The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-02-10


acutely with one Of its spurs the
angle he had taken. Seizing this
manifest advantage, / raced down the
rough incline. Ny ridge descended
more sharply. too, than the n our
quarry had taken, and in spite of his
utmost speed, / reached the bottom
of the ravine in time TO get between
him and the rocks.
The desperate, on a rise, hesitated
not an instant, but turned squarely
toward me and came blowing down
a steep drift, alighting on his face at
the bottom of the ravine. In tense
excitement / drew my revolver as tho
man got to his feet-plainly now my
seat-mate of the day before.
He had a six-shooter in hand, and
fired the first shot. / felt the wind
OF his bullet on my cheek, and saw
the barrel of my own revolver waver,
covering half the side-hill behind him
as l sought to draw a bead. He fired
another shot and missed. He too,
was painting with exertion. I had not
realized how nearly exhausted / was.
I fired practically at random; then I
felt a numbing stroke on my right
shoulder, and sank to my knees on
the snow. My revolver slid out of
my hand.
You're an easy one" said the
road-agent, brutally. He aimed de-
liberately at me. THE last OF John
Gleason" was my thought as I looked
into the muzzle Of his weapon at
twenty races.
Then a shrill, high-keyed yell
sounded from the ridge and discon-
certed his aim. He turned to look as
I looked, and we saw upon a drift
the squaw-man coming-on his back,
feet first, shooting the incline in the
fight of an arrow.
Lsaw the road-agent made a swift
exchange Of revolvers and go for
ward, Indifferent to me, as the new
conner plowed into the snow at our
level. 1 saw Lawton get to his feet
with the light of battle blazing in his
eyes; aud the two advanced upon each
other, deliberately firing at forty
yards.
I heard shots, four or five in quick
succession, and then, in the wink of
an eye, the whole scene vanished.
When I came to myself Lawton was
rubbing snow in my face, and I heard
his voice, sounding afar on:
so, you're coming round! Man,
you must have been all done MP.
That scratch on your shoulder
wouldn't have stopped a game
chickeni"
That's what" assented a grim
voice. Now, if he'd got it in his gun
arm like this! " and glancing away. I
snow, holding hard with his left hand
to a bleeding right arm.
Then 1 got to a sitting posture,
apologizing for my weakness. My
new friend quickly dressed my wound
with rough surgery. Then he band
aged the arm of our late antagonist
with stout lining torn from his coat.
When this was done he turned to
me. You've got two guns in your
lap there, and I've got your dust.
TIL so git my horses and tote you fell
lows to the stage-ranch by some old
trail. Now don't go to sleep again"
And away he went as blithely as il
nothing had happened.
Hardly kad he got over a ridge
when the r~oad-agent, sitting ten PAGES
away, got to his feet. WELL" he
said, IT must be going. So long"
In vain / commanded him to come
back and leveled a revolver at his
body, with a hand steadier now. He
paid not the slightest heed, and my
finger refused to crook on the trigger.
When my friend in need returned
with his ponies and my coat, I was
half-frozen and wholly useless; yet I
got the worst berating 1 eve had for
my failure to shoot our late captive.
My friend got me to the stage
ranch in some way, ard 1 said to him
all the things he would let me say in
appreciation of his service. 1t was
some days before 1 could take stage
TOR nome.-Youth's Companion.