Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25

the wrong time. picked up the bench
and carried II through the door Of
the cabin. Cain dropped book and
pencil, whipped out his knife. ran to
where his horse was tied. cut the
bride, jumped in the saddle and dug
his heels in the side Of the animal.
He was over the brow Of the incline
before the mountaineers were aware
that he had flown. With an oath, the
black bearded man fastened 70 his
own horse and started in pursuit
Gains horse probably knew the way
he came better than Cain himself did.
At any rate, the man had no means
Of guiding the animal and was
forced to let the brute take his own
course, as the ends Of the bride were
dangling from the bit He urged him
all he could with his heels and by
pounding him in the ribs with his
fist. Despite the poor going under
him. the horse covered the distance to
where the road crossed Pew Creek In
fast time. Once Strengthened out on
the main road, Cain urged his horse
all the harder, and only after they
had covered a quarter of a mile did
Cain venture to look around to see II
there was pursuer.
One glance was enough Cain re-
with redoubled vigor.
Night was coming on and soon it
was so dark that Cain could hardly
see his hand before him. But the
horse kept plunging ahead, urged by
the frightened rider, Cain feared to
stop and listen. He feared to turn
his horse aside and let his pursuer
pass him by lest the heavy breathing
Of his faded horse should be heard.
Surely Tam O'Shanter, in his flight
from the ghosts of Alloway, had a no
more fearsome ride than did For
rest Cain down the mountain road
that night.
A Wild Ride.
At last when his horse seemed
about to drop from exhaustion, Cain
allowed him to come to a walk. He
slipped from the saddle and. secur-
ing the strips of leather that dan
gled from the bit he tied a knot in
them and then stopped to listen. AT
first he could hear no sound, but soon,
in the stiffness OF the night, he heard
the four distinct hoofbeats of a walk
ing horse The black bearded man
was in close pursuit, but he, too, was
giving his horse breathing spell.
Cain vaulted in the saddle and forced
his horse to tho linlt,
II seemed to Cain as If the race
would never end. but at last he heard
the screech of a locomotive and he
knew he was quite near the railroad.
But a moment later he heard the clat-
ter Of hoofs behind him. He drew
his knife from his pocket, opened It
and cruelty jabbed the ribs and quiv-
ering TANKS of his horse. The ami
NAL, ready TO drop from fatigue
sprang forward under the pain. Cain
saw the flashing headlight of the To-
connective. The train was approaching
the crossing. Horses and horsemen
were nearing the track Cain made
one supreme effort TO get his mount
over the crossing before the train
could get there. He was too late.
Despite the roar Of the passing train,
he heard the pounding Of horses hoofs
close behind him
Dashing up to the crossing Cain
leaped from the saddle and ran to the
slow moving train. Three cars paint
ed white came along together. Cain
reached up and clutChed a grab han
die and was jerked from the ground
At the same instant came the crash
Of a six-shooter. Gains grip loosened
and he fell. An unearthly shrek rose
high above the roar of the train and
ended suddenly, as though not half
spent. The train passed on and then
all was quiet.
Farnsworth, the Atlanta newspaper
man, saw all this and heard the pierre
ing scream that came from under the
rumbling cars. He heard, too, the
loud breathing Of horses and was
aware that a man was standing near
him; the man who had fired the shot,
doubtless. The train seemed an age
in passing but finally the tail lights