It was clear that he had been
delayed by the breaking down of the wagon, and had hidden at the roadside
hoping his pursuers would pass him by. With a determined grip Ree clung
to the bridle of the lead horse, though he was nearly jerked to the
ground. With his other hand he sought to check his own animal, but the
skittish young thing had taken fright and was now running ahead of the
flying criminal's horses.

A great out-cry came from the constable and his party as they saw what
had happened and dug spurs into their mounts. Down the road the pursued
and pursuers raced, Ree Kingdom wholly unable to retard Big Pete's
progress but still clinging to the bridle of the horse between them, the
constