1957-12-21 — Page 15

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1987. –

THE PONY EXPRESS

Ht

E was 14, a good age for a boy, but far too young for the respon- sibilities of a man. At least, that is what the officials of the Pony Express at Sacramento had told him, and what "Snake" Hicks, storekeeper, postman, trader and deputy sheriff, was telling him now

in the log store that he had reached down the Rocky Mountain trail a couple of hours ago.

The boy was as foll as the storekeeper. His long holi, piailed like an Indian's, feil over the collar of his leather hunting-shirt. He carried Fun, and

Smokey Joe is running a spare horse, maybe he'll give me a lift when he overtakes me.”

clear, and the

manes of their shaggy horses background from Fle's Posk

violent action

"Ain't you interested?" Smith

lem they mat gazing down at bright sund him from the heights. Only the Rockies geained white in tho man in the wind, and the in the south to Long's Peak in feathers in their hair. Then they the north. broke into one of their number rosa in relied as Bill slipped his un- his saddle out shook his buffalo opened letter into his pocket.

"It will only robes, a sure sign of embry. Bill wasted no as the young for the for I'm whooping and yepping Brake #2 might n well read it out. Berading Jew over his though?

Then he whooped his delight horse's neck, he rode for big life.

and executed awar-dance in tooth when snow fell again, the post office.

time

He was almost out of the

His horse was reasonably fresh, and there was a good chance of escape when Lone Wolf Choyenne scout saw him, Lone Woll was not a good shot, and he did not want to fire lest he and the warriors should miss behind him should snap up his

"Hold on," leita said ride denly, "There's a host n-comin'

prize. now, but

down a hunting-knife, nad he wore deerskin leggings and bead-trimmed mocassins, His face was tanned, and his Lia- wavering cycs hold those of the impatient storekeeper.

+

I ain't ace

no rider."

"There's

man alumped across it,' Bill, his keen eye- sight revealing details not yet visible to the storekeover,

the

"Even if you was a man," A moment later the rider sat Hicks sald, "I still wouldn't up, swaying in the saddle. All have loan yo

will-power a loss. I don't trust h

must Injunsor half-breeds."

been bent upon reaching Tve told you already who staging-post, for, when I am," the boy said patiently. horse pulled up outside the collapsed "My name is William Frederick store, Smokey Joe Cody, and if you say once info Bill's arms, muro that you don't believe mo I'm able to gei ziled."

Hicks grinned at that, "Well, Willam Frederick Cody," he said, "maybe you'll And Handier name one day, but it atill don't persuade Me to lend ye a hoss. How do I know I'd get it back?"

"Because I've said so." "And where ore ye heading?" "Denver."

"That's the best part of 50 miles. Know anyone there?"

"John Smith of Cherry Creek."

"First

in Denver," Hicko said chattily. "Settled there three years back in the

mon

They carried him inside. and Bill took from him the leather mall bag stumped: Leavenworth & Pike's Feak Express Company-the famous Pony Express.

"What happened, Smokey?" Hicks asked as the man groaned and opened his eyes.

"The mail!" Smokey Joo muttered, trying to rise.

"That's safe. Take it easy. Smokey" Hicks said. "Where's your other hoss?"

To Denver

successful

too

Bul said.

"Must be somo Christmas present," Smith commented.

"Listen to this," Bil grinned. "Dear Mr Cody that's mo During your interview with us you said that if you were uns you intended to make your

own way to John Smith, your father's friend, at Denver. If you should collect this letter there, we consider that you will have proved that and you have the Initiative

sense this the

of responsibility which we suggested your youth still incked. If you present this felter at our headquarters in $t, Joseph we shall therefore be pleased to take you into our employ."

"You'll be

us the known youngest rider of the Pony Express," Smith congratulated hini.

