The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-11-21
A Companionable
Girl
By EDGAR l. THOMPSON

just opened store in a settlement on
the Pecos river.
had about fifty miles to go, Travelled
on horseback and, of course. carried q
~ caliber revolver at my hip. l took a
snack with me. but ate it up before IL
O'clock. About 2 in the afternoon
passed house where there were lot
Of horses tied to posts before the door
Thinking might get dinner, rode
up to the door and called out:
"Hello. therev'
l heard a commotion inside. and
He looked as if he were ready to kill
| some one if necessary. and l noticed
he held his right hand behind him. SO
that he could have easily drawn on me.
He asked what l wanted. and when |
told him he said there were little salt
pork and corn pone in the house that l
could have if could worry them down.
I dismounted, went in and found an
other man and girl apparently about
twenty years old. They gave me the
eatables, and when had finished my
meal one of the men asked me where
was going. told him, and after con-
ference with the others he came to me
| and said
'Neighbor, would you mind helpin' a
gal through on the way you're goin'?"
I'D be very glad to do So" replied.
"Well, Moll, you'd better go with
him, and you'd better take two Of the
horses with you. We won't need 'em.
You wouldn't mind leadin' 'em. would
you?"
"Not Bit said Moll.
We'd been on the road together about
an hour when we heard distant clat-
ter of horses hoofs behind us. Moll
looked at me. frightened. l asked her
what scared her. and she said she was
afraid road agents were coming. At
the same time she turned her horses
head into a thicket beside the road.
followed her, and after riding a few
| hundred yards from the road she stop
ped. We listened and failed to hear
the footballs. Moll looked awfully
scared and said she believed whoever
she had heard behind us had seen us
turn into the wood and were following
| us and that the reason they made no
sound was because they were riding on
the turf.
! thought of the thousand dollars
carried. and, thinking a girl might be
better able to keep it from men. told
her l had money with me and asked
her if she could conceal it on her per-
son for me till the danger had passed
She was too frightened to reply at
once. but when l got her attention she
took the bills and crammed them into
her bosom. l was much pleased. for
l felt that they were safer there from
men than on me.
It was soon evident that some per-
son. or rather persons. were after us.
for we heard them near us in the wood,
but we were in depression. with the
bushes thick between us and them, and.
although we got glimpses of them.
they didn't find us. Our great fear
was that one of the horses would be-
tray US by whinny. but fortunately
we escaped that. and in time our pur
suers gave up hunting for us in that
vicinity. We heard a man call to an
other. We've come too far; they turn
ed in farther back" Then we heard
them go in the direction from which
we had come.
The girl. taking the lead, started up
and made for the road farther on. l
following. But when she reached IT.
she kept on the turf. I was astonish-
ed at the energy and foresight she
displayed She chung to the led horses.
though occasionally when fearful Of
being overhauled she showed signs OF
turning them adrift. Finally. hearing
approaching hoof beats on the road in
the direction we were going. she let
the horses go, striking them with her
whip, and they made off into the wood.
This done she modulated her gait.
and we rode on at slow canter. We
met a man driving team. and l ex-
pected Moll would warn him of the
road agents ahead Of him. but she
didn't, and we went on till he had
| passed out OF nearing, Wien Sic Oo-
gan to lash her horse like fury. 1
| spurred nv own mount to do his best.
! but it was soon evident that he could
not keep up with hers. and the first
| thing I knew he stumbled and fell.
throwing me over his head on the turf
beside the road.
heard the road agents coming. but
I could now do nothing to escape them.
Indeed. it wasn't necessary since Mol
had gone on with the money, at which
I was much pleased, as | considered
it saved When our pursuers-three
men-came up to me l recognized
one of the customers of the bank
where was employed. and he recog
nized me. He told me that they were
after horse thieves. and when | told
him my experience he pronounced my
friend Moll one Of them. The look on
nv face startled the party. and when
thew asked for an explanation | told
them that Moll had the banks thou
sand dollars.
Ono IF tho mon went after the led