The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-05-05

rhuss Ssg1.1 bs1l-1- lA~ -k
vlowe< hsr fore ssef tnto TIE grpzn1 an9
GtcDDs1
-lniuns--half nile baek-co@in'
rzuIS - xnouts1. TIE gtri. d gDo1
hesxhf Tor . wO1aaz. brc21~1iDDe1- hlAi-
tsezsrs1. : hezlthy ~ rhowing thrc1s1
the tan Of her cheeks. her smooth 1r0wn
hair brziSs1 czreiesniy - Aer walSH, -
arna zklrnbo. STARED Al him ooA1Ek1@T
- hs fiIs1 Esrh quick sIaDs fns s1pES
chambers q a rsrc.Ter.
Cit along. Etrzrger.~ she eaiie1- -
singsozg tcneE- -keekc1 20 =
sfezr6~
The mustzng's earn a. that instant
stood straight once more and quiFeF1ng-
Mad Turned upon the girl, ard ccysFsc
her with the rsgoIVer.
cit yer horse an yer family sD-n-
cuiek.~ be ordered. deliberately FOR
Z second the girl did not move. bur
smiled defzntiy al him; then she stood
bolt upright, tense, listening sne
heard now The confused rumble o. many
horses. far away. a. which the tired nlzzs-
tang was already dancing in1pztiently-
she disappeared within the buiiding
while he sat in the narrow trzils tns
noise Of the pursuit growing rapidly
louder in his ears. A frightenec whin-
nying came from somewhere a. the rear
OF the main cabin; door slammed and
q single, squatty. dirtyyeliew mustang
Bprang into sight around tbs corner q
the structure, the girl straddIing It's bare
back. At that moment a shTieking-
echcing yell arose behind theEn- They
had been seen. Then the race began
once more. the black mustang pounding
doggedly behind the wicked pace q the
yellow beast
Two miles farther on he cane up vita
the girl as they we're fording = rArrcE
creek
Amt seen an Iniun sence we've ben
thar" she gasped between breaths. as
If in explanation Dad. he's Eent To
Santa Fe"
"Throo tn canyon"
She nodded her head as they reached
the farther bank and she took the lead
again But the black mustang was
weakening: his gait wayered. his eyes
were bloodshot- At last he stumbled
and fell on one knee. the leg snappe1.
and he lay quiyering across the trail.
The girl turned abruptly and came back
Mead took the mail bags from the mAz-
tang's back and threw them to her.
'I1l hold 'em back while ye git.
start" he said. laconically. drawing his
pistols. He turned TO face the trail
~Good-by." he called over his shoulder.
Stranger" the girl said. quietly. He
whirled and faced small pistol she had
drawn from her belt "Git up behind.
quick. amt a-goin' to bulge foot ef
ye don't" she added as he hesitated
Mead laughed aloud as he thought how
quickly she had turned hts own game
upon him Then she laughed also as he
turned and mercifully shot the black
mustang. before leaping up behind her
The yellow mustang struggled for
ward bravely under the double burden.
but the contest was unequal The hoof-
beats behind them grew louder and It
last they could hear the noise OF gut
tural voices from behind the turns in
the winding trail. A few moments later
an arrow struck fire In the roadway be-
side them Then. as Mead reached down
for revolver. the girl uttered 4 low
cry. There was the fort, less than
mile away, Its bare walls looming gray
In the distance.
Together they spurred the straining
beast beneath them down the long in
cline, while arrows and an occasional
bullet whirred and sang about them.
They could hear now the quick breath Of
the tired horses behind them. the tri-
umphant shouts. the beat OF stfngfnx
thongs upon dozen launches. Now
came the short uphill stretch to the
fort, a little more than a quarter Of
mile away. but the exhausted mustang
shivered with each bound up the ascent.
his reach growing shorter, his pace slow
er. Two arrows struck him almost al
the same instant. and he fell heavily.
But Mead had jumped clear, carrying the
girl with him. They were on their feet
quickly.
Rum" he called. His FIRST shot rang
out, and an Indian trailed from the sad
die. Others went down before his steady
aim as he ran backward up the N,
cline. His left arm fell limp and the
pistol dropped to the ground. Some one
picked itup. Some one was firing calm
ly beside him. The horses were almos.
on them and the sneering. gloatinr.
painted faces. when he heard vaguely
rumbling. many-voiced cheer behind
him, then the foremost Indians looked
beyond him and wheeled suddenly ana
dashed down the hill in scattering con.
fusion.
A few days later a man, his arm stirl
in sling, rode down the hill from Fort
Union. A girl rode beside him. The
man looked at her furtively now ana
then and his rugged face showed en-
harrassment
Say" he said at last, i've cot a red
colored temper. I'm mean, am"
HUH! she answered, staring NJ tha
trail. The man hesltated for a momart
eve got s14i7 exact" he remarked