Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-01-04

his companions and the soldiers caus-
cd Gideon To turn his head In that
direction. The two officers invoiuntar.
lily turned In their saddles Suddenly.
the giant. taking advantage OF this
divcrsion. had dragged them from
their horses with such violence M 10
cause the frightened animals 10
plunge madiy away toward the dismal
forest beyond. leaving the terror
stricken masters In the grip Of tho
ncd Colossus. as they had called Gid.
con. Pcnsuiiiy. who has written an
account of this affair. describes tho
scene In mos, graphic way. Valdez.
mere had received two wounds OF
such a nature rs to render him uncon.
scious. and he lay bleeding upon the
snow. PcIsuiily. thinking IL was NIL
over with his fricnas. had sought the
shelter of great stone. expecting
every momcn, To be his last. whct.
rccpinE cautiously from his shelter.
he saw two horscmcn fleeing In the
distance. and the Clan, coming toward
him. dragging In either hand the
form Of man. eursinT. believing. and
defiant. his rcd hair bristiinT. and his
great eyes blazing with the hrc Of n
demon. All. Rodin. he had been
rightly named Rcd Colossus. for he
looked the part. The eight dead min.
ions OF the Car. whose blood had
crimsoncd tho snow. and the uncon.
scious form of vaidcrmcrc. whose
hand still eiutchcd the empty revolver.
presented a CHASTITY sight. as they lay
where they had fallen In the gloom Of
the fading. win,ry day. Gideon search.
cd among the bodies. cursinE tho Car.
cursing the world. but when he saw
Pcnruiily creep from his shelter. he
iaughcd-hc shoutcd-thcn his cys
fell upon the still form Of Naidcrmcrc.
whom he loved as a brother. His hands
still ciutched the throat of the sol.
dicrs. whose eyes bulscd from their
sockets. then In an ecstasy of fury
diabolicai TO behold he dashed his
victims together like cymbais. still
cursinx and believing. until their
bones were broken. and their bodies
bruised beyond recognition. then sciE.
ing them by their legs he dashed thin
to pieces against the great stone. where
the terrified Pcnguilly had sought shel.
ter. The sight was terrible TO be.
hold. All. Rodin. II was revolving. hut
when his excess Of fury had spent II.
self. he seized the hand OF Pensuiily-
he pat,cd the little fellow on the shoul.
der and called him brave Bantam.
Then his great eyes filled with tears
his fury was spent. and his huge
form was trembling with emotion. He
knelt at the side of his bleeding com.
rade and wept like a child. chafinE
the hands of the unconscious man
and smoothing back his hair. He wept
for joy. for he had thought Valdez.
mere dead. lie made a pallet in the
snow. bandaEcd the wounds. sucking
away the foul blood with his own lips.
and his great rough hands. bleeding
and bruised with toll and battle.
bat,ied with melted snow the painful
wounds of his friend. Then he swore.
called the Car crowned Devil
and Siberia a frozen hell He arose
and walked among the corpses. un.
mindful of where he trod. He knelt
again at valdcrmere's side, weeping.
laughing and cursinE. until poor Pen.
gully could bear II no longer. The
latter. who had now recovered his
presence of mind. had started on In
pursuit Of their horses. which he had
little difficulty In securing. as the poor
beasts were worn out with travel
under their now dead masters. when
he returned, he still found Gideon at
vaidermere's side. The latter had
opened his eyes. had smiled. had seir
cd the giants hand.
,ro BE CONTINUED,