The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-31

kner For second The horse $1,000 llgiu
mitheArs laid back and forelegs thrust for
ward Perhaps Vote was borne 70 llim on
the howling wind surely thai, for he did inot
pitch buI strengthening bis aeek plunged
into the storm ii gallop He was running
away, but he was running away towafds Dog
hole, wirh the gale Ill his back, and iattsr
Walsh let him Co. No thought he gave g Tho
pefils that leaped 10 meet them al every slfids
His mind was on deathbed ia the town 50 tar
ahead. II framed itself in his brain like a.,
picture Black Hans lying broEen on his
bunk, his soul racked by fears and longing
for confessor Hans voice cried in his cara
insistently.
He. was never 4 rider, the good father.
Time was when he found even the burro's
easy shamble rough and uncomfortable, and
had be paused to reflect, il may be that fright
would have unnamed him; but the idea Of
falling did not occur. All that he saw was
Black Hans, tortured by conscience All
that he thought Of and strove for with jabbing
heels, was to reach his side before il was too
late. The bronco ran desperately, in panls
from the warring elements and the strange
moist thing that now happed and snapped ir
the wind, now clung clammily to bis sides
Father Walsh had forgotten TO button th'
slicker over the horn OF the saddle
That may explain why he was spared tc
reach his goal The Wind vcered and
twist in the trail brought the rain smashing
against their faces Twice the horse swerycd
and tried TO wheel unable to make head
against it but the priest brought his nose up
with a Jerk, secured mastery Of the bit and
forced him to 20 on Another mile always
upward, and their way carried the wind over
their shoulders, at which angle il was bear
able. Now they were making the Gap,
where the lightning focused as on magnet
His mount was laboring distressfully and fell
TO a trot, but with voice and hands and knees
the priest urged llinl on keeping his seat and
maintaining the stirrups by the sublime luck
OF the helnless. Far up the last ascent, close
10 the heart oil the storm, the shattering force
0 the thunder paralyzed the senses. AS tie
li=rce flashes zigzagged across their front and
the smell oil them smote his nostrils, the horse
stopped and smiled in pitiful terror. Father
Walsh called TO him and struck him with his
heel. bare oi spur The horse. ~hivered
and went forward haltingly, and then tkcy
were rolling down steep dcclivisv Of shsle,
amid a cascade of stones and sapd n, pcb-
bleS.
The horse brought up-in.a rnesql,itc hllsh
and scrambled to his feet His rider had
fallen clear, and he lay, perfectly quiet. ten ice
distant, his face in the damp earth Tie
horse waited with muzzle thrust out and
whinnied, but there was no answering move
meat and he took tentatiye step, prepared
to flee At that instant the prone form raisecl
itself with a long, moaning sigh, and the horse
halted
Slowly, very slowly, the priest got to hio
knees, to his feet, An agoli.ing pain in the
right shoulder made him dizzy, so that he
rceled, and he abandoned, with a groan, al
effort to move the right arm There was. q
queer, numb feeling up his left side, too As
he yentured step, the numbness MAS broken
so piercingly that he bent half double.
STEADY, hoy Brave horse. brave horse, -
he muttered hoarsely, gathering up the rcins
The horse did not bulge whilst he climntd
into the saddle, dragging himself up b, the
left hand on the name. Once more atop, he
set on towards Doghole, feeling his way hack
! to the trail with caution Shooting paihs
forced cry from him at times, aid be was
sick, horribly sick; but he compressed bis
lips and stared doggedy into ttc whirling
dark
I'VE may be late. Whal Il we're toe
latei" he cried again aad i.siin. vowihe,
were back onthe trail, .l:is b ook his horse
into lope.
The doctor, hushing Haas; ffenzicd prayer
for priest as he WATCHED INC tpark oi Iii,
flicker and fought 10 stay i. sang- ont, cauga
2 confused tumble OF Sclads above lie whin,
OF the retreatng storm. in nne,xn cla.le,
OF hoofs al the doeT d; The sllaeh. and h,
reached it in bogal. throwing il wide 81
that yellow flood u lish; rol.st,, OIL int
the street There Il dc hr g'.,Ecs> sal, ma,
on a horse, man 'sho sy'oYv'i. I,n spckc I,
him in the voice cf cca.taA.yr.
al is Father SYe,e' You VIII tsyc I,
help me down, please, ia, | n ;ifue::.s /,
Poor, battered i,ang iicSm si1. srrn d
crossed the Threshold ca ii.a2,Eg 81 Inn
the glazing eycs ess'c ! s'3~ an n ,ns.;e Il
stretch out his arms, i.ais i ~, i;oi.l th
bunk as the pr;ssr ssii'i, crsss-s. no soonl
Father Walsh ,;ror:c!N.a IDS sLy"s =, hi
side
/. "lt is over" lie sal, s.isgt
Il But, Father 'Ta.sr, ,:,.7Ts.. M. oa ya.l
n face and bands. Yai'.c s-i:. TX. N
"1tis &. ~. ',s.i ic.n., :A;s, sal
the priest family
He tried toresch 4 ~, ls,s ;otterd, an
o the miner nurse ~ho ba1 sta. ii by hscou