he had gained the canyon, where
the stage would nearly block the narrow opening, and where he could
exchange reins for rifle!

Within the coach three women were miserably huddled in a mass on the
floor. Two would be more proper, because the third, a slim girl of
nineteen, was temporarily out of her misery, having fainted, which was a
boon denied to her companions. Thrown from side to side as if they were
straws in weight, they first crashed into one wall and then into the
other, buffeted from the edge of the front seat to that of the rear one.
Bruised and bleeding and terrified, they dumbly prayed for deliverance
from the madman up above them.

The driver's eye caught sight of the turn, which lay ten miles northeast
of the canyon--then he had passed it.

"Only ten miles more, bronchs!" he shouted, imploringly, beseechingly.
"Hold it, boys! Hold it, pets! Only ten miles more!" he repeated until
the left-hand leader lurched forward and lost its footing. Another bit
of masterly manipulation of the reins saved it from going down, and again
the coyote yell rang out in all of its acute, quavering, hair-raising
mournfulness. The blacksnake again and again mercilessly leaped and
struck, and another wonderful burst of speed rewarded him.

His heart suddenly went out to his horses, as he realized what speed they
were making and had been holding for so long a time, and he swore to treat
them better than they had ever known if they pulled him safely to the
mouth of the canyon.

A second backward glance, forced from him because of the awful uncertainty
at his back, because if it was the last thing he ever did he must look
behind him as a child looks back into the awful darkness of the room,
caused his face to be convulsed with smiles, sudden and sincere. He
shouted madly in his joy at what he saw, dancing up and down regardless
of his perilous footing, bending his knees with a recklessness almost
criminal, as he uncoiled the hissing blacksnake high up in the air.
Again and again the whistling, hissing length of braided rawhide curled
and straightened and cracked, faster and faster until the reports
almost merged. He tossed his head and laughed wildly, hysterically,
and danced as only a man can dance when eased of a terrible nervous
tension; the rasping of the icy, grasping fingers of Death along his
back suddenly ceased, and there came to him assurance of life and
vengeance. Turning again he hurled the writhing length of his w