The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-04-01
The House of the Black
80. s=: Ring Copyright. 100.
him come

ilho q trap,
She stole a look UP into the rigid
race and settled ack without another
word. After all q woman likes a mas.
terful man, one equal to emergencies
one who Will fight for her to the last
ditch. 1t is doubtful II there are many
women even today who would really
object to being eloped with, IL 1t were
done st~renuously enough, and IL the af-
falr could end when they said the word
AT that instant. however, Jim became
aware of an obstacle all but ~insuper
able. He had caught up with the other
sleighs, and by all that was unlucky,
1t was at the point where the road first
enters the mountains. Scrub oaks and
yellow pine dwarfs, thick as the brist-
les on a brush. came down to the very
wheel ruts. 1t was foolishness to think
of driving by, and the sleighs were
crawling at a snail pace to allow the
sled to overtake them. He held the
impatient colt to a mincing trot. fret
ting all the time and Tuning like a
trapped bear.
Soon from the distance behind came
the echo of bells, Rose caught it In
stantly and turned to look back.
My, but that horse of Karl's Is com
Ing, thought" she cried. Then she
laughed In his ear, q most b%ewitching
little ripple. 1t was evident that she
was enjoying his dilemma.
He did not answer. The furious
uAlN iitS pCIilIiu was becoming more evil
dent. The driver in q minute would be
right upon the hind sleigh. and Jim
would be forced to stop and explain.
He looked right and left at the brush
tangle, tho wild desperation of the cor
nered animal In his eyes.
Hell be here In just half a minute"
she laughed again In his ear. He turned
to catch the twinkle of mischief In her
eyes, and 1t smote him like a. spur.
Then came q loud hail from the rear:
Hold on there. Farthing. I've got
my horse now. Hold on there"
fairly Kissed.
Say. you're not going to try to drive
by?" She Strengthened up in real
alarm.
That's just what I'm going to do.
Heigh there!" he yelled to the sleighs
In front Turn out there, quicker n
lightning. Turn out there! Turn out,
l say! I'm going by on the right. Sharp
there. or I'll smash into yeh! Hold tight,
Miss Harswick. Here she goesm
The road had grown slightly wider,
put 1t was inviting certain disaster to
try to run by In such a place. Auto
matically the sleighs ahead damned
Into the opposite wall Of scrub, and the
colt struck with the whip. darted for
ward like a wild thing. Instantly the
sieight was crashing n grinding into
the horny tangle. 1t reared on one
= 1919 eiio OShCd SLld pluilSeu III q
maddening angle amid q chorus of ex-
CARNATIONS from the sIeighs. The
shaggy branches raked INC gouged.
They bit into the driver pitiless as
barbed wires. but he sat stiff as a
Inch pin to trim the sleigh and shelter
the girl. His hat was smashed off by
q spraWling branch, but whats a hat?
A Jagged limb, cruel as a fish rake
clutched into his face and hair; an
other snatched at the colt. and caught
a sinister finger into the harness, but
the straps held. In a minute 1t was all
with a clear road.
There" he cried exultantly; think
he'll follow, Miss Hartswick7"
Mercy, not" she burst out. "Say, that
Is the most reckless driving I ever saw.
1 don't believe you could get through
there again in a thousand times.''
Perhaps not" he retorted grimly.
but | started out to tax you home,
and It'll take more'n pushes to stop
me-" There was bitterness In his heart.
The girl beside him was his only by
capture. Her heart was in the sleigh
behind. That was evident.
She did not reply. This was a new
type Of man, truly. She glanced up
again furtively to catch q glimpse of
his square jaw and warlike figure. The
glance startled her.
"Why-Why," she exclaimed. .eyoIr.
face Is all blood"
Only a scratch" he answered light
". Bus struck me back there"
But let me see." She spoke impera-
lively, and he bent over toward her.
why, there's a regular cash, and
wipe off the blood"
mo, no: not with that he objected
quickly, but she paid no heed.
His heart began to beat almost au-
dibly. He would have his face carved
Il 81 - .~n E~&, - 8
but bend over him like this and stroke
away the blood with her handkerchief.
His exultation was short-Iived. BY q
curious chance no ooner was he clear
of the bush than the 0 became sud
denly wide enough for two teams
an instant, but dashed by the line OF
sleighs, and now 1T was q straight
away ace, with Jim handicapped by
a hundred pounds. Soon the breath OF
the great bay was spouting down the
back of his neck, and q lusty voice
shouting almost In his ear:
"Helgh, there! amt you going to hold
up? Stop, l say!"
mot by q long chalk!'' Jim wheeled
n flung back the challenge In hot
wrath.
.Heigh? What's that7"
.I've started out to take her home.
and by gum I'm going tot"
What do yeh mean?" snorted the
man., the true inwardness OF things be-
ginning at last to filter through his
constituencies.
II mean exactly what + say" There
was no mistaking the mans tone. .If
you want her, come and get her."
by mighty; SO that's the game, Is
1T? You Just wait q minute!" came
roaring back the answer, 8. sweep OF
wrath shifting him In the face like q
whip. But 1t Is not an easy matter on
q narrow road to rescue q purloined
maiden from a sleigh ahead, especially
when the etiquette OF the race forbids
shooting. For a mile 1t was a stern
chase, and It threatened to be a
long one
What are you going to do when he
catches YOU? Fight?', There was q
suspicion of fun in her voice.
III hain't caught me yet he snap
ped, rafting the whip again In the
socket.
"But he will on Moon Run Hats. Hell
run right round you."
walt and See.
but you're Handicapped, and yor
can't expect to beat that great bay
He's got the best horse, and -
Yes, and he's got the best every,
thing he answered bitterly. That's
just what's the matter. / don't have
the ghost ct q chance in-anything
IL But by kinGinL-the words fairly rrounf