Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-02-10

the rain beating her burning race ana
her horse leaning fearfully into the |
wind
No man could have kept the trail TO |
the pass that night. The horse TOOK
If as /; the path flashed in sunshine,
and swung into the familiar strlde |
that had carried her so many times
over the 90 miles ahead of them. The
storm driving into Dicksie's face
cooled her. Every moment she recol-
lected herself better and before her
mind all the aspects of her venture
ranged themselves. She had set
herself to a race, and against her rooe
the hardest rider in the mountains
She had set herself to what few men
on the range would have dared and
what no other woman on the range
could do. gust drove into her face.
They were already at the head of the
pass, and the horse, with level ground
| underfoot, was falling into the long
| reach; but the wind was colder.
Dicksie lowered her head and gave
| Jim the rein. She realized how wet
she was; her feet and her knees were
| wet. She had no protection but her
| skirt, though the meanest rider on
all her countless acres would not have
braved a mile on such a night without
leather and fur. The great lapels of
| her riding jacket, reversed, were but
| toned tight across her shoulders, and
| the double fold of fur lay warm and
dry against her heart and lungs; but
her hands were cold, and her skirt
| dragged leaden and cold from her
waist, and water soaked in upon her
chilled feet.
She became conscious of how fast
she was going. Instinct, made keen
Dicksie of her terrific pace. She. was
riding faster than she would have
dared go at monday and without
thought or fear of accident. In spite
of the sliding and the plunging down
the long hill, the storm and the dark
ness brought no thought of fear for
herself; her only fear was for those
ahead. In supreme moments horse,
like a man when human efforts be-
come superhuman, puts the lesser dan
gers out of reckoning, and the facul.
ties, set on single purpose, though
strained to the breaking-point, never
break. Low in her saddle, Dicksie
tried to reckon how far they had come
and how much lay ahead. She could
feel her skirt stiffening about her
knees, and the rain beating at hel
face was sharper; she knew the sleet
as it stung her cheeks, and knew what
next was coming-the snow.
There was no need to urge Jim. He
had the rein and Dicksie bent down tt
speak to him, as she often spoke
when they were alone on the road
when Jim, boiling, almost threw her
Recovering instantly, she knew they
were no longer alone. She rose aler
in her seat Her straining eyes could
see nothing. Was there a sound il
the wind? She held her breath to lis
ten, but before she could apprehent
Jim leaped violently ahead. Dicksi.
screamed in an agony of terror. Sh,
knew then that she had passed anoth
err rider, and so close she might hav,
touched him.
Fear froze her to the saddle; it len
wings to her horse. The speed be
came wild. Dicksie knit herself to he
dumb companion and a prayer choke,
| in her throat. She crouched lest
bullet tear her from her horse; blu
through the darkness no bullet came
only the sleet, singing her face
stiffening her gloves. freezing her hair
chilling her limbs, and weighing he
like lead on her struggling horse. Sh
knew not even Sinclair could overtak
her now-that no living man could la