Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-03-22
CHAPTER vIII.-continued.

The other rangers sawed the reins
of plunging steeds and whirled to
escape the unseen battery. Gale
slipped a fresh clip into the maya
zine of his rifle He restrained him,
self from useless firing and gave eager
eye to the duel below. Ladd began to
shoot while Sol was running. The
.4O5 rang out sharply-then again.
The heavy bullets streaked the dust
all the way across the valley. The
raiders spurred madly in pursuit,
loading and firing. They shot ten
times while Ladd shot once, and all
in vain; and on Ladd's sixth shot a
raider toppled backward, threw his
carbine and fell witt his foot catching
IN a stirrup. The frightened horse
plunged away, dragging him in path
of dust.
Laid had emptied magazine, and
now Blanco Sol quickened and length
ened his running stride. He ran away
from his pursuers. Then it was that
the rangers ruse was OWNED by the
raiders They hauled sharply up and
seemed to be comforting. But that
was a fatal mistake Blanco Sol was
seen to break his gait and slow down
in several jumps, then square away
and stand stockstill Ladd fired at the
closely grouped raiders. An instant
passed. Then Gale heard the spat of
a bullet out in front, saw a puff Of
dust, then heard the lead strike the
rocks and go whining away And it was
after this that one of the raiders fell
prone from his saddle. The steel
Jacketed 4O5 Lad gone through him
on it's uninterrupted way to hum past
Gales position.
The remaining two raiders fran
tically spurred their horses and fled up
the valley. Laid sent Sol after them
The raiders split, one making for the
eastern outlet, the other circling back
of the mosquitoes. Ladd kept on after
the latter. Then puffs Of white smoke
and rifle shots family cracking told Of
Jim Lash's Land in the game How
ever, he succeeded only in driving the
railer back into the valley. But Laid
had turned the other horseman ard
now it appeared the two raiders were
between Lash above on the stony
slope and Laid below OH the level
There was desperate riding on part
of the raiders to keep from being
hemmed in closer. Only one of them
got away. and he came riding for life
down under the eastern wall. Blanco
Sol settled into his graceful, beautiful
swing. He gained steadily though he
was far from extending himself.
Some few hundred rods to the left
of Gale the raider put his horse to the
weathered slope. He began to climb.
Zigzag they went up and up, and when
Ladd reached the edge of the slope
they were high along the cracked and
guttered rampant Once-twice Ladd
raised the long rifle, but each time he
lowered It. Gale OWNED that, the
rangers restraint was not on account
Of the Mexican, but for that valiant
and faithful horse. Up and up he
went. and the yellow dust clouds rose.
and an avalanche rolled rafting and
cracking down the slope. 1t was be-
vond belief that horse, burdened or
unburdened, could find footing and
hold it upon that wall of narrow
lodges and inverted, slarting gullies.
But he climbed on, surefooted as
mountain goat, and, surrounding the
last rough steps, he stood a moment
siIhouetted gainst the white sky.
Then he disappeared. Ladd sat
astride Blanco Sol gazing upward.
How the cowboy must have honored
that raiders brave steed!
Gale who mad been too dumb to
shout the admiration he felt, suddenly