The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-05-03

that upon the moment he found him.
self without an animal ahead to keep
in place he became as crazy as a
beetle.
1t seems more reasonable to attrib-
ute the mustangs panic to the wild
furry Of the mule and the unobstruct-
ed view of the approaching grizzly;
but at any rate, with the fall of the
pack-animal Pinto lost his head COM
pletely.
Oblivious to the pressure Of the
cruel Spanish bit, he essayed des-
perately to pivot about Gotta sent
him back to the cliff with bloody
spur mark upon his shoulder, where
upon the little horse stood as if dazed
for a second, then shook his head
in the violent, angry way that pres
ages bucking or rearing.
Long experience with all sorts OF
horses had taught his master the sig
nificance of that movement, and the
exact and only way of offsetting the
certain destruction it threatened. Rails
ing himself in his stirrups and at the
same moment drawing and reversing
his revolver, he struck the mustang
quick, light blow on the vulnerable
protuberance just back Of the ear.
Pinto settled down into a loose heap
on the trail, and the rider saved him
self from being crushed against the
wall by leaping lightly to standing
position on the saddle.
It was the same as raising his hand
against a grandfather, Gotta declared,
thus to strike down the venerable
friend who had helped to raise his
family; but-The narrator with the
odd facial and shoulder contortion OF
the Mexicans, depicted his horror or
the yawning abyss below and the ne
cessity of immediate, desperate action
with a vividness that required no am
plification. Gotta had been careful not
to kill the mustang, and his care add
ed still another to the perils that
crowded upon him. For Pinto imme-
diately showed that he was not q1ite
stunned, and his master barely es-
capped being pitched over the cliff
as he leaped astride the struggling
animals head, and with two quick
turns a wooden scarf bound the eyes
tightly. Once blinded, Pinto SUBJ
sided into a quivering heap, and the
Mexican assured himself that he
would make no further move, even
if the bear should approach and de-
your him.
During the travellers fracas with
his animals the pig-brained foe had
shuffled off about half of fifty yards
that had at first separated them, and
he was now bearing down on the
horse and rider with eager ferocity.
Only a year before Gotta had been
clawed by a grizzly. and had solemn.
ly vowed never again to attack one
of the dangerous brutes. But on this
occasion it was different, far different
and here the Mexican recapitulated
the fox-trotting, frustrating excel
lences of the best horse in Mexico"
No, he could not leave him; he would
rather fight grizzly.
Turning to reach his rife from the
horn of the saddle, he was confound-
ed by finding it jammed firmly against
the rock wall. There was nothing for
it but to get the gun out or to flee.
Gotta, true to an Interchangeable deter
mination, risked va plunge over the
precipice on the belief that Next
can-trained mustang invariably lies
motionless when blindfolded. Balanc-
ing himself warily, he stepped up on
his quivering mount, took firm foot
ing On the saddle, and wrenched and
tugged like mad until he at last sue
ceeded in extricating the frearm.
With a hasty glance to assure him
self that the weapon was in working
order, he clambered back over Pinto's
rump, and made a stand against the
grizzly.
But when he raised the trusty rifle
for shot, he found his heart pulsat-
ing with thump! thump! thump!
that Jared him all over, while his
hands shook like the tremulous leaves
of the cottonwood. So affected was
he by the strain of hard lifting in a
high altitude that, as Gotta declared,
he could not have spattered the ami
NAL, steer-sized though it was, with
shotgun. Several times in his life
the Mexican had faced death without
moments cessation of clear think
ing; but this last complication I'M
nerved him, and pointing his wabbling
gun in the direction of the grizzly,
he opened fire.
To add to his confusion, the smoke
lifted sluggishly. Out in the open ne
would have leaped to one side and
been steadied, perhaps, by the change
Of posture; but here, held to his
tracks by sheer wall on one side
and a sheer precipice on the other,
is it any wonder that he became COM
pletely confused, and with wild aban-
don pumped lead at the hazy outline
of the brute that now charged furi-
ously.
Ker-click, bang! Ker-click, bang!