Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-08-30


from something; what mat was she
did not know But she remembered
Florence, and she wanted to look back.
yet hated to do so for fear of the
nameless danger Florence had mem
toned.
Madeline listened for the pounding
Of pursuing hoofs in her rear. Invol-
UNFAIRLY she glanced back. On the
mile or more Of gray level between
her and the ridge there was not a
horse, man, or anything living. She
wheeled to look back on the othA
side, down the valley slope.
The sight of Florence riding Majesty
in zigzag flight before whole troop Of
vaqueros blanched Madelines cheek
and made her grip the pommel of her
saddle In terror. That strange gait
of her roam was not his wonderful
stride. Could Majesty be running
wild? 1t flashed over Madeline that
Florence was putting the horse to
some such awkward flight as might
have been expected of an eastern girl
frightened out of her wits. Madeline
made sure of this when, after looking
again, she saw that Florence, In spite
of the horses breaking gait and the
irregular course, was drawing slowly
and surely down the valley.
Madeline had not lost her head
to the extent of forgetting her own
mount and the nature Of the ground in
front. When, presently, she turned
again to watch Florence, uncertainty
ceased in her mind. The strange fea-
lures of that race between girl and
vaqueros were no longer in evidence.
Majesty was In his beautiful, wonder
full stride, low down along the ground,
stretching, with his nose level ind
straight for the valley Between him
and the lean horses in pursuit lay an
ever-increasing space. He was ydnning
away from the vaqueros. Florence was
indeed riding the wind" ar Stewart
had aptly expressed his idea Of flight
upon the fleet roam.
A dimness came over Madeline's
eyes, and it was not all owing to the
sting of the wind. She rubbed 1t away.
seeing Florence as flying dot in
strange blur. What daring, intrepid
girl This kind of strengthened aye,
splendid thought for weaker siste<-
was what the West inculcated u 4
woman.
The next time Madeline looked back
Florence was far ahead of her pur-
suers and going out of sight behind a
low knoll. Assured of Florence's safe
ty, Madeline put her mind to her own
ride and the possibilities awaiting at
the ranch. She remembered the fail
ure to get any of her servants or cow
boys on the telephone. To be sure,
windstorm had once broken the wire.
But she had little real hope of such
being the case in this instance. She
rode on, pulling the black as she
neared the ranch.
1t was perhaps fortunate for her,
she thought, that the climb up the
slope cut the blacks speed SO she could
manage him. He was not very hard
to stop. The moment she dismounted,
however, he jumped and trotted off.
At the edge Of the slope, facing the
cOrrals, he halted to lift his head and
shoot up his ears. Then he let out a
piercing whistle and dashed down the
lane.
Madeline, prepared by that warning
whistle, tried to fortify herself for a
new and unexpected situation; but as
she espied an unfamiliar company of
horsemen rapidly riding down hollow
leading from the foothills she felt the
return Of fears gripping at her like
cold hands, and she fled precipitously
into the house.