Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-11-05

the TOOr, ne cursed ana TaNeu.
A purpose shaped itself instantly In
his mind, and he began it's execution
without delay. He made no confidant,
took no advice; but having smoothed
his rufled clothing and combed his
disheveled hair so as to excite no
comment and provoke no question, he
passed through the hotel corridor and
office, greeting his acquaintances with
his accustomed ease, and made his
way to the livery stable. He went at
once to the stalls where his famous
team was accustomed to stand, and to
his establishment and delight found his
horses both there.
Tom he said to the hostler, did
you hire a horse and b-b-buggy to a
young couple last night?"
81 did not" answered the surly
groom.
II am in no mood for trifling. Out
with it, you ~scoundrel!" he cried, seiz-
ing him by the throat.
With a sign of terror the groom in
dictated his readiness to come to terms,
n the doctor relaxed his grip. Still
trembling, he old the truth.
d O know which road they
took?"
He waved his hand toward Ken.
lucky.
Put a saddle on Hamlet-no. on Ro-
meo," he ordered, tersely .
The groom entered a box stall and
let out the black beauty. The doctor
glanced him over and smiled. And
well he might. for every muscle, every
motion betokened speed. intelligence,
endurance.
The pursuer made a single stop on
his way to the river and that was at
a gun store, from which he emerged
carrying q pair Of saddle bags on his
arm. In the holsters were two loaded
pistols.
He smiled as he mounted, having al
ready contaminated vengeance in his
heart. Once across the river and safe
upon the Louisville pike, he loosened
the reins. The horse, whose sympa-
thetic heart had already been imbued
with the spirit of his rider, shook his
long black name, plunged forward and
pounded along the hard turnpike. His
hoofbeats-sharp, ~sonorous, rhythnical
seemed to be crying for vengeance;
for hoof-beats have a language, and
always utter the thoughts of a rider.
The forests, hills and houses flowed
! past him like a river. Occasionally he
halted an instant to inquire of some
lonely traveller if he had seen a horse
and buggy passing hat way, but he
was cunning enough to conceal his
anxiety and to hide his joy as every
answer made him more certain that
he was on the trail Of the fugitives.
The road was perfectly familiar. He
had traversed it a hundred times, and
not having to inquire the way he had
only to remember and to reflect. An
re croc,,lott0yo Io1 h01~
flowing. through his min as to where
he should overtake the f~ugitives.
For a mile or two the road was per
fectly straight and the rider, shading
his eyes, glanced along it. In the dis
lance a moving object attracted his at
t%ention. and as he gaZed at it, long and
%strainingly, the terrible smile once
more wreathed his white lips. There
were only two things present to his
consciousness-the carriage upon
which he was swiftly gaining. and the
fierce shifting of the horses hoofs
which seemed to be echoing the the
cries of his heart for vengeance. On
he swept. nearer nearer, nearer. He
was now within hailing distance, and
his brain reeled; he forgot his discre-
ton n his plan.
Halt" he screamed. in a voice that
cut the silent air like a knife.
A face appeared above the top of
the buggy, and looked back. It was
his foe. With a howl Of rage, he
snatched a pistol from the holster and
fired. The bullet went wide Of the
mark and the next instant he saw the
whip-lash cut the air n descend on
the flank of the startled mare. The
buggy lurched forward, and for an. in
l - ,,A l,,1- sec stale, n uya q, 60 0,,1..-lV.
ed by the fear that he might be baf-
fed in his vengeance, he drew the
other pistol and fired again more wide
Of the mark than before.
He flung the smoking into
the road, and again drove the spurs in
to the steaming sides Of his horse.
There could be no doubt as to the re-
suit Of the chase after hat. The half
maddened animal was overhauling the
fugitives p~erceptibly at every enor-
nous stride, and in a few moments
more shot by the buggy and up to the
head OF the terrified mare. AS he did
80. his rider reached out his left hand
and caught the mare by her bride,
refined up his own horse and threw
both Of h animals back upon their
launches.
In another instant the two men
stood confronting ZACH other on the
road, the quack black and terrible, the
Quaker white and calm. Not a word
was spoken. M like two wild beasts
emerging from a jungle they sprang at
each others throats. They were odd
~. but not unequally. matched, for
while the doctor was short. thick-set
and muscular. but clumsy and awk-
ward like a bear. David was tall and
slim. but 1.-THE and sinewy as a PAN
Their. Locked in each others arms,
they seemed like a single hideous mon
ster in some sort OF CONFUSION. AS it
was impossible for them in this dead
ly embrace to strike. they wrestled
rather than fought, and bit with teeth
n tore with hands with equal feroc-
ity.
At the instant when the two infuri-
ated men seized each other in this
deadly grip, Pepeeta tainted. while the
terrified mare backed the buggy into
the bushes by the roadside. Romeo.
snorting and paving the ground,
snuffcd at them a momen as is pro-
foundry concerned a their strange
maneuvers. then turning away, began
to crop the rich blue grass in entire
indifference to the results Of this mad
quarrel between two foolish men.
The combatants surged and swayed
back n forth along the dusty road,
tripping n stumbling In vain efforts