Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-06-20

fanks of her mount and urged him
Ss&rS onward.
VW The moon that had seemed so
friendly but short while before,
the stars that had seemed friendly candles
placed in their Celestial sockets to light her
way had now become dread enemies, lighting up
the course she was taking. Only the thick, trop-
ical vegetation helped her at all, the giant Cacti
the huge palms with their low hung fronds, the
shadows of the bushes and hedges casting mystic
shapes here, there, and everywhere and bewlld-
ering those who followed
Times above the ringing of her horses hoofs
she would hear the shouts of those behind her
Now and then message of lead would whine its
dreadful tale into her ears, but all these were
growing fainter less distinct with every leap OF
the animal she bestrode Remained now but the
last line of pickets she knew Loubeque had
posted about the ranch If only she could get
past that line then it would be desperate un-
dertaking for the who met her on neutral
ground
It had been bitter struggle to bde her
time. Often she had felt the temptation to run
away from this place, even though she knew her
chances for final success were nil, but always had
she conquered and waited for the ripening of OPP
portunity.
And Just when everything appeared hopeless,
when the long road was darkest, love had planted
it's seed within the heart of Loubeques follower
and urged him. to the sacrifice of honor and life
to her escape Surely she could not fail after
the manner of her coming this far.
Came the tolling of bell from the ranch
house. There the unmistakable message of
her escape in it's brazen tongue She looked back,
frightened Rockets of vari-colored flames were
criss-crossing the blue vault of night, myriad
of man-made shooting stars retailing her flight
to every one of the band.
Desperate though she knew they were, from
these signs. a feeling of despair instead of con-
fdence grew steadily in her heart Despite the
speed of her mount, the limits of Loubeques
great ranch had not yet been reached. And after
the ranch-if there was to be any 'after'-what
then?
As tbOuUh in n he uue
tion, simultaneously with the looming of the
bayonet fence before her, two men leaped from
the shadows, springing at the horses bit. The
beast swerved violently, almost unseating her
and tossing the man his left into a cactus,
where he rolled bowling in painful rage, the
needles pierced him. The second man had firm
hold upon the horses head. Lucille he had
caught the brute by the nostrils with his free
hand and smothering him into docty. In
stinctively she leaned far and snatched the
revolver he wore from its holster, iamming it
viciously up under his chin. The fellows head
shot back jerkily, his eyes garing CLASSIFY into
hers then he staggered back, clutching futilely
for the weapon she had seized.
With a hard, trickling, little laugh, she
dubbed the weapon and drew the sight roughly
across her horses neck, scratching him fierce
ly he fairly leaped over the distance that separ
ated her from the broad gate beside which the
two sentnels had stood. AS he darted madly
through, the whine of bit of lead passed
close she could feel the breath of it upon her
cheek
Something primitive within her was roused
a Wild fierce joy of combat which she had never
felt before. Leaning far forward upon the
brute's neck, she turned and fired squarely at
the squirt of flame that was leaping towards her
out of the night. She the man leap into the
flame, his arms outstretched as a broad jumper
throws himself at the tape, then dug her heels
once more into the dumb brute's fanks and sped
on through the night.
Hours, it seemed, she rode, with never the
slightest sackening of the mad pace to which
she originally set her mount. He lathered
with foam but she had pity on him. Her
brain was fiercely chaotic, wild with the bloody
memories of the night, intoxicated with the mad
ness which had made primitive thing out of
her femininity, obsessed by the delight of feel
ing herself able to be self-protecting among the
most desperate of men.
Before, unconsciously, she had feared the
potentalties of Hugo Loubeques strength. The
mental power of her beauty and innocence Now,
she knew these things to be but a cloak with
which she had masked woman, unrecognizable
to herself. She feared him more, feared
his threats no more. An old saying she had
heard grzzled veteran of her fathers command
once utter came back to her she looked at
the heavy weapon she still clung to Judge
Colt made all men equal" She laughed triumph
antly at the knowledge gained first hand of the
truth of this saying
From on she had every advantage She
was free and she knew where the stolen papers
and documents were secreted in the mysterious
house of inexplicable disappearing rooms and
her possession, and she had the ruby necklace
which equivalent to vast wealth. She had
the outward seeming of guileessness, was girl
ish and delightfully."- effeminate, but she knew
the power of the claws she had, and her ewes
rested fondly on the revolver even as she urged
her horse to greater speed.
Across the tractlessSplain she rode with only
the moon and stars looking down upon her. a
wild, eerie figure of bareheaded girl. Behind
the pursuit had died away ands before there was
nothing slender ribbon of water that the
moon buried its face in contentedly.
She heard voices, low pitched vet CARRYING
far in the silence of the night Instantly she
drew rein and flung herself to the ground listen
ing iutently. Creeping cautiously to a slight rise,
she looked down upon adobe shack before
which little squad of barefooted Mexicans
loafed ioly their brown hands lazy supporting
old-fashioned Springfield rifles, such as She re-
called the soldiers Of Uncle Sam to have carried
in the old days.
From where she watched she suddenly no.
ticed stir among the men, From the interior
of the shack stepped gaudily dressed little
Mexican, evidently officer from the awkward
salutes accorded him by the tatterdemalions
gathered before the house. For some reason she
could not analyze, Lucille listened eagerly ,s-
breath coming in quick, eager gasps as she over
heard their daring plot to cross the river and
stampede the corral of an American ranchman
q little cry of delight came from her lips as she