Amador ledger., 1910-08-12
AWildRace
By WILLIAM EASTMAN
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Accoofofion.

owner. his WIG was u uShuiS hIlio
woman, who said nothing during the
meal, her sole ambition apparently
being to see that his children had
what they wished and what was best
for them to eat. After dinner, while
smoking with my host, asked him If
his wife, being such a gentle, feminine
little woman, did not find life in a
new country distasteful.
He smiled. II could tell you story
about that gentle, feminine little wo-
man." he said, that would make
your hair curl"
do So" ] replied.
Lisa" he began-"that's my wife
was born out here. Her father came
out to mine. When she was sixteen
years old she was out one day with
her father and brother, who were pros
pecting. They had with them a horse
of Tennessee racing stock and feet as
the wind.
while Lisa was flower gathering
and her father and brother feeling
about in the ground with their picks
suddenly she heard noise. She look.
ed up and saw her father and brother
looking at each other, both very pale.
Then her father ran to Jack, calling
to her at the same time to come to
him, loosed the bride rein, put her on
him and said:
"'Ride for your life. A cloudburst
is coming. Stick to Jack. He eau out
run anything
And, turning the horses head down
the gorge, he gave him slap on his
haunch. and away he went, with little
Lisa astraddle Of his back.
"It was not far to a canyon commu-
nicating with the gorge they were in,
and il Lisa could have turned her
horse into it she would have been
safe. Her father and brother, who
rode the other two horses, did this
and had the satisfaction to see the
torrent boiling past them, they being
on higher ground and out of its path.
But in giving her the high bred racer
they had endangered her instead Of
giving her the best chance. Jack.
hearing the torrent coming after him.
became unmanageable through terror
and shot right past the mouth of the
canyon.
Fortunately Lisa had been used to
horses. She knew her danger too.
Jack was liable every moment to fall
and was killing himself in the strug-
gle. How he ever passed over the
path he did l can't imagine. I've been
over it often since, and every time !
wonder more. If he fell the torrent
would be on him and his rider before
he could get up and she mount him
again. even if that were possible. If
he became exhausted that meant
death too.
"Once, she says. she looked back to
see what had become of her father
and brother. She saw great trees
hurled by a mad torrent against the
rocky sides of the canyon. One sight
of such a scene was enough for her.
She tried to soothe her horse by
speaking to him and patting him on
the neck. Several times he had stun
bled, but recovered himself, and she
knew this was her greatest danger.
''Well, here l come in. l was a ten
derfoot ordered by my doctor to come
out here to breathe the mountain air.
At the time Lisa was coming down
the canyon was being driven in a
light wagon in the opposite direction
by man l had hired for the purpose.
We heard a roaring; but, l being u
greenhorn in the country and the driv-
er being stupid. neither Of us knew
what it meant. The road was narrow.
Beside it was the waterway and on
either hand the canyons walls.
suddenly saw up the gorge horse
coming lickety split and knew by fut-
tering skirts that a woman was on
him. He couldn't pass us at that gait
owing to the fact that we took up all
but about three feet of the road. Lisa
says he seemed to recognize the fact
for he slowed up of his own accord.
Just before Lisa reached us my driv-
er seemed to catch the meaning Of it
all and, jumping from the wagon, be-
gan to scramble up the side of the
canyon. /. not understanding what
was the matter, sat still till the girl
came up. l had never seen her be-
fore, but / was not likely to forget the
picture. Her horse was white with
foam; her hair had broken loose and
was flying in the wind.
"A cloudburst! she cried
II didn't know what a cloudburst
was, but at that moment caught sight
of its forward edge and didn't need
any one to tell me. had come west
in a sleeping berth all the way from
Ohio and was weak as a kitten. My
cowardly driver was taking care of
himself, but paying no attention to
me. The girl took in the situation.
She was trying to squeeze her horse
between the stone wall Of the gulch