The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-12-29
II have discovered your treacl

thumb and first finger and pinched 1t
to see If he were awake, then read the
words again, this time aloud: Il have
discovered your treachery and fed.
Pepeeta." "Treachery?" he said.
What t-t-treachery? Whose TT
treachery? Fled? Fled with whom,
fled where? l wonder If 1 am still
d-d-drunk?"
At last, and almost with the rapid
ity of a stroke of lightning, the whole
mystery solved itself. 1t flashed upon
his mind that Pepeeta had abandoned
him. and in company with the man
he had so implicitly trusted. The SER
pent he had nourished in his bosom
had at last stung him! Tearing the
paper into shreds and stamping upon
the floor, he cursed and raved.
A purpose shaped itself instantly in
his mind, and he began its execution
without delay. He made no confidant,
took no advice; but having smoothed
his ruffled 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 astonishment and delight found his
| horses both there.
"Tom," he said to the hostler, did
| you hire horse and b-b-buggy to a
young couple last night?"
IT did not" answered the surly
groom.
II am in no mood for tri1ing. Out
with 1t, you scoundrel!" he cried, seiz-
ing him by the throat.
With a sign of terror the groom In
dicated his readiness to come to terms,
and the doctor relaxed his grip. Still
trembling, he told the truth.
| do you know which road they
took?"
He waved his hand toward Ken.
lucky.
Put 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 single stop on
his way to the river and that was at
gun store, from which he emerged
carrying pair of saddle bags on his
arm. In the holsters were two loaded
pistols.
He smiled as he mounted having al
ready consummated 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, rhythmical
seemed to be crying for vengeance;
for hoof-beats have a language, and
always utter the thoughts of 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 horse
and buggy passing that way, but he
was cunning Enough to conceal his
anxiety and to hide his joy as every
answer made him more certain thai
he was on the trail of the fugitives.
The road was perfectly familiar. He
had traversed 1t a hundred times, anc
not having to inquire the way he hao
only to remember and to reflect. Ar
undercurrent of speculation had beer
flowing through his mind as to where
he should overtake the fugitives.
For mile or two the road was per.
fectly straight and the rider shading
his eyes, glanced along 1t. In the dis
tance a moving object attracted his at.
tention, and as he gazed at it, long ant
strainingly the terrible smile once
more wreathed his white lips. There
were only two things present to hi.
| consciousness-th carriage upor
which he was swiftly gaining, and tn,
fierce shifting of the horses hoof.
which seemed to be echoing the the
cries of his heart for vengeance. Or
he swept, nearer, nearer nearer. H,
was now within hailing distance, ant
his brain reeled he forgot his discre
tion and his plan.
Halt" he screamed. in voice tina
cut the silent air like a knife.
A face appeared above the top O
the buggy, and looked back. 1t wal
his foe. With howl of rage, h,
snatched pistol from the holster an,
fred. The bullet went wide Of tn,
mark and the next instant he saw tn,
whip-las cut the air and descend ol
the flank of the startled mare. Th,
buggy lurched forward. and for an In
stant drew rapidly away. Overwhelm
ed by the fear that he might be baf
fed in his vengeance. he drew tn
other pistol and fired again more wild
OF the mark than before.
He flung the smoking weapons int,
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 that. The half
maddened animal was overhauling tn
fugitives perceptibly at every enor
nous stride, and in few moment
more shot by the buggy and up to tn
head of the terrified mare. AS he di,
|, so, his rider reached out his left han,
and caught the mare by her bride
refined up his own horse and threw
both OF the animals back upon thei
launches.
u In another instant the two mel
stood confronting each other on tn
road. the quack black and terrible. tn
| Quaker white and calm. Not a wor,
was spoken. and like two wild beast
emerging from jungle they sprang a
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