Year: 1866

see us w be suddenly exclaimed "Wha


a magnificent sight See, King see :
they are in line, and ready, like trained
t cavalry horses, to charge upon us Nc
+. more fighting among themselves now =
They have an enemy in front Are yor


ready? They are about to plunge upon
US Take that great sorrel one on the
left. will kill this white one. What
splendid animal There is not another
one in Texas would not take a thou
sand dollars for him. Fire y


Simultaneously the explosion of the


caps, followed by the report of the rifles,
broke upon the stiffness of the scene.
The next moment, the magnificent
f creature, so enthusiastically spoken of by
, Ruxton, sprang from the ground with a
wild, quick cry, and then fell forward
! dead, before his astonished followers
The ball had struck the eye of the beast
and penetrated the bratn.


King was equally Fortunate The sor-
rel was hit fairly in the breast and fell,


almost without struggle


"Now p and Ruxton wheeled his horse


toward the train, "now for the arroyo


Reload as you rlde," he added, as his bay,


with great strides, swept over the grass
? at the rate of almost mile in minute.


Meantime he was not idle In few mo-


ments his weapon was loaded and cap
ped.


King followed his example, but more


clumsily. He had not been accustomed,
although an expert marksman, to replen-
ish his rife with powder and ball while
2 riding steed that was urged by its very
fear to outdo the tremendous pacing of


the blooded bay. However, he succeed


ed in accomplishing his object, and then


he laid it trausversely before him on his


saddle, ready for any emergency.
For several moments the guide and


his companion rode on in silence. At
length Ruxton cried:


"Ah do you hear them They are
following US. They have got new lead
ers. Do you see yonder cliff, King =


Make for it. The descent on the other
side is easy. If we reach it in time, we


may have an opportunity of seeing what


progress the train has made toward the


gulch. The wagons should be on the


other side of it, and the animals, women,


and children corraled by this time"
; Two or three minutes hard riding


brought them to the brow of the hill the


guide had indicated. There they slack


ened their pace, and while King looked


toward the great moving mass-the i'm


mense army of stations that were still


following them, shrieking, snorting gnash-


ing their teeth, and driving them into


each others torn fanks, the guide turned


his eyes anxiously eastward.


'Great Heaven p he suddenly exclam-


ed, "are those people mad Look, King


the train has stopped What does it


mean? 1t is impossible to get across the


arroyo in time to save it from attack. |


fear those poor defenceless creatures in it


will never see another hour. They will


be trampled and torn to pieces !'


The guide swayed to and fro in his


saddle as if irresolute of purpose. The


crisis was near at hand. At length he


cried, as he looked at his companion,


whose pale face, usually rubicund, told


the guide that he fully appreciated the


danger:


"Hand me your rife, King, and hasten


toward the train. Cause it to be drawn


up into square Immediately. Join wag-


on to wagon. Leave not an opening
anywhere and if the wild devils charge


it; place the women and children under
F their bodies between the wheels. l will
remain here and cheek them"
"No, Ruxton, that would not be fair.
Let me stay My life is not worth as
much as yours to the people yonder, .
cried King.


r "No time for talking" replied that
guide in low determined voice ''I am
captain and must be obeyed-hand me
r your weapon"


His companion, sorely against his-,will
: placed his rifle in the hands of Ruxton
. who carefully examined the nipple, and
satisfied himself that the percussion cap
would not fail him on an emergency.
). "Now for the train Quick W.
e have no time to parley."


t The next minute King was on his way
}, to the train, which, when he had reach
: ed it, without stopping to ascertain the
r cause of delay, instantly organized itsel
e for defence, as directed by the guide
: Meantime, Ruxton looked far out on The
S plain towards the west. Notwithstand
g ing the critical position in which he fount
S himself placed-the lives ofso many help
r less ones depending on his vigilance anc
e courage-he could not repress an cxcla
e nation of admiration, as his clear, dark
n penetrating eyes rested on the spectacle
n beneath.


:, "It is worth life to look upon such ;
scene ]" he exclaimed. 81 would | were


here alone All, yonder noble coursel
:, would be mine if | had to follow him o


yer hill and valley to the Guadaloupe.-
|, How splendidly he carries himself, HI
e seems to know, too, that with his cree
e ears, curved tail, and flowing name, he il
t. the undisputed leader of the thousand.