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

4
at the good-natured jest Of his mana
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 it
left. 1t had been years since any
trouble had occurred on Sneffels 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 favoring Prince tethered
at the gateway. Could she be waiting
for him? If so 1t was the first time.
He put the thought aside. It was too
much to hope for.
As he came into sight, Nellie Nc
| Swain, for it was she, rose, and began
walking rapidly toward him.
| sMr. Alderson!" she gasped with
| breathless excitement, you must
| turn back. There's something wrong
| to-night.' She had leaned against
Swinging Sarah, putting out a hand to
catch the bride rein.
why, what's the matter, Miss
McSwain?'' A1derson's self-conscious-
ness disappeared at the sight of her
agitation.
Jake Andrews just rode down from
| 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 are
| no means Of communication with
| town.
| Anderson remembered vaguely that
| the chief accountant had been vain
| ly endeavoring to get central a few
| minutes before he left the office.
| you know the gang" she continued.
They stop at nothing-they would
| kill man for five dollars
He looked down upon her with quiet
regard. and you waited here to tell
me this. 1t 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 fercely to the rein. "You
shan't risk it, Mr.. Anderson. The
towards may be waiting down there
now to pick you off. You have no
right to place that gold in jeopardy"
The goldi How the words stung
| him. She was thinking only of it,
and she was right. Whipple would not
| thank him for losing the bullion by
a rash move. Yet it must reach Ouray
in time for No. 5
You don't understand, Miss Nc
Swami must get this gold to the
station within an hour. It must be
| there!''
Eyes, but you need not so alone.
Leave it with me while you go back
fer help-SWfnging Sarah can move
faster without it. I can protect it
nobody will know-it will be safe with
me- Go back, for my sake, Tom"
Had he heard aright-was that his
first name on her lips? He seemed to
see but dinlly the clinging figure, as
| through mist. Then he reached down
and lifted the carefully sacked retort
from the saddle-bag.
What will you do with it? Where
will you keep it," His throat was
burning and he could scarcely speak.
'sHere!' she cried, my dinner-bas-
ket."
''Gcodi I've no time to lose. I'm
afraid l can't make it, but you shall
have your way Wait here till I come
hack
| Nellie McSwain stood motionless for
a moment as she heard him gallop
away. She looked at the white napkin
over her dinner basket, concealing its
| heavy load.
What have done2' 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 for
moment unnerved her Then came
that flash; her eyes for a moment re
sembled Alderson's, rejecting the fear
lessness of the western spirit. "Fl1 do
it," The resolution Gained her.
| Prince no doubt felt it an Injustice
| to carry such an unusually heavy din
ner-basket at such an extraordinary
4 rs Ii y,1x Z, fosf hfy11
service should be SO far forgotten that
he should be rudely stimulated with a
ridiEg-Whip! Yet he was merely being
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. The
sun was disappearing rapidly from
view behind the treaeherous path of
the q. S. snow slide, and the
canon was narrowing perceptibly il
| the gloom. This she knew was due
entirely to her Imagination, and tried
| to maintain her courage by glaneing
ahead toward Mt. Abram, the last peak
to release the lingering rays Of the
sun IN the evening. She blessed it
for its kindly brilliancy as it stood
a guardian sentinel over the mining
camp Of Ouray, and was glad it seemed
SO deceptively close.
! Two of the most dangerous places
on the trail, the hanging rock and
the sWitchbaek, were passed safely
and without interruption. There was
only one more place to be particularly
dreaded, the watering-trough, now half