New-York tribune., 1908-01-12

Nethersole was close upon him. - Are you all
ready, Kennet?" he asked, You'll have to start
back at once. Here's the cablegram. What time
is it now?'
Ten minutes of one.
The censors office closes at four You have
three hours and ten minutes and it's twentythree
miles Can you do it
Give the message.
The despatch rider turned his horse and set out
on the road for the town.
Nethersole called after him. You're the hrSt
away. Keep the lead, kenneti
Twenty-three miles lay ahead of him-twenty-
three miles of barren, dried road, which seemed
always near its ending and always led farther on.
If the town had been twenty miles distant, the
start would not have seemed SO far away, because
then he would have entered soon on the nineteen
miles whereby long gain would have been accom-
plished But there were still these three miles to
be ridden through. They were unnecessary and
large addition.
There is vast difference between twenty-one
miles and nineteen miles, said the despatch rider.
Il don't know why, but there is.
He had started forth riding his horse at a slow
trot. By his judgment of the nature OF the horse
he knew that this was best; -.
Besides" he argued, he's little weak IN the
hind hook If | galloped him, he would slip and
weaken Then I'd lose time Better take 1t
slow and long"
random by the enemy at the broad retreat, rushed
through the air above him and burst in a wrathtul
spout of dust in the road in front. He passed the
last of the retiring army. the kOpJe on which the
naval guns were stationed a bullock tram Podding
through the sunlight toward the army carrying
food supplies; then he rode along the empty road
alone.
When he disrnounted at the end of two miles he
began walking with more eagerness than was his
CUSTOM that the reins by which he led the horse
behind him grew taut and he tet the pressure on
his arm. Foot by foot he passed over the ground
and thofgh this walk adopted only for breath
ing spell, he knew that he was a ways creeping
nearer the town, The dust rose in tiny clouds
about his boots at each foOtstep After a time the
arm began ache from the tagging pressure against
it Then he mounted the horse and rode on at a
Must have gone four miles" he said In
wav did it seem strange him that he spoke these
words out loud All round HIM lay the far reaches
of barren land, with the road leading on. always on
The muscles of his legs were held tight, that he
might conform his bOdv to the sway of the horses
stride The muscles beg n to pain him little but
thus he could ride his horse steadily. By the
half unconscious grip of his knees, the man trans
mitted to the instinct OF the animal sense OF the
insistent force which lived in his mind. You re
going do the work, and I'm going to make you
do IT. he said.
How far had he gone now? Perhaps seven miles
it ought to be That left sixteen in front. He
had disnOunted again walk when he recognized
the spot where he had stopped the afternoon before
f. examine of the horses hOofs. Then he be
came aware that probably for mile he had been
listening to the dull and regular clicks OF loosened
shoe Yes he could move It with his fingers; but he
continued walking, with the rhythmic click Just be
hind him, till he came to the place where the FIRST
water was.
I'll give YOU Just three goes to wash your mouth
out.
He counted the three drinks by the swallows in
the horses throat, then pulled up the stranng mead
and went at that slow, persistent trot. The IN
cessant sound of the dull clicks came from under
meath him He thought once that they an
swered with a of mockery throb within hHl-
self Behind his blind eve sometimes, after periods
of great toll throb pounded there, an echo OF the
first throbbing which woke hum from unconscious
ness on the hillside at dawn that time he had
failed to hold the place Then he came to under
,1t,s he OTlR OF he