Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-01-09

short gallop.
An hour passed. He was already
well into the mountains. He came to
a succession of steep climbs and de-
scents that held the mare down to a
walk. Presently he thought he heard
hoofbeats behind him. He listened.
He had not been mistaken. An un-
shod horse was coming up with him at
a steady jog trot.
1t seemed impossible that Wander
vyn's pinto could have so recuperated
from that whirlwind heading of the
rush as to be able to take this steep
trail at a trot. Hardy gazed back, ex-
pectng to see one of the cowboys. As
he went down over a ridge crest, the
rider came up the ridge back across
the intervening gulch. The man
snatched off his broad-brimmed hat to
wave salute. The sun glinted with a
golden sheen On the unmistakable
blond head of Vandervyn.
at. the first small break in the de-
scent Hardy dismounted, unsaddled,
and sponged out the mares mouth and
nostrils with water from his canteen.
He then shook out and refolded his
Navajo saddle blanket, and started to
resaddle. But before he buckled the
cinch-strap he shifted the pistol from
his breast to a font pocket in his rid
ing breeches.
He was vigorously grooming the
mare when Vandervyn came jogging
down through the thickets of tall brush
that grew close on each side of the
trail. He did not pause in his rub
bing until the nimble-footed unshod
pony ambled into view, less than a
dozen yards up the trail. Then he
glanced about, Strengthened, and stood
staring. The pony was Pinto.
Vandervyn. smiling with insolent ex-
ultance. rode down to him, his right
hand jauntily poised on his hip, over
the hilt of his revolver. His eyes
challenged his rival with as audacious,
provoking stare. But Hardy looked
only at the pinto. There was no sign
of sweat lather on his rough coat, no
WEAKNESS in his gait. He was fresh
Lots of comeback to bronco,
captain" purred vandervyn. "Sorry
to see that you've stove up your mare.
She's too highbred for a rocky road
like this. But you might take off her
shoes and travel light, the way I've
DONE"
The pony was now ambling down
the slope past the mare. Hardy looked
at the unshod hoofs. They were COW
cred with a coating of clay mire from
the bottom of the last gulch, and the
beasts shutting pace did not expose
the under surface of the hoofs. Wheth-
er the pony had or had not been re-
Gently unshod could not be seen.
"Great horse, my little old pinto,
eh?" Knocked VandervyI. "By-by! I'll
tell Marie you'll be along later"
Hardy perceived in a flash why he
had seen neither the girl nor her ia
Their at the agency. Swiftly he wheeled
about to mount. Startled by the quick
action, Vandervyn spurred his pony,
and went down the steep descent at a
gait far from easy on even a noun
tain-bred horses knees. Hardy fol-
lowed at q walk. The opposite rise
was gradual. He let the mare take it
at a slow trot. At the top was a fair
ly level stretch of trail. Vandervyn
was far ahead. Hardy put the mare
into a fast gallop. A few minutes
brought her up so close behind the Iop-
ing pinto that s.yandervyn spurred his
beast to sprinting speed. Hardy fol-
lowed at an easier yet swift pace that
again brought him near. as the pinto
slackened to lope.
A steep ridge made a break in the
game. The pinto crossed it at jog
trot. The mare had to walk. Beyond
was a long stretch of broken country
that favored the pinto. He could jog
over ground that held the mare to a
walk, and canter where she could no
more than trot. On such a trail he
was fully equal to travelling at these
PAGES for twelve hours at a stretch, all
the time in the lead of the mare OF
this Hardy was as well aware as was
Vandervyn.
Though he steadily lost ground, he
kept on in pursuit, coolly studying the
landmarks ahead and lifting" his
mare along over the heartbreaking
trail. To have given way to the
impatience that betrayed itself in his
flashing eyes would inevitably have
lost him the race by overstraining the
mare. He held himself grimly in hand.
and eased the going for his eager
mount with consummate horseman-
ship.
When they reached better ground.
yandervyn was again far ahead. But
Hardy had his reward for his restraint
in the resilient stride of the mare as
she swung into full gallop- Up and
down the long, easy slopes, around a
curving mountainSide, and along the
level bench of a stream bank, she held
to the cross-country racing pace that
rapidly rolled up mile after mile OF
the trail.
In less than half an hour she
brought her rider around a sharp
bend only few hundred yards behind
the pinto. Vandervyn, over-confident.
was jogging along the level when the
sound of the approaching hoofbeats
threw him into a half-panic. There
was still long stretch of easy trail
ahead. He put his pony into gallop.
The long-legged thoroughbred, still
running as smoothly as clockwork,
continued to gain. yandervyn began
10 swing his spurs.
The pinto started to pull ahead.
Hardy held the mare &c the same
speed as before. 1t was a speed that
he knew she could maintain for miles.
He could see that the pinto was being
forced 10 killing pace-a pace that
must strain if not break hin before
they came to the next rough ground.
On up the valley rushed the pursued.
now barely holding his own The cruel
squirting and whip-slashing could not
sting the failing beast 10 greater ex-