Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20

She knew it was the FIVE riders crossing White Mud
by the trail Again she had lost the lead
Deiectedly Chris made for the trail and dipped
down into the coulee, her mind stunned by the
failure of her against crime. She almost
helpless 1t was less than mile to the ford
of Bleeding River, and again the farther side
only mile to the buffalo corral And the men
riding ahead, their passionate resentment probably
inflamed by liquor, would trap Preacher Black and
the policeman like foxes the hollow of the pound.
Perhaps roped from its walls they sat talking,
they would be dragged to smother in the running
waters of Bleeding River.
Tears of anguish and anger at her own helpless
ness coursed down the girls cheeks as Chinook
clambered over the stony bed of White Mud Coulee
and climbed its steep side.
Chris had almost determined to gallop and
thrust herself among the men to declare that they
must abandon their errand, when the horse, fol
lowing the trail, turned sharply to the right Like
an inspiration thought flashed through the girls
mind that she had more chance In five
onds it had detailed strong and vivid. For mile
the trail ran parallel with the river to the ford
while the buffalo pound, the opposite side, lay in
a straight line from where she had checked
Chinook. 1t was not more than quarter of mile,
and Chinook could swim the river. More than once
he had carried her through waters swift
AT any prce!' rang in the girls ears as, driv-
ing the chestnut straight on his gallop carried her
in few minutes to the river bank. From the
gloomy hollow foated the droning growl of Red
Stone Rapids which reached from little lower down
to the ford as down the slopng bank Chinook crept
cautiously, his hoofs sliding in the red clay till they
ratified the graveed bar. Then the girl, slipping
urged him forward.
With an angry shake of his head and a rebelous
snort, Chinook sprang away from the water, and
fought his way dozen yards along the bar before
Chris could check him and, with a wrench of her
strong hand, him toward the stream. He
obeyed the call this time
HAZED in the mystic moonlight, the river, hun
IL dred yards WIDE glided smooth and placid; but
Chinook waded its soping bed the waters raised
white crest of anger against his strong limbs and
Kissed surlily as the girths dipped and his broad
chest raised them in foamng furrow like the PROV
of boat. There gliding, canoelke move as
the horse was swung off his feet. Spreading his
nostrs he answered with a snort of defiance
Chris, familiar she with the running rivers,
which still held the velocity of their mountain BIRTH
realized that in her eagerness to she had taken
the rivers power too carelessy. They were angling
down stream at swift rate, and none too far below
began the rapids. She should have gone a hundred
yards higher. She braved Chinook with a call of
encouragement and drew his head little up stream
His ears, which had pricked forward, now swung
back and forth impetuousy as though he gagged his
distance by the suen call of the rapids which grew
louder as he swami
They halfway across, and Chris could see
the combing turmoil of the dashed where the
rocks churned them to foam. One glance at the
snowke line, another at the dark rim of the farther
bank and, doubling her skirt the high horn
of the Mexican saddle, she grasped the stirrup
leather with fingers of steel and slid her body into
the river down stream from Chinook.
The horse swan freer Left to his own intelligence
he edged more into the current and fought stronger
Once the girls feet struck rock that just broke
the surface of the waters sending shiver of dread
to her heart. If Chinook but legged a sunken
rock and faltered they would sweep into the seeth
ing caldron that seemed sucking them into it's nav
Ten yards more to the bank, and half that distance
were the swirling, rock tortured rapids.
There sudden lurch of Chinook body that
almost yanked the strrup leather from the girl
a. ~