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Show Won on Iho Field, a HY HON W II HINllICilsnN. (Cop)rlslit. is1 by Dally Htory I'uh. Co) Where nro you going. HylvlaT" said Mrs Martin, aa her daughter, accompanied accom-panied h) Mr Amos Darling, a tall, elegantly dressed, young man, strolled out of the gale ot the ranch bouso on to the ojien prairie "We are going for a little walk," was the repl) "I want to speak to you beforo you go." aald Mrs. Martin. Sylvia returned A few steps to meet her mother "Slvls," said tho elder lady, "I ico Tom Ittigglea coming across tho prairie. prai-rie. Don't leato tho house." "I saw him, too," replied Sylvia. "That a why I am going." "Syltla" "Yes I am tired of seeing him hang around," nnd she rejoined hor escort, Mrs. Martin ctlled alter them, "Don't go too far, jii know tho cnttlo have been ugly lately." "Very well," answered Sylvia with- (out turning her head Mrs. Martin stood ai the goto nnd watched their retreating forms tilt they passed over th swell ot tho """l", . I, ., . . i .. m ' Uood evening, .Mrs. .Martin." salJ a hearty voice, and sho turned to greet a handsomo young man dressed In cow boy cottumo. "Why, haw da you do, Tom, Won't you come In!" "It Bylvia at hornet" ho asked ns ho swung from his saddle to tho ground, "Sho nnd Mr. Darling went for a walk a whllo ago. They will bo back toon, I hope." "Which way did they go!" asked ho anxiously 'Oter tho swell toward the slough," she answered. ' Hut what la tho matter?" mat-ter?" for Tom sprang in to tho saddle and bla horso was already Hying across the prairie Sylvia was tho daughter of Major Martin, proprietor ot tho great Martin ranch, and Tom was tha son of Colonel lluggles of tho great Itugglea' ranch, a few miles distant They bad bocu "Keep cool and we'll come out all right." friends from childhood and Sylvia thought thero was no one llko Tout until Mr. Darting appeared. Mr. Amos Darling was from tho cast and ho waa looking for a location, bo said Ho thought ho would llko to cngsgo In lbs cattle butlnett. Ho brought letters to Major Martin from business friends In tho cast and waa welcome at tho ranch where ha bad made himself at home for several weeks. Tom's flannel shirt, brosd bat, and blth heeled boots made a poor showing show-ing beside the neatly fitting attire of Mr Darling who In addition to being well dressed, could quote pootry and tell stories ot European travel So, In the Itngusgo of the pralrlo, Turn "got the sack" when ho called at the Martin Mar-tin ranch, and Darling was the "whole thing" with Sylvia Hven If Tom was miserable, Bylvia wat quite happy, nnd that September afternoon at the and Mr. Darling strolled aunts tho pralrlc. alio felt bsppler than usual, for hor escort had shown a decided Inclination to ask n certain question "What Is that noise?" said Mr, Dar- ling breaking upon a reciutloa ia Khl. h he was Indulging jl Ihey atoppetli H The cattle," guped Sylvia "!.onk " 1 And comlnr; toward them, a mile or B moie away, was a line of long horns jB sin (ihlng In each direction almost to IBLi the borlton, flfiSoBJ Mr Darling's knees shook He had Israygf heard the stories nt the vlclousnesa ot ?XKv Tetas entile In a stampede and ho real- KQEil I ted their danger. He looked around. raffTkVl Not a treo or fenco In sight HlH tte are lost," sulci Sylvia "We con- 9KM not get awny" 9Pw Let a run," quavered Mr Darling "tf 'They would soon overtake us," MmV' eobbed Sylvia "Wo cannot escape" ilfiS A shout ringing acroas the pralrl ijjInSt from behind them caused them to turn, ieBIBsr A homo urged to Its greatest speed jflBtn wss coming down the swell towsrd JHBSl them "Tom." screamed Bylvli HaVK Come." and she ran to meet him, fol- JBHI lowed by her companion axBHS Tom reined In his horso and flung (MffSg himself from