The Press., 1917-08-23

first attempt to juggle with the reinS After all, why should not let her have her way now that no special cause for speed bursts lay ahead? She was a willful child of the plains. Let her sweep them to suit her fancy. She would lose no time and perhaps, better than I, could judge of her own endur- ance So we left the dubious miles be hind us in pursuit of the miles ahead that she rapidly found and conquered one by one. Sometimes the pace was a moderate canter sometimes swift as the wind, but watched the Hanks be meath me in vain for labored breath She seemed to temper her speed to the limit of what she could endure without drawing upon that wonderful reserve force that made her at once the pride and the terror of the plains. .a
 So thirty odd miles lay behind us presently, and the game little beast had drawn up only once for a drink as she forded a stream. Still, more than one sign now told me that she had made her run at an awful expense to herself. Once she began to show fa- hgue 1t seemed as if her dissolution
 
 been. The willful tlirt of her head she had left miles behind, and she stum- bled a little sometimes as she still gal lOped faithfully on. Each breath was a heave and a gasp now, and the white foam that fell from her mouth was Oc- casionalIy cOlored with red. Should dismount and feed her or try to crowd her through? Back among the noun tain canyons I could see kindly, rug ged face, now stern and resolute, at bay. Before me, only a few miles ahead lay Halseyville and rescue. AL ready I could almost see the stately mayor and a few chosen friends rush. ing away on their errand of mercy and Justice. Nor could l quite forget the sweet faced girl, in whose eye a tear had stood so close behind the laugh she had given Jack at parting. And 1t all tempted me forward. Still, it would be a foolish thing to ruin all so near my Journeys end by letting my now suf- fering horse go off from her feet for want of few minutes rest.
 Corenca stood quiet enough now, with head down and heaving sides, but with the fire still unQuenched in her flashing eyes. Reluctantly dismOunt- ed and lOOsened the saddle girth lit tie. Then a sight met my eyes that stayed my hand at the fasteni4gs while I looked again, to bring me a moment later back into my seat. For the first time that day I urged COrenca beyond the limit of her chosen speed, and right nobly did she struggle to respond. But the heaving sides told their own story of a conquered body still reeling for ward under the impetus of an unyteld- ing will. Poor, faithful servant! It was, then, to be a race to the death of my horse or my friend-and in that choice Of course the dumb brute had to lose. =s.
 Now that the decision had been fore ed upon me spared the use of neither whip nor spur upon COrenca-COrenca, to whom no one had ever before dared to teach the use of either. No more thought of trying to save her-just to get the last ounce out of her before she fell. Far ahead, just leaving Halsey- vile, I could see queer little red spot rushing toward us, which realized to be the mayors automobile bearing him rapidly away to a neighbOring town. For a few miles his route lay straight toward me, but presently the road. forked, and the red spot would bear. out of reach the one man whose pres ence would awe Jacks pursuers into submission at word. If could reach those forks fine time 1t would save me a smart little ride to the town. If I failed I feared me much that all my efforts were doomed to failure-that the game was up. We'll, 1t would never be O. renca's fault. As I noted her trembling and unsteady gait I could not but hope that when she did go down she would be out of her misery soon. Again and again I urged her on, heartsick as felt the futile struggle she was making under me- It was a losing race. Still, 4 she lost it by so narrow a margin that she won for me.
 Already the steel steed was about to swing around the curve and leave me such a few rods behind when Go, renca, as though still Obedient to her unconquered will, plunged wildly into
 te air and sank dying to the earth
 Ter race was over, but she had been grit to the very end. .-#
 A pair of sharp eyes, not the mayors saw the accident and gave in quick report. So it happened that instead of leaving me helpless they presently drew up by my side and looked down on me crouehing by the dumb brute's head.
 kho xTyh Rne prehended the story tried to tell them of Jack, and 1t wasn't his voice that or dered me into the vacant seat nor his hands that suddenly took control -ot tie machine and gave 1t motion. cast one bitter look back at my dying horse stretched there along upon her side, but hadn't the time to end her misery with a pistol shot, as l was minded to do. Now at last was Halsey- vile behind me and ahead the noun tains-and Jack. l stole a glance at the slight girlish figure whose guiding hands now seemed like steel, but over whose face had come something that was neither a smile nor tear. How the wind came up and rushed in our faces as the auto gathered speed! It wasn't flight, but melting away of objects. Things were and then were not. The belt over which We had gal | lOped, COrenca and l. now changed to | a smooth zone of marble, fanked on l each Side by a ribbon of greenish gray. We didn't seem to advance, just | swayed and tilted, while the green gray ribbons on either side of us rolled into l a tangle of mist just ahead, into which | we were constantly trying to plunge. | b 4TIllEz,al!G, 3, ES9NIkh Il
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