Year: 1878

he heard the 'hoofs of hurrying horses.
His quick ear told him that his pursgers
were nearly mile distant yet, but that
they were gaining. There were nearly,
a score of them, as he could also tell,
and they, mindful of his defense of his
home, kept well together, so as not to
be cut off in detail. Mr.. Gibbs dug his
spurs in deeply and the beast respond
ed nobly. Ten miles further and there
was ranch where he could get q change
of horse. The ten miles were over, and
the sound of pursuit was lost in the dis
tance, when he drew rein at the barn
door of a wealthy Englishman, and at
the muzzle of his rifle demanded from
the sleepy groom the choice of his mas
ter's stud. He was mounted and away
before the rest of the ranch was aroused,
and with hurrah rushed his fresh horse
into the prairie, but so miles between
him and Denver. On he rode with the
paling stars for his guide, while the
hours passed away and the day began
to dawn.


First a narrow belt of silver light ap-
peared along the eastern horizon. The
belt grew broader, and as it grew along
its lower line the silver changed to gold.
Fleecy clouds above the belt now be-
came tinted with yellow red, that was
like unto the red gold of Oriental fable.
Billowy clouds in the zenith clothed
themselves in royal purple, which melt
ed on the borders into a rose color, and
fioated like curtains of gossamer over
the armament. In the west and south
the blue of the sky where it kissed the
plains, changed to a sea green. The
light increased and the silver and gold
and red grew more brilliant, while the
tips of the mountains, all along the
range from Pixies Peak to Longs, be-
came gilded with glory. The purple
faded from the clouds overhead as the
yellow light stole down the sides of the
mountains, with edge clearly defined,
chasing the receding shade, till opposite,
far away on the very brink of the prai-
rie, uprose ball of fire. Far and near
the first rays of the morning sun bathed
plain and mountain alike, tinging the
short grass of the prairie with yellow,
and casting halo around the horseman
as he rode his race for Life.


1t was now 6 O'Clock, and Mr.. Gibbs
had been in the saddle four hours, with
but bread to eat-a happy thought of
his wife's-and nothing to drink. He
looked on every side for water, but
the few irrigating bitches which he
crossed were dry, and there were no
natural springs. His horse, thoroue h.
bred though he was, was becoming dis
tressed, and Mr., Gibbs knew that water
for man and beast must be had. But to
get it meant to turn out of the straight
| road to Denver. His course all along
had been within easy reach of the foot
| hills of the Rocky Mountains, towat d
which he now turned the horses head.
The faithful beasts instinct taught him
the way, and presently horse and man
were laving in cold mountain brook,
whose silvery thread wound amid
powders in the bottom of a narrow can
! yon. Mr. Gibbs took no thought of time,
but soaked his heated bread in water,
and munched in solitary satisfaction,
till the shout "There he isl" in the
rear, startled him. Without stopping
to look, he was in the saddle and off
again desperately There was the re-
port of gun, and ball ploughed the
ground at his horses heels. Keeping
| the trees that lined the edge of the foot
hills as well as he could between him
and his pursuers, Mr.. Gibbs dashed
along, while rifle after rifle was emptied
after him by half q hundred horsemen.
He could see them swarming in, an ir-
regular body along the prairie, which
| thereabouts fortunately was nearly as
rough as the inclined plane along which
his own horse was serambling. The
| heat was short one. Mr. Gibbs stop
| had not been thrown away. In a few
minutes the foremost of his pursuers,
their beasts tired and jaded, were far in
| the rear, and when Mr. Gibbs reined in
at little station on the narrow gauge
railway, fifty miles from Denver, not an
enemy was in sight.


From the moment he had had time to
think, Mr.. Gibbs, every minute of his
solitary ride, had been computing the
chances of his changing horse for steam
He knew that a train on the Denver and
Rio Grande Railway left Pueblo in the
morning, and his only aim was to reach
station at the moment when the train
would be due, and before the vigilantes
would be near enough to denounce him.
And good luck still kept with him. A
line of smoke to the southwark, and q
rumbling steadily growing louder, ties.
titled the coming train. 1t stopped, and
the foremost pursuer was still half 8
mile behind. The whistle sounded and
the train moved of, and only Mr.. Gibbs
saw tired horse, whose rider wildly
gesticulated, gallop wearily into The
station as it receded in the distance. Ht
was saved!


Saved only for the time, though, Mr.
! Gibbs considered it. He was afraid thu
Il: