
more firing.
But by this time the Gathering of the
ponies hoofs, the yells, were more re-
mote. Paul Kenyon had stayed the
pursuit. Then she recognized her sur
roundings "a clump of trees, under
which was a water trough fed by a
spring-and she knew she was within
a mile of her fathers ranch.
When she reached her home in the