Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-17

There lay Shenstone's. right ahead. and
the horse shortened his stride as he came
up to the rail that bounded the pasture
Iot-for Bill knew that the shortest road
would mean life or death IN the race back
to New Maidstone.
Overland there lay the house. not more
than couple of hundred yards away.
Staring across at the fire Bill reckoned
his chances, measuring with his practiced
eye the distance of the blaze as it tore
through the dry timber.
"Jack!'' he shouted, holding Black Dick
steady by main force-no easy task with
that red light coming nearer and that lurid
glare lighting up the sky above his head.
A faint, feeble voice answered him from
the house. At that, Bill flung himself out
of the saddle, hitched the bride to the rail,
making 1t as firm as he knew how. and
dashed indoors
A gaunt. hollow-eyed man, lying in a
helpless, constrained attitude on a rough
couch, stared up at him wildly from the
hearth of the living room. This was the
once jaunty Jack Dibbie, whom Bill had
known as the liveliest fellow In the settle
ment-this haggard, pale-faced wreck, who
gazed at him with eyes that scarcely
seemed to recognize him.
"Bfl Bill Dixon! Why, Bill, it's never
you"
Jack was no coward But to have faced
alone. the prospect of fast-approaching
and terrible death; 10 have braced himself
to meet the inevitable doom coming upon
him-of being, as he lay there. helpless
hope, and then to hear the sudden voice
of a rescuer bringing once more the re-
newed hope of life-all this was enough to
test the grit of any man. No wonder that
the sight of Bill. his old chun coming TO
him In his greatest need, unnerved the
helpless invalid and broke him down COM
pletely.
Some men can see and think only of the
things they have g. mind to, shutting out
all the rest without any conscious mental
effort. No thought of the mean trick he
had played on Dixon came into Dibbles
head then to shame him. The memory OF
it had been blotted from his mind by the
near danger of the fire.
You cannot Judge a man by taking ac-
count of only one side of him, though. on
q rough table beside the couch, within
reach of the sick mans hand, stood an
empty bird cage. A year before Buck Shen-
stone had caught an Australian mocking
bird and tanned it, The little creature had
been company for Jack during many long
hours of WEAKNESS and pain, and when, g
he imagined, all hope for himself was
over, the last thing he had done was to set
the bird free
Its me" Bill answered, land I've come
to fetch you. Stop that, now!' he added
sternly. as the other broke down into weak,
hysterical tears. we haven't got much
time for the falling on-the-neck business.
What's become OF your horse?"
"Shenstone took him over to Wallamoo-
loo" gasped Jack, pulling himself together
with an effort.
And where's his?''
IN the pasture lot"
NO, he's not. He lit over the rails when
he first smeled the smoke, and there's moth
ing strange about that! Well, Black Dicks
got to carry double he added, grimly, and
l reckon he's got his work cut out for him.
Come on! Catch hold OF me round the neck,
and let me get grip on you. Pull yourself
together, and we'll do it yet
Dixon was a giant in strength. and Jack,
wasted by his Illness, was almost worn to
shadow. This part of the job was easy
enough. Catching the helpless man in
powerful grip, Bill lifted him If he We're
a baby and carried him out to the waiting
horse
Black Dicks eyes were starting from his
head IN terror. He hung back at the Ilni
length of the reins, now taut a bow
string and shifted from side to side he
strained at them, snorting in his fear.
The fire was coming down on them with
awful swiftness literally sweeping up The
forest like wave. The air black with
rolling clouds of smoke and hot as a fur
mace.
once and again Bill tried his level best to
lift his helpless burden upon his horse, and
every time the brute. mad with terror,
plunged and backed so wildly that there
was no getting near him. But I last Jack
was hosted to the crupper, and then, swing
ing himself to the saddle, Bill stopped. and
with one powerful wrench got the bride
free.
They started on their desperate race for
home. There was need to call on Black
Dick to do all he knew, no need to urge
him to top speed. Bill knew. as he felt the
gallant brute stretched out beneath him,
that he was going for all he was worth, and
could be pushed 10 do no more.
The young Australian had raced such a
fire before and knew what the chances
were: and for about half the distance that
he had to cover he had good hope of win
ming. Then he turned his head and looked
back The wind, hot with fame from the
swiftly advancing furnace in the rear, blew
in fiery blasts against his brow and told him
its own tale.
Black Dick. beneath him. showed signs of
distress He was doing all he knew, in
spite Of the odds against him; but he was
bearing heavily on the bit at every stride.
The people a New Maidstone stood watch
ing the approach of the fire, ready to fight It
If the need arose. Suddenly, close against
the line of flame. they saw a small moving
speck coming toward them,
IT'S horse!" yelled a sharp-eyed man:
and at that they all stared the harder. won
dering.
IT'S BIZ Dixon and Black Dfckr' cried
another presently, gazing with bleared,
smoke dlmmed eyes at the galloping horse
as it came nearer. See. Bill Is carrying a
man across his saddle"
Would he reach the river in time? They
stood watching, with anxious eyes, as the
Keeling, straining horse. stretched out 10 the
utmost, covered the last few hundred yards
and brought his rider with long strides to
the bank.
Close behind. like fiery serpents eager for
their prey darted long tongues of living
fame, catching at the dry grass and the
Of bushes. and Ieaping from
tree to tree almost faster than the eye could
follow them.
A rousing cheer went up as horse and
rider took to the water. Two of the men
plunged in breast deep and caught at the
bride when the animal came within reach
Black Dick had to swim coming across. but
the moment he felt his feet he turned
against the current. swerving toward the
n en-. who were standing up to their arm
pits in the water. Every hair of the poor
brute's name was scorched of. Bilrs head
was falling forward on his chest and he
was swooning from the fumes of the smoke |
and the pain of so many burns; but he still
clutched Jack Dbbles unconscious form
tightly and held It in the saddle.
The men who had rushed into the stream
dragged Black Dick up on TO the opposite
bank and caught Bill as he reeled and fell
from the saddle with his precious burden.
No sooner had his master fallen than the
gallant horse staggered and slipped back
into the river-dead.
When Bill became conscious again he
saw the face of Kate bending over his cot
She had left her husband to the care of the
other women in order to nurse him
You got even, BILL" she WHISPERED
You paid your score