Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-07-05

II q hundred yards away. From the
lowland bordering the creek the road
had been graded TO height of fifty
! feet, and the embankment was mar
row, steep and dangerous. A railing
on each side hedged IN the roadway.
Tonight nothing was visible tt!ow
that railing. A mist. white and soft
as cotton wool. rose from the swampy
low ground and rolled in nolseless bill
lows to the height Of the road The
advance Of the Gathering wagon and
Its occupants into this heaving white
silence seemed almost uncanny Ii
was as sea which might rise and
engulf them.
The others were similarly impressed,
II would seem, for the talk was some
what quieter. The team after three
miles OF brisk movement was getting
warmed up and danced spiritedly The
driver took fresh grip Of the reins.
ly at night. in crossing Beaver creek
fiats. He pulled strongly TO bring the
horses to walk, then lunged back
ward suddenly. The right rein had
broken near his hand.
What followed for the first paralyzed
moment was like scene from horrid
dream to Gormley. There was con-
fusion Of shouts and shrieks from the
wagon box behind The horses were
crowded to the left OF the road by the
pull Of the one sound rein, to which
the driver still cling stupidity. They
plunged into the railing; II cracked,
then gave way beneath their weight.
The nigh horse was partially OF the
road, scrambling desperately with its
hind foot ON the treacherous side of the
embankment And still the relentless
rein, dragging at the frenzied animals
bits, impelled them over the edge of
the road.
In a fash Gormley saw the only
course that would save them, the girl
he loved and the others. There was
no time to get down and reach the
bits. He might save himself by jump
ing, but Sylvia, wedged IN the box,
would be rolling over and over to pit
eous Disagreement or death. Drop
it, he shouted tiercely at the driver
and the latter instinctively loosened
his grasp on the line.
Gormley scrambled over the foot
board and on to the tongue, of the
wagon. He threw himself astride the
OFF horse, A well directed lunge with
his right hand secured the broken rein,
and the same movement wrenched the
animals head sharply to the right
Leaning far out. he seized the other
struggling animal by the bits with his
left hand and pulled with all his
strength. The hoofs of the frantic
horse struck fire from the embank-
ment edge. For an instant the whole
outfit trembled toward destruction, but
the pull to the right never slackened,
the nigh horse secured a foothold at
last. and the danger was over.
How did you ever think so quick
Tyr asked Bob Parker when the ex-
element had died down little and
the rein was being mended
1T wasn't thought at all; just In
stinct," replied Gormley. "You see,
the trick Of riding one horse bareback
and guiding another is part of the cav
airy monkey drill. learned it years
ago when l was boy
Burgess holds Clement in bitter hat
red since that night, for it was Clement
who insisted on changing seats with
Gormley, and that brought Gormley
into place beside Miss Gerrish The
engagement was announced next day,
all as a result of the ride home after
the dance.
The betrothal kiss, given when the
waning moon was smothered by a
cloud. was doubly sweet to Gormley,
for Burgess was scarce yard away.