The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-07-25

the cowboy gave one swift backward
glance, leaped square in his saddle.
and wheeled HIS pony into the road
beside the girl
They've stampeded, by thunderl"
he muttered between set teeth. "I
was feared 1t might happenl The
river-the river--ride, grill RIDE
for all you're worthl We can't never
turn 'em herel Our only chance is
to get out of here! Ridel"
With blanched face and widely dis
tended eyes the girl gripped her
bridle-rein and looked back.
Down the narrow trail behind her
thundered a wild, dark, packed mass
OF crowding bodies and madly tossing
horns, as along the road between the
bluff and the steep embankment the
stampeded cattle, with lowered
heads, blind and mad with thirst and
fury, came plunging on.
Digging her spurs into her pony,
she waited for no second glance at
the death which thundered so close
behind her, but, followed by the
cowboy, piled quirt and spur, as she
galloped for life along the narrow
trail.
Amt there turn up here in the
road somewhere" shouted the cow
boy, as with strained muscles they
plunged on, urging the terrified
ponies to their utmost. "Ain't there
somewheres we could turn out, SOS
to get a chanst to turn 'em or mill
EN-? We can't hold out long this-a-
way! Hurry. Jess Faster, faster,
girl! Give him the gad! Can't you
make that old pony go no faster?
They're a-gainin' on us every min
ute!"
The girl, sitting straight and
square in her saddle, with her lips
set firm and white. and her quick,
keen gray eyes glancing now behind
her, now in front along the curving,
narrow trail, shook her head.
She had been over this road many
times before, and knew there was no
turn In the road, no widening of the
trail for more than a mile ahead,
and before they could reach that
The thunder of hoofs came closer,
the snorts and bellowings of the
maddened beasts were in her ears.
With shuddering heart she glanced
back.
AS far as she could see along the
trail behind her came the black
wave of tossing horns and lunging
forms. coming every second nearer
and nearer, bringing death the hor-
rors of which this prairie girl knew
all too well.
Setting her teeth hard, she gath
cred her reins firmly in her hand
and bent to the neck of her pony.
We've got to do it, Buck!" she
almost sobbed in his ear. We've
got to risk it, boy! 1t may be our
last jump, but there's nothing else
for US to dol"
Then, as the foremost of the cattle
rose as breaking wave behind her,
she screamed, Jump, Billy, jump!
It's our last chance!" And giving
the buckskin a cut of the whip, she
plunged over the embankment and
sank like stone beneath the rush.
ing. yellow waters of the river.
At the same moment the leading
steers, unable in their mad wild rush
to see or heed the turn in the road,
plunged after her over the embank-
ment, in huddled, plunging, strug-
Cling mass of hoofs and horns.
The cowboy, caught on the brink
of the bluff by the wild rush of the
cattle. had no choice but to leap
into the river with them or be
ground to atoms beneath their tramp
ling hoofs.
The chances of life were small,
anyway, and with something like a
prayer on his lips, he shouted to his
horse, and went over the embank-
ment into the river In the midst Of
struggling heap of horns and hoofs
and tumbling carcases.
The girl struck the water a mo-
ment ahead of the avalanche of liv-
ing creatures from above, and came
up gasping and painting, but in fair
swimming water. With a cry she
urged her pony on with whip and
spur, and struck out into the middle
of the channel in time to avoid being
crushed to death or drowned by the
frantic struggles of the cattle.
| Glancing continually behind her as
the brave little buckskin breasted the
current. she saw Billy Callahans red
head bob up from beneath the waves,
and breathed thanksgiving as she
saw l@s powerful horse strike out for
clear water.
AS Billy came to the surface he
looked about him. and then began
70 shout with all the power fright
and water had left In his lungs.
HI, there!" he yelled. "Hi
where you goin', girlY Why don'i
you make for the shore? what Won
doin'Y Afr ye crazyY What We
II can't go and leave those cattlel,
shouted Jess. do you think I'm
going to save myself and let those
cattle drown? o, Billy, helm me
help me to save them! They--they,rs
all we've got, and m-mother--mothe,
has worked SO hard to get them TO,
gether IL could never look he,
In the face again II let them drown
She trusted them to me. I'll save
them II ] drown myself tryinE.,'
+! Regardless OF lunging horns and
plunging hoofs, she swan her little
pony In among the struggling mass
and began to drive the cattle apart