Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-23
DAILY SHORT STORY
Black Sheep of the Kenyons.


4
| porch outside in the moonlight stood
| man and Il girl For the girl the mixed
assembly had no interest except as q
| spectacle. The man would have APP
peared equally refined had it not been
for the plains apparel he wore and
| q dissipated 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 Il fighting. gam
bling. drinking spendtlirift. Mild man.
nered when sober and unruffied, he
was u very devil when drunk or spur
red to fight.
Il have heard that you go back east
tomorrow, Daisy" he said.
Il do, Paul"
"And this is the last l shall see of
you as girl. You marry the clergy
man this fall:'
Il do
The man gave a slight SILVER.
You can't feel it more than l do,
Paul. You have brought this upon
yourself"
Yes, and on you"
The music within ceased suddenly
revealing the sound of a gallopinS
horse in the distance. 1t came rapidly
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 q good horse. the
| girls skirts fluttering in the wind, the
| man squirting his own mount ana be
| labUrlng hers to keep the pace. He
knew they could distance an enemy
following, but the road they We're 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 were of the best stock
could not have raced even with the or
binary Indian pony. The savage yells
behind added Il new vigOr, and for a
| time they gained on their pursuers.
! One of the braves mounted on n fleeter
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 III re
join you
Must you:" said the girl.
"YcS Go on, sweetheart; don't fear.
| III be with you in moment
lie turned, and the girl rode on q
| 81, 4 nj q
tened. Two shots, ono following close
on the other; then no sound except the
oncoming ponies, a matter of half n
mile away, and = single horse near by.
| Was it life or death? The quick thud
| of the horses hoofs told her that it
was eithe: 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. y 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 n more
delicate mold than the mans. suddenly
| collapsed and fell dead. Daisy landed
on 4 soft road and was unhurt. Ken
yon sprang to the ground
Here. quick, Take my mount"
And yOu?"
Il 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 one of them could live. and be
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 andsthrew her arms
around his neck passiOnately. In n
| twinkling he released himself and. Civ
/ ing the horse n slap on the haunch.
saw the girl he was TO die for vanish
in the moonlight
! It was but a few minutes before she
heard Il shot and was sure be 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 yelIs, were more re-
mote Paul Kenyon had stayed the
pursuit. Then she recognized her sur
rOundings clump Of trees. under
which was a water trough fed by
spring she knew she was within
mile OF her fathers ranch.
When she reached her home in the
east she heard that there was relief
among the Kenyons that the family
black sheep had given over disgracing
| them They would have brought his
body eastward and given it sepulture