OCR Text |
Show Tfiriiw mm 1 1 i i ei hi ifcn n I, immmmim PRESENCE EX jj (Special Letter.) Because Mrs. Douglas Carter had a lariat handy and possessed the skill and courage to use it, she succeeded the other day in performing a highly heroic feat. She dragged from death by suffocation in the treacherous Arizona Ari-zona quicksands her husband, and also a highwayman who had robbed her of all the money she and her husband had the sum of $2,500 which she was carrying to Tempe. Three weeks previously Mr. Douglas Carter had folded the hard-earned notes Into a wallet. There was great rejoicing on the Carter cattle ranch, for at least the mortgage on the land would be lifted. On the appointed day for taking the money Into town Mrs. Carter and her sister, Miss Watson, showed that he had been mending some part of his saddle. This fact inspired in-spired them with fresh courage, as that delay made the highwayman's chances of escape less likely. A few miles further on they again ' found scraps of leather. He was evidently tinkering with his bridle and was unaware that he was being pursued. Then they saw tracks that showed plainly where the highwayman had turned and struck across country, and the difficult task of trailing him commenced. com-menced. Suddenly they saw a fluttering flutter-ing black object the silk handkerchief handker-chief with two holes cut for the eyes to peer through and spurred their horses to greater speed. They heard the clatter of hoofs before they caught a glimpse of their quarry. He, too, had heard hoof-beats and was digging his spurs into his horse. They were too far away to shoot, and the highwayman high-wayman evidently did not mean to get within range, for he lashed his horse across the marsh, heading for a stream. The Carters gained on him. "Don't shoot him," urged Mrs. Carter. Car-ter. "He can't hold out much longer." The highwayman was but a few feet in the lead when suddenly his horse stopped. Covering him with his pistol, pis-tol, Mr. Carter galloped up shouting, "Throw up your hands, or I'll shot" Then something happened that Mrs. Carter, a few paces In the rear, could not understand. Both horses were floundering in the sand, their riders tugging at the reins. "For God's sake, don't move. We're in the quicksand!" shouted her husband. hus-band. For a few seconds Mrs. Carter sat in dumb agony; then she cried to her husband, begging him to tell her what to do. , "Don't come any nearer. You'll go down, too." Despite the desperate efforts oi horses and men, they were steadily sinking. The horses were already engulfed en-gulfed above their knees. like a flash of light a plan suddenly sudden-ly crossed Mrs. Carter's brain. With a half-choked cry she unwound the riata she had taken from the buck-board. buck-board. The hoarse, terror-stricken cries of the doomed men fell upon her ears, while every fibre in. her body was working in unison with the MRS. DOUGLAS CARTER, started for Tempe in a buckboard. Mrs. Carter had the money tucked in her bosom. Mr. Carter was to overtake them on horseback, so the two women drove leisurely along the dusty road. Mrs. Carter's own saddle horse was hitched behind. It was a thirty-mile drive from their cattle range into Tempe. They had driven about ten miles along the desert when the sound of fast-approaching hoofs came down the road. Thinking it was Mr. Carter, they pulled up their horses and waited wait-ed for him. But it was a strange horse and rider who swung around the curve. A black shadow seemed to He on the man's face and they could " not distinguish his features. When he came a little nearer they saw that the shadow was a black silk handkerchief hand-kerchief tied over his face. Mrs. Carter Car-ter lashed her horses down the road, but the race was too uneven. "Here," said the man. fingering his revolver, "I don't like to hurt you, ladies, but I know you have some money with you. Hand it over; lively, now." "You're mistaken," said Mrs. Carter Car-ter as flrmly as she could. "My husband hus-band has the money at the ranch." "I ain't much on 'rithmetic,' muttered mut-tered the robber, "but I'll count ten, and If you don't hand over the stuff before I get through I'll try shooting. That's more in my line." , He counted as far as five then Miss Watson, with a terrified shriek, tore open her sister's dress and pulled out the wallet Mrs. Carter put forth a powerless hand to save it, and the DUl uie race was iuu umitu. said the man. fingering his revolver, -ry, j "I don't like to hurt you, ladies, but I know you have some money with you. Xrs&w Hand it over; lively, now." f$$$&' "You're mistaken," said Mrs. Car- ' J&''V$L ter as flrmly as she could. "My hus- . 'v4ji"sL band has the money at the ranch." 1 JS""snP'Vt "I ain't much on 'rithmetic,' mut- tered the robber, "but I'll count ten, Mjffl and if you don't hand over the stuff JS i.L before I get through I'll try shooting. AjepfjCJt ' That's more in my line." j!k f Jtgtr ?4n! , He counted as far as five-then Miss J f j PNL Watson, with a terrified shriek, tore fc JWMrCJW open her sister's dress and pulled out ,S(lWf the wallet Mrs. Carter put forth a powerless hand to save it, and the jf kvPSJ ' THE RESCUE. - IJ' t 5$ Cllpjjs, strong, steady aim that threw the ifrS SuiS: ' rlata- 14 cut keen and 1ulcl through y4aii-'''ltoSs the air, circled above her husband's r'ii' head and causht him fast around the vlwiMwfk'-- Then she gave the lasso a deft turn THE RESCUE. -strong, steady aim that threw the riata. It cut keen and quick through the air, circled above her husband's head and caught him fast around the waist. Then she gave the lasso a deft turn around the pommel. The horse answered an-swered with a straining of muscle. A moment more and Mr. Carter lay out of danger. Without waiting for her husband to recover from his fright and assist her Mrs. Carter, prepared to rescue the robber. She found it harder to steady her nerve for the second throw. The lariat whipped through the air, but fell short. Again she threw it and again she missed him. There was little lit-tle time to waste now, for the horses were sinking rapidly and the highwayman high-wayman was wildly crying to her to save him. There must be no mistake this time. A third time the whir of the lariat sounded through the air. This time it caught him fast and to drag him back to life and safety was brief work. Then brave Mrs. Carter toppled oft her horse and when she opened her eyes her husband's arms held her close and the highwayman had disappeared. "I didn't want to hold him," said Mr. Carter. "I think this will shake him up into leading a different sort of life. He gave me the money and struck out on foot, for both the poor beasts are gone." highwayman, with a smile, put spurs to his horse. Miss Watson fell forward in a faint, and Mrs. Carter tried to bring her to consciousness. She was still limp and dazed when Mrs. Carter heard the sound of galloping hoofs. Passing the reins around her sister's hands, she reached under the seat for the pistol that she had tried to get when the robber surprised them. Coiled under there was a lariat, which she also tWhen Mr. Carter reached them his wife was in the saddle and ready to take up the man hunt with him. Telling Tell-ing Miss Watson to drive to Tempe and inform the authorities to be on the lookout, Mr. and Mrs. Carter parted in pursuit of the highwayman. His tracks were plainly perceptible tut the man had had a good half hour's start. The Carters had ridden about five miles when they reined up at a water hole. They were coming upon irrigated land now and signs of habitation. Tracks around the hole nrored that the robber had also stopped stop-ped there to water his horse. Bit of tope and leather scattered arouad |