Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-04-11

! herself; he was needleSSly melodra.
matte: she felt exceedingly Ill at ease
/ as the pORf's hCof-6 heats grew fainter.
! She was startled by hearing other hoof-
! beats now; their drumming came faint
but unmiStaRable. Yes, there were two
horses racing down the arroyo. Anto,
| the fugitive. rose to his feet and stared
| into the dusk.
"Sit down." Alaire ordered. sharp
ly. He Obeyed, muttering beneath his
breath. but his head was turned as IL
in an effort to follow the sounds of the
pursuit.
Next came the distant rattle Of
loOsened stoncs-evidently one horse
was being urged toward the open high
ground-then the peaceful quiet eve
ming was split by the report of Laws
| thirty thirty. Another shot followed,
and then a third. Both Alaire and her
prisoner were on their feet the woman
shaking In every limb, the Mexican
straining his eyes into the gloom and
listening intently
Alaire had begun to feel the strain OF
the situation and was trying to decide
what next to do. when David Law
came riding out of the twilight. He
was astride the gray; behind him at
the end of lariat was Bessie Belle.
and her saddle was empty.
Mrs. Austin uttered n sharp cry.
Law dismOunted and strobe to the
prisoner. His face was black with
fury; he seemed gigantic In his rage.
Without word he raised his right
hand and cuffed the Mexican to his
knees. Then he leaped upon him, as
dog might pounce upon a rabbit,
rolled him to his face, and twisted the
fellows arm into the small of his back.
AntO cursed, he struggled, but he was
like a child In the rangers grasp. Law
knelt upon him, and with jerk Of his
RATA secured the fellows wrists: ris.
Ing, he set the knot with another heave
that dragged the prisoner to his knees,
Next he booted Anto to his feet.
"I've a notion to bend gun over
your head" Law growled. "Clever lit
tie game, wasn't itT
where? Did yOu-kilI him?" the
woman gasped.
Alaire had never beheld such
demoniac expression as Law turned
upon her. The mans face was con.
torted. his eyes were blazing insanely,
his chest was heaving, and for an in
slant he seemed to include her In his
anger. Ignoring her inquiry, he went
to his mare and ran his shaking hands
over her as II In search Of an injury;
his questioning palms covered every
inch of glistening hide from forelock
to withers, from shoulder to hoof, and
under cover of this task he regained In
some degree bis self-contro,.
THAT h0mbre of yours-didn't look
right to me-" he said, finally. Laying
his cheek against Bessie Bellies neck,
as woman snuggles close to the man
of her choice, he addressed the mare:
Il reckon nobody Is going to steal you,
eh? Not IL l know it. No, sir; that
hombre wasn't any good, was he?"
Alaire wet her lips. Then you
shot him7"
Il didn't say shot him." he told her.
gruffly. II warned him first, and he
turned on me-blew smoke in my face.
Then he took to the brush, afOot, and
l cut down on him once more to help
him along"
HE got awayT
II reckon So"
"Oh, oh" AlaIre's tona left no
doubt of her relief. "He was always a
good man"
"Good? Didn't he steal my horse7
Didn't he aim to get me at the first |
chance and free his cOmpadre2 That's |
why he wanted his Winchester. Sayl
reckon he-needs KILN about as
much as anybody know"
II can't understand it." Alaire sat
down weakly. "One Of my men, too"
"This fellow behaved himself while
was gone, ehT Law jerked his head
n Anto's direction. II was afraid he
he'd try something. If he had"
Such possibility. oddly enough,
seemed to choke the speaker, and the
'erocity of his unfinished threat caused
Mrs. Austin to look up ut him curious
y. There was moment of silence,
hen he said, shortly: swell, we've
got horse apiece now. Let's CO."
The stars had thickened and bright
sned, rounding the night sky into a
Offering dome. AntO. the murderer,
With his ankles dashed beneath his
lorse's belly, rode first; next, in a sui
en- silence, came the ranger. his chin
lpOn his breast; and In the rear fol-
owed Alaire Austin.
Under the stars, at the break Of the