The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-19


could he fail them IN such need?
But Morris understood. This hold
ing back was Ringwood's bitter re-
venge for the stinging brand put on
him. Morris checked Stanley when
he would have addressed Ringwood,
and presently father and son swung
into their saddles and galloped down
the road.
AS they vanished in the faint light
Ringwood rushed for the barn, loosen.
ing his pistols in his belt as he ran.
The two servants watched him scorn-
fully as he saddled his gray with In
credible swiftness
'Marse Ringwood scared de fight run
down dis way" muttered Sam. "He
des nuttin' but trash. fo' all he so good
lookln'. Cord Almighty, wish all de
boys wasn'C gonel whar ebberybody
Leeg'
"Ailee samee time OF 'cept hunt
hills" was the brief return, which
meant that some of the men had an
afternoon and the rest were after some
refractory cattle in the hills.
"Marse Rlngwood gone like de deb
bic after him." growled Sam. And In
deed the gray was flying at terrible
! speed
The far, dim starlight sIfted reluc-
| tantly down, and the horses feet
reached the ground more by instinct
than sight, Ringwood bent over his
neck, jockey fashion. For scant two
miles they kept to badly marked
road; then before them yawned the
mouth of Sewer canyon, the broken
| trail merely a gray pencil mark among
Jagged powders and treacherous wave
washed stones, rounded by old world
floods.
A second the gray hesitated, and in
that second Ringwood distinctly heard
again Morris voice.
ITO ride through that trail at speed
means almost certain DEATH" And he
exultod that the words flowed In his
soul like wine. Then he drove the
rowels in his horses fianks, and the
gray in generous anger plunged down
the canyon way at top speed, every
beat of his steel shod hoofs striking
fire from the rocks. Now they crossed
a bed Of clay worn slimily smooth by
the soft tapping Of the low stream.
and here n goat might have fallen and
taken no shame to himself, but the
gray had that superb and rare quality
which carries through everything-he
believed In himself. Presently nine
tenths Of the canyon was behind
them, though the frowning walls yet
hung above. Once n panther Kissed
like an infuriated cat in their way, but
the oncoming might of the two daunt-
ed her, and. she fed ignominiously to
the recesses of the cliff sides and
mouthed resentfully after them, drag
glng behind her a tail twice its natural
size.
But now open woods; the canyon
was I'm the rear, and before Ringwood
tiny fire, with crude half tent hug
ging It, and in its shelter four men.
Thanks to the half mile of soft earth
between them and the canyon, thanks
to quarrel already bred among them,
they did not hear Ringwood until he
was bearing down upon them, not ff-
ty yards away.
Then they acted in unison. Four
rifles were cocked-a challenge rang
out:
"Stop orr
1t might be harmless passing stran-
ger, and they did not care for the
noise of fuslllade just now.
The answer came clearly on the
wind, On you-throw up your
hands" a command they thought un-
necessary, as their hands were up and |
their rifles In them. They answered |
with fourfold volley of shots. In the |
next instant the gray was on them, !
and In the chaos that ensued Ring, |
wood was only conscious that he got
in several shots, that the butt Of his
pistol had proved quite useful, that |
two forms had clung to his knees and |
had gone down, that the badly scatter
ed fire was catching the edge OF the |
tent. and then he and the gray went |
down I'm their turn together, Rlngwood
oddly thankful In spite Of the fact that
sparks (perhaps from the tent fire.
swan before his eyes, that the near
est robber made a soft cushion. Then
fire and sparks went out blackly.
When light came again the moon
was pouring down her full splendor.
over him bent two anxious faces,
while his own reelied of the whisky
used to battle his forehead and tenn
pies. A sigh Of relief hailed his open
eyes
Thank Godr' sobbed Stanley. 81
thought he was gone! And after set
Ting the four Of themw
mo, only stunned" returned their
patient, rising obstinately to his feet,
but glad to cling TO the nearest saddle
to steady himself, the earth whirled
round so strangely. 81 am all right,
Mr.. Morris. Don't trouble yourself
any further by coddllng-the son OF
coward"
Stanley stared, then said nervously:
by Jove, he's OF his headg' But
his father answered by taking the tall
figure In his arms.
Lad" he said brokenly, "Pve learn