Snow muffled the hoof-beats, and Bill was unaware of Lone Wolf closing in. for the kill Lone Wolf Baked his lips; he would take

chances no time, Bill had

a premonition of danger. Glancing to his right he saw Lone Wolf in full war-paint riding him down, and an arrow drawn to ita head at point-blank range.

it happened. Ten And then feet of rippling muscle launch- ed

a rock and itself from sank its teeth into the neck of Bill's horse that was Bung by the impact, screaming and plunging, against Lone Wolf's mount. Both animale crashed, Bill,

But even he could not guess that the boy was later to win world-wide fame as Buftolo

STOR

By S. C. GEORGE

was the

throwing their riders, with the mountain lion snarling on top of diem. Bill's gun had gone. He had only his bunting-knife,

beast Momentarily, the more to be feared than Indian who lay groaning in the snow. Pounding down the hillside, the Cheyennes BAW what had happened, their wat whoops changing to yells

landslide had swept Smokey's second horse off the road into the forrent below. A falling rock had broken his flex, and it was a miracle that his mount was uninjured. But for that, he would have died triumph. The blood of Bill's of exponire in the mountains. callant horse stained the mow, It was clearly impossible for and he knew it was dying.

autumn of 157 with his wife. Wapooin. Good Wapoola."

Sioux coolc

him to ride further,

The mall must go through," he sald desperately,

Bill seized his chance. **I want to be in Denver," be sald quickly. "Can I take

"Who's he?" Smokey asked. "He's workin' fer John Smith nt Cherry Creek. I guess 1P, Irregular, Smokey, but I'm the Company's agent here, and alm to take a chance on him. When can ye start, B7"

D!

Such fury swept him that, beedless of nis danger, he hurled himself on the muuntais lion and burled his razor-keen kalte in its neck. As Lone Wolf staggered to his feet, Bill leapt back, leaving his knife. In the flailing beast, Lone Wolf had lost his weapons in the fall, but he dared not let his enemy escape now. As he rushed for- ward. st half-dazed, Bill struck him on the point of the jaw. Long Wolf dropped as

"NOW," he said, alrely though polo-axed,

alinging the mall-pouch aCTOES his shoulder, "Bring me your best horse."

Moonlight

"Here, gimme 4 receipt RILL had no time to search for Hicks protested as Bill vaulted Into the saddle and was about to ride off. "The next post is 15 miles, an' If anything hap- pens to that Christmas mail.... "I know," Bill called cheer. fully. "I'd best clear

out of America."

Hicks' reply was lost as Bh clattered down the trail,

how

his gun, and his horse was already stiffening in the mow, but Lone Wolf's horac shivered there in the growing darkness: Tamely it let El mount, and

confidence of the

the rider flowed into the horse as be urged it forward, still out of range of

of the Cheyennes thun-

behind him dering

A heavy lenden sky and the

Gradually B Increased his smell of STOW

lead, but snow had obliterated made the anxious to get clear of the the track, and, despite the

trail mountains. He had no Watch, darkness,

glenmed but a good sense of lime told plain for his pursuers. How- him that he had covered half ever, he was able to

keep on

the distanco when the first light his course by the line of tele- his horse flakes drifted down. Unless it

it ro- fell heavily he would leave a trail that anyone could follow, but if it mowed hard enough to cover his trackes it might be impossible to get through,

graph posts, Then stumbled and though covered it galloped more slow- he must be That's why I want a horse."

ly. Inevitably

scalp the boy said, 'It's

overtaken, and another Christmas

would dangle from a Cheyenne Belt. But he would not give in.

Dav tomorrow, and I

want to miss her dinner."

don't

Hicks put hils hands on the

Cheyennes

emante: and stared at the boy. He was glad to reach the next

"You kiddin'?" he asked. "There's all next year for trapping," said the boy, "but I don't want to wait till the and of it for Wapoola's Christ- mas dinner. Elseways, I'd walk," "Blest if I wouldn't let yo have a hoss for your cheeks it I had one," said Hicks, "but

ain't, so that's that."

