Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-06-13

! ing from the quarter whence we hae
| come--from Emmerich-and 1t brought
| to us the sound OK voices. we ali
stopped to listen. Yes; they were
voices we heard-loud, strident tones.
mingled now with the sullen splash OF
horses tramping through the water. l
looked at the duchess. Her face was
pale, but her courage did not fall her-
She understood in a trice that the dam
ger we had so much dreaded was upon
US; that we were followed. and the fol-
lowers were at our heels, and she
turned her horse round again. With
out word she spurred 1t back toward
the deep part. i seized Anne's rein and
followed, notwithstanding that the poor
girl In her terror would have resisted.
Letting the guides go as they pleased,
we four In a moment found ourselves
abreast again, our horses cranfng over
the stream, while we, with whip and
spur, urged them on.
In cold blood we should scarcely have
done 1t. Indeed, for a minute, as our
steeds stumbled and recovered them
selves and slid forward, only to draw
back trembling--as the water rose
above our boots or was flung by our
fellows in our eyes, and all was hog-
ging and scrambling and splashing-it
seemed as IL we were to be caught In q
trap despite our resolve. But at last
Master Berties horse took the plunge
His wife's followed, and both, partly
fioundering and partly swimming set
forward, snorting the while in fear. To
my joy / saw them emerge safely not
ten yards away, and shaking them
selves stand comparatively high out OF
the water.
"Come!" cried my lady imperatively
as she turned in her saddle with a
gesture Of defiance. Come! 1t Is all
right"
Come indeed! I wanted nothing bet
ter, for / was beside myself with pas
sion, But, fog as might, could not
get Anne's brute to take the plunge.
The girl herself could give me no aid.
Clinging to her saddle, pale and half
fainting. she could only beg me to leave
her, crying out again and again in a
terrified voice that she would be
drowned. With her cry there sudden
ly mingled another-the hail of our
pursuers as they sighted US. / could
hear them drawing nearer, and I grew
desperate. Luckily they could not make
any sped in water so deep, and time
was given me for one last furious ef-
fort. 1t succeeded. My horse literally
fell into the stream. 1t dragged AnneS
after 1t. How we kept our seats, how
they their footing, l never understood,
but somehow, splashing and stumbling
and blinded by the water dashed in our
faces. we came out on the other side,
where the duchess and her husband,
had watched the struggle in an agony
of suspense. l did but fling the girls
rein to Master BERTHE. and then /
wheeled my horse to the stream again.
had made up my mind what l must
do.
Go on!' l cried waving my hand
with gesture of farewell. GO on!
can keep them here for awhile"
NONSENSE" l heard the duchess cry.
her voice high and shrill. 1T is"
GO on" l cried. 60 on! Do no'
lose a moment, or it will be useless"
Master BERTHE hesitated, but he, too,
saw that this was the only chance. The
Spaniards were on the brink of the
stream now and must, If they passed it,
overtake us easily. He hesitated, l
have said, for a moment. Then he
seized his wifes rein and drew her on,
and heard the three horses go splash
ing away through the flood. / threw
glance at them over my shoulder, be-
thinking me that l had not told the
duchess my story, and that Sir An
thony and Petronilla would never-but,
pish! What was l thinking of? That
was a thought for a woman. / had
only to harden my heart now and set
my teeth together. My task was very
simple indeed. l had just to keep these
men-there were four-here as long as
could and If possible to stop Clar-
ence's pursuit altogether.
(Contiaued Next Week.)