Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-03-31
The Black Sheep OF
The Kenyon Family
GOriginal.l

mere WAS Il Qance at Berwick Sta
ton. Miners, railroad employees, cow
punchers, anybody, everybody--that is,
those who were young-were collected
IN the dining room of the hotel, the
space they occupied having been
cleared for them by piling the tables
and chairs against the walls On
porch outside in the moonlight stood
man and girl. For the girl the mixed
assembly had no interest except as
| spectacle. The man would have ap-
peared equally refined had it not been
for the plains" apparel he wore and
| a dlssipated look in his face. He was
| the son of an eastern capitalist and
had gone 10 the bad, which meant in
his case that he was fighting. gam
bling, drinking spendthrift Mild man.
nered when sober and unruft1ed, he
was very devil when drunk or spur
| red to fight.
Il 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 girl. You marry the clergy
man this fall?"
II do
The man gave slight shiver.
you can't feel it more than 1 do,
Paul. You have brought this upon
yourself"
''Yes, and on you.'
The music within ceased suddenly,
revealing the sound of a galloping
in, hn or S1yy
nearer, and a 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 good horse, the
girls skirts futtering in the wind, the
man squirting his own mount and be-
laboring hers to keep the pace. He
knew they could distance an enemy
following, but the road they were on
Joined another 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 it not
been that they We're of the best stock
could not have raced even with the or
binary Indian pony. The savage yells
behind added a new vigor, and for
hot
One of the braves mounted on feeter
pony than the rest distanced his fell
lows. and they could hear him coming
up on them.
ride on, Daisy" said the man. "I'll
turn and settle this fellow, then I'll re-
join you"
'Must you?" said the girl.
"Yes. 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, matter of half a
mile away, and 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 near behind. Then suddenly
the girls horse, which was of a more
delicate mold than the mans, suddenly
collapsed and fell dead. Daisy landed
| on soft road and was unhurt. Ken
yon sprang to the ground.
Here, quick! Take my mount
"And you?"
II shall beat them off and join you"
He spoke us confidently as If he had
but an easy job before him. But he
did not deceive the girl. She knew
| that but one 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 protest
Zone kiss, Daisy"
She bent down and threw her arms
around his neck passionately. In
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 few minutes before she
heard shot and was sure he had am
pushed an Indian; then 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, We're more re-
mote. Paul KENYON had STAYED the