The Washington times., 1905-11-26

Yet there had been but short DELAY
For when Reski had seen his dead be-
slowed upon the sleigh, he had taken
the reins and sent his horses forward.
lie did not speak. nor did I offer him
consolation. But as l watched him SIT
ting 4bove me. peering ahead like some
old teak figure on vessels bows. there
was a grim intensity about the man, a
liked resolve that was strange to wit
ness. So we fed through the night.
down the interminabIe avenues of pines.
bearing our dead with US.
1t was I o'clock when we lit upon q
wayside Inn. Our clamor aroused the
landlord. who directed US TO where a
kettle smmering on the stove gave a
warm mash for the horses and hot
brandy for ourselves. He was sleepily
incurious nor did he inquire what was
the thing beneath the rugs which we
carried with us. But he gave US news
Marnac had left there less than two
hours before. He had been greatly de-
layed by a collision with a tree. and
some rough repairs had been necessary.
One of his horses TOO. had been slightly
famed. Yet Reski showed no unusual
interest In the tale we heard. He spent
his time with his horses, grooming and
/ soothing them. 1t was not till they had
rested three-quarters OF an hour that
he called me out from my seat by the
stove. and again we swept away upon
| tho chase
It was az dawn thas we sighted him.
| He was climbing a ic ng slope, a black
speck in the white riband of a road.
kbove him. long fakes Of orange cloud
=. ere slowly Frightening and deepening
ir color. AS ne topped the hill. the sun
/
with tumbled drifts. The sky flushed
and faded 10 a deep cobalt blue. So day
came
It almost seemed as If our horses IN
derstood. They increased their pace
without a touch of the whip. Juggling
at the frozen. twisted reins- AS they,
too. rose the hill. Reski shouted 20 them,
and thew stepped briskly forward. The
fresh snow had frozen. and we travelled
well. the surface cracking an we crush
ed over II. We were less than a quar-
ter Of a mile from him when he turned
and noticed us. We saw him spring to
his feet and lash his team, but the or
side horse was running stiffiy. and his
pace scarcely increased. He leaned
down. fumbliag and searching at his
feet. while he held the reins in one
hand. After that he did not hurry. but
now and again over his shoulder
We drew ND sv7iftly-tcur hundred
wards. three hundred yards. one hnn-
dred- And then. with short,
fierce bark of rage. the Pole dragged
out his revolver and fred. As he did so.
the sharp hum of bullet. like the buzz
OF an angry bee fed over US. dueked
nv head at the sound; but I give myself
the credit OF saying that I poked It up
again the next moment
MANY the fend grin him. but he has
a Mauser pistol" cried Reski. and saw
that the weapon in his own hand va,
of the common bulldog make. Al TINS
range 7 can do nothing against him
He dashed his horses, and they plune-
ed CALAMITY forward I could see that
Maraac had stopped his sleigh and was
cuddIing his weapon with a perfect cool
moss Even at that distances seemed
to feel the gogglIng murder in his
eyes.
Zip. zip. He had missed again.
Thungi I saw one OF the galioping
horses stagger. and then his head ano
shoulders seemed to fall away. as II ne
had dropped forward into a hole There
was a humping and a twisting wrench,
the snow on the roadside seemed L
spring UP at me. and the next instant
was struggling in cold. binding dark
ness.
wrizgIed out from the drift, gasp
ing. with the fakes in my mouth ana
ewes. The sleigh was twisted across the
road. half covering the dead horse The
other two had scrambled 10 their feet
and now stood shivering, with droop-
ing heads The fall had knocked the
heart out of them. Reski lay beside
them. huddIed where he had fallen.
Eighty Yards away Marnac had stopped
| and was watching us. he seemed salts
fed with what he saw, for presently
he turned and, flashing his team, trotteo
on down the road.
don't suppose it was more than
couple of minutes before hesAl came
round. though II seemed long enough TO
me He had got a nasty thump on the
head but as matter of fact his wrist
turned out TO be the more serious bus
mess being very badly sprained indeed.
7 made a sling out Of neck wrap and
iexed him I'D as well as vas able. The
-,an had a remarkable vitality, besides
h-,,te courage. for, the moment I had
6nisbed. he walked over and examined
the sleigh.
# looked hopeless enough. One Of the
runners has been torn almost clean
s1,av and the central part was badly
| cracked The booS OF the poor IAu
ivan Law on the back in the roadway,
staring up at the sky. I threw a rug
over II.
well. We can't go on. that's certain, .
! said.
Not in the sleigh. mein Herr" ne
answered, calmly.
And how else?
There are che horses. one for each.
When you have freed them OF their har-
ness. Will ask you to assist me TO
mount"
There was no good arguing with him,
and I was ashamed to seem less eager
than a man in his crippled condition
With his clasp knife. / cut the twisted
traces away and freed them OF their
collars. AT his direction I dragged the