New Ulm review., 1912-10-16

CuAeI, maQo the QTOST06S VI tu0 Gull
stabulary doubly dinicult. Before they
could get the tangle cleared. both boys
were out of the car. and were dash.
ing UP little runway which slopes
downward to the Little Rock station.
They were two good city blocks away
and not losing any ground when the
frantic sheriff and his men tumbled
from the car, and few minutes later
they vanished into jungly network
of vines and shrubbery beside the
river.
The sheriff sighted the disappear
ing figures and trained q long blue re-
volver on the fast-receding Brockett.
He might not have hit his target at
that distance and he might only have
fired In the air to frighten the quarry
into surrender. However this might
be, he never delivered the bullet. A
small, stocky boy, intensely Irish OF
general feature, stumbled against the
gallant sheriff at this juncture, and
for the second time in two minutes
the valorous official sought the sod.
Rising, he aimed a well-meant kick at
the youngster, who was perhaps ten
feet away as the boot whlzzed and
then, realizing that the mishap was
p,rely accidental, paid no further at
tention to the newest disturber.
"Git after 'em!" he beloved. "Hur-
ry along there! What are ye all, any,
how? Hookworm cases? Git move
on" And the deputies plunged pant
ingly in the mad pursuit OF two active
young men who had a start of at least
a thousand feet and every incentive
to exert themselves to the utmost.
Brockett and Solano, their journey
once more interrupted, lost no time
in lamentations or vain objections.
The circumstances were hardly suit
able. They struck out through the
Arkansas hills, making remarkably
good time, and doing all their COM
planning inwardly. Baron Zollern and
the epithets most appropriate to that
noble German could wait, but the sher-
iff of Little Rock was hardly likely
to do much waiting. After hustling
along through the underbrush for per-
haps twenty minutes, the sounds OF
pursuit died away to a far-o6 muir
mur, and the fugitives took breathing
space, though still pushing doggedly
ahead.
Clear of Little Rocks outskirts, the
boys made sharp detours around sew
eral farm houses, and even lodged
sundry negro cabins. Coming up to
q white, rather attractive house q III
Ile rarrner on, they were about to
skulk by under cover Of hedge, when
'Solano suddenly halted.
I'VE need something-at least,
think we'll need it awfully soon," ex
claimed the Cuban, "and think w
can get it at this house. Come right
along-no time to lose, but this II
something we've really got to have.
A pleasant-faced old lady answered
Solano's knock. and the Cuban, witt
the utmost politeness, apologized fol
the intrusion. I'VE would not have
disturbed you," he continued, "but fol
the fact that we are quite ways from
a store, and we really must have
some pepper. Could you favor US witt
q little pepper-red, If possible? We
are camping out on the river-bank
and pepper is one of the things yol
simply can't do without when you arr
cooking in the woods"
The old lady, beaming upon tn:
good-looking, gentlemanly youngsters
fastened to present them with lib
eral quantity of fiery cayenne, and
then urged them to sit down and rest
awhile. With polite excuses Solanc
explained the necessity of quick re
turn to the imaginary camp, and they
trotted off, Solano exultant, Brockett
deeply mystified.
"What on earth is the pepper for
Ramon?" he demanded.
"Dogs," replied Solano. IF know
anything about these people they'll
have hounds on our track at any mo
ment. Long ago, when Cuban slaves
hid in the canebrake, they used to
stop the hounds with little pepper
used at the right time and place, and
the stories I had heard came back to
me-" ~
And even as the Cuban spoke the
howl of hound came down the wind
then another. and then the chorus
of a pack!
The events Of the next few hours
seemed like some sort OF q weird
wildly mingled dream. Brockett and
Solano found stretch Of rocky ground
near the river bank, and ran briskly
on this for several minutes. Then
descending to the waters edge. they
skirted the river a little ways, while
the noise of the pack grew momen
tarily nearer and stronger. They
came to little creek, running at right
angles to the river, and crossed It.
wading knee-deep in the brown water
Then they struck of into the woods