The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-10-04

laugh ana moved with nead down
straight toward the approaching horse
and as the animal came opposite sprang
and caught the Bride
"Al Brock For long moment the
sheriff's wife sat motionless. paralyzed
with astonishment ant. fear Then she
snatched the whip and struck the horse
across the flank. 1t leaped forward.
with snort. but with one hand grip
ping it's nostrils Al threw it back upon
its launches.
"Get OUT
She looked at his face and then step
ped out upon the ice without a word.
He leaped into the sleigh and, whirl-
| ing the horse about, started at gal
| lop toward the american side You'd
| better trot along home and patch up
Bob's head 1t needs it," he called
oser his shoulder. Then as escape be-
came almost certain he laughed his old
devil may care laugh and began TO
| soothe the fine blaci. roadster that un-
| der happier circumstances had once
| been his. Fifty rods more and he would
be OH American soil and within half
hours drive of Ned Fletcher's. Then
Bob Peterson and the extraditiOn
treaty he hanged!
Pop. pop, pop, pop! Al gave one look
| upstream at the long white ridge that
was moving swiftly down upon him.
then seized the whip and lashed the
horse into furious run. The freshet
from the melting snow in the hills was
sweeping down the river. heaving up
the rotten ice in Jagged ridge as it
| came.
Help! Helpv'
The fleeing outlaw looked back at the
woman and then as the commotion
drew nearer stood up in the sleigh and
drove the horse to the utmost limit OF
its speed
"Al! Oh, Ar came over the ice in
piteous appeal.
Al started, and the hard lines about
his mouth softened as they had no.
softened for years. She had called him
just like that when they were children
playing together and the boat in which
she had hidden had gone adrift above
the falls
"Al! AIR
He looked hmgrily at his promised
land" not ten rods away now, then
swung the horse about and galloped
back toward the woman. The ridge OF
heaving. splitting ice drew nearer
passed under him and left the horse
houndering in the swift current among
crunching ice cakes. He leaped FROM
the sleigh and dashed on, leaving the
brute to its fate. Out there where the
ice was pounding, grinding, writhing
she was crouching upon rocking cake
and he sped straight on over the heav
ing mass toward her with nimbleiess
and sureness that had saved him scor,
of times from pursuing revenue officers
"Quick, Alr And as he snatched he,
from her perilous position she chung tt
him as though he were Al Brock of Give
years before instead Of the most dan
gcrous outlaw in the province
The ice was now thoroughly broker
up. 1t was as though the river were
full of wallowing white monsters Eight
ing each other to the death. Even will
nothing to impede his fight his chance.
Of reaching land would he remote. II,
knew that. He had seen three differen
men of his gang try to make the Amer
lean side at such time. and all thre,
bad gone over the falls
rs he leaped upon it q cake sank un
der him till the water reached Iii
knees. and she gripped him convulsive
". He looked at her as he had no
looked at any human being for year
and bounded on to the next cake.
turned over under his foot. and b.
sank to his armpits in water. scran
bling ont only Il moment before the ic
closed together With a grinding crunch
The jagged ice cut through his rOttel
boots. and be loft blood Mt every steT
lie slipped to his knees again an,
again. clinging by his battered elbow
over the edge Of some tilted block
|. strainins TO keep his charge out OF i'm
mediate danger. 1t last he stumble
. and fell with crash across a blu
, black slab whose alhering gravel c,l
like the teeth of a saw.
LET me help myself, AL You're kill
ing Yourself" And. scrambling to lie
feet. she started away. but soon slippe
and fell with duh thud. lying still b
a strip of swirling water into which sh
had nearly plunged.
al snatched her up and lcaped acres
the widening channel. looking at th
falls and then at the shore. still
quarter of mile away. Could h
make it? Reason and his battered bod
: said no. but the white, still face at hi
shoulder with the ugly cut across tn
forehead cried out above reason. all
he rceled on.
He was upon hands and knees nov
dragging her painfully from cake
fitting cake The one across which b
was squirning collided with anothe
pinnins fast the handcuff dangling 9
his wrist, He wrenched at the iron I'll
til it cut into his flesh. but could NJ
free himself. He started to his knee
,. and circled round and round i'll sudde
panic, still clineing to the unconseior
: woman. Then the mass on which the
fioated struck something with fore
that threw him over his fetter an
nearly wrcnched the pinioned arm fro
its socket. 4 glance about him r
: vealed the truth They were strande
unon a submerged ledge. and the Il
was rapidly piling up about them.
A cake of ice as large as half ba
rel crashed down within yard Of h
companions head, and he tugsed at b
I manacle until his wrist bIed in anotl
: er desperate attempt to free himscl