The cavalcade had covered nearly fifty yards before they could pull
up; the freed captive had covered half that distance uphill. The road
was so narrow that only two shots could be fired, and these broke dust
two yards ahead of the fugitive. They had not dared to fire low; the
horse was the more valuable animal. The fugitive knew this in his
extremity also, and would have gladly taken a shot in his own leg to
spare that of his horse. Five men were detached to recapture or kill
him. The latter seemed inevitable. But he had calculated his chances;
before they could reload he had reached the woods again; winding in
and out between the pillared tree trunks, he offered no mark. They
knew his horse was superior to their own; at the end of two hours they
returned, for he had disappeared without track or trail. The end was
briefly told in the "Sierra Record:"--

"Red Pete, the notorious horse-thief, who had so long eluded justice,
was captured and hung by the Sawyer's Crossing Vigilantes last week;
his confederate, unfortunately, escaped on a valuable horse belonging
to Judge Boompointer. The judge had refused one thousand dollars for
the horse only a week before. As the thief, who is still at large,
would find it difficult to dispose of so valuable an animal without
detection, the chances are against either of them turning up again."




THE LADY'S REFLECTIONS

[Illustration]