the saddle. (HhhI "quick," said ho to Darling. "Up JEKDI 1 J3p7-iaVCin. Il 'WhstMs-Jhst noliot" BXvJ with you," and ha, helped him Into tho B saddle Thcn'solxlng Sylvia, he lifted H her tip behind her Meort "Illde for H tho ranch," ho aajd, "and don't sparo B tho horse You'll bo all right" H "Hut you, Totnl" acreamsd Bylvia H ' .Voter mnd me," was the reply and H giving tho horso ft cut with hit whip H ho started tho nnhnal with his doublo H burden bounding neruM thn pralrlo. Only for a short distance, however, tor H Bylvls, reaching around her compan- Ion sritcd tho reins and bringing tho B horso almost to a standstill, slipped to H the Bl "HI not Irate Tom," she cried H Mr Dirllng hesitated for an Instant, H then loosening thn reins, the horso jH tore across tha pralrlo llko mad H Tom drew bis revolver and took aim H at his rival but ho did not fire After H an Instant's hesitation ha returned his H weapon to his belt and said to Bylvia, H who had run up to him H "Kip cool nnd we'll coma clear" H wcro In a sort ot valley between two B vast swells ot the pralrlo. At the bot- B torn of this valley ran a "slough," n B wldo boggy strip ot land showing oe- B coalonal pools ot water, but mado up B mainly of stiff, wiry mud, several feet B deep, tntcrtptned with tuttocka ot B bunch grass. They were but twenty iBBl pacca from tals slouch, and coming aaaxBB toward them oa the other slda of It B was tho vait drove of cattle thunder- BBJ Ing down tha bill with a tread that BBJ shook tho ttrlb. B "Stand behind me." yelled Torn In BBJ Sylvia's ear si ht took bis stand fac- H Ing the slouih and the approaching H herd. She obeyed him H The first lint of anlniala rushed Into BBJ the alougb .01 these but few tucceed- BB ed In croulni They sunk to their BB bodies In tbt mud Those behind, jH urged on by tbs weight ot the herd, B tumbled over them In every direction. Boon the tlouih waa bridged by their BB sinking bodld tnd the first animal B auccreded In getting across almost op- 'B poslte Tom snd Sylvia Tom'a pistol B cracked and the animal rolled over, B dead Another and another till tha B six barrels of his revolver hod piled up B a barricade ot six struggling steers In B front ot tbrm. Klve tciondt fitted tbs B empty cylinder with cartridges, and H getting doier to tho barricade, Tom H continued hit deadly work. H A doxen dead or dying tteera were fH now piled up In front of them, and tho herd, dlilJIng at tblt point, patted BBJ by on either aide. H Torn continued shooting at Intervals and the gtp la which they stood grew wider and wider Finally the last BBJ steer pasted by and dltappesrrd over fl tho bwlII and Tom turned to look at BB BBJ "Wo are tits no-," he tald limply. H Bylvia htd been very much fright- H ened at flnt, but the was a pralrlo girl H after all and nu now as cool and col- H lected as Tom B They started to walk to tho ranch H "Say, Tom," said Sylvia, "how did sBB you come to (Its up your horso to Mr, BBM Darling? If you had Just taken mo lEtxl on behind you, wo could havo escaped ! RBH eatl.y." 9BBI "He would hare beea killed," said ,'4fffltL Tom, "I thought you loved him and BBK! his death would havo broken your Kt lieart." !a "Love that dude Wbtt can you dtTSU tako me for? You are worth a million ttVS of him " InMaI "Bylvia," tald Tom, "what made you rVElni Jump off the horse?" ftMtt "necauie," said Sylvia. "I preferred Slwt to die with rou rstber than live with. JBJUM anyone die." Ilfll Then the cowboys coming from tbt (fK9 ranch to look for their dead bodies ssw Kffff Tom take Sylvia In hit armt and cover kBM her tace with kisses. In splto ot Its BH coating ot dutt BpB Mr, Darling did not remiln to tho B wedding at tho Mrl!n 'a Ho eon- IB C'luclcd that ho would not iko the cat- tlu 'buslneti H 2S.ai,-i'.--v -; .. . JBBBBBI |