I've seen two in your stable, the boy said coldly.

"They belong to the Express Know what means, young Cody?”

Pony

that

The Pony Expresal Gee!" Bill's eyea allttered, "I tried for a job with them, but they suid ut Sacramento they'd ist

staging-post, where

bo

It was snowing harder, and the wind rising, screaming over the plain, filing up his tracks and increasing to a blizzard. A Wild hope surged in BM's

A

ad to explain who he was, and be curt with the stage- breast. There Was SULL kerper who wanted to gossip,

chance. He turned aside and

H

for he still had 35 miles to go. let his horse have the reins. At That meant he would be riding lizard raging about them, Bil last, in darleness, with the after sundown for the last two hours, Fortunately there was a knew that he had thrown off full moon.

the Cheyennes, but his plight "I'd sooner it was yon than was no better, for he was lost, ne," the stage-keeper said and both he and his horse laconically as Bill was leaving, would perish of exposure if The Cheyennes have just sint they did not soon and shelter. up the telegraph gang. Keep Suddenly, as they stumbled your hair on," he grinned cal- through the blinding storm, dim yellow ously, returning to his warm Bill glimpsed cabin.

thawing was Boon light, and himself out by the log fire in me know later. I guess they Morrover, It had stopped

El Dorado, Denver's one hotel,

When

the weather eased - always say that when there's showing again, jeaving. his

his mall- nothing doing.”

tracks clear behind him. His somewhat, he look cyes slid warily

pouch to the staging-post, ob, tained a receipt, and enquired the way

way to John Smith's. pected to hear the shrill war- whoop of the Cheyennes, In- "Cody, you said your name: stinctively he had counted the war?" the

man asked as he mali. telegraph posto

tho wires whose

glanced through would one

Cody? day supplant

Willum the

Frederickt Pony Express. Knowing the Wall, if you ain't brought a distance between them he cal- letter fer yourself! From Sacra culated that he bad only five mento, too." he said, exainin-

That was certainly serious.

from side to

Pony Express side, and every moment he ex-

66 guers 80" Hicks agreed.

"T "You may have the spirit,

but it takes a man to cover 75 milies bcóore passing, his pouch to the next wy on the trail even if you do have a relay of thice hos.es. From the Pacific

to St. Joseph-that's nigh on miles to io next post. He ing the address ou the back drove his mount hard now, and "Ant a letter for John Smith." smart going. That 'minds me of the next staging-post pulled "I'll take them," Bill said.

2.000 miles in 8 days. Pratty

up, his horse steaming with

"Rules is rules," said

tho

reprovingly.

what's happened to Smokey Juc? He's an hour late already, That ain't like the Pony Ex press." d squialed from the door et his shasic up the snow long, last stage and he would then." envered trail "Tell ye what, be safe. Bill," he said. "I can't cook ..Watch out

sweat. The sun, a dull copper staging - keeper ball, hung low in the sky, Only Post office. ain't open 20 miles to Denver now one mornin'. Ye'll have to collect

Bill's welcome

at

Chetty the Creeic compensated him for all

like Wapooka, but yolito wal- Cheyennee," the stage-keeper the perils of the road, and while come to share my nical to warned him."

morrow."

Wapdola plied him with food. Eight miles of hard riding le related hla adventures, "Thanks, Mr. Hicks, but Tlf and he was almost out of the ending with the refusal to lot be on my way. I can't exbeet Rockles. He turned a moment him have their malt" val you to kị me have an Express in his guddle, “The fun hups "That onery ol' ours," Smith horar, but you could have told red and menacing in a mow laughed. "He could he winked me gooner, Bil sold

covered world. And then at the reglations. In your plat. proachfully,

more saw thom silhouetted against. You sure, cerned it. Well, we'll kriow.coming, and I don't want the dying lights

of fetch Fem tomOTTÓW**

to get caught in the hila. 1 Cheyenne küsse-Men,, station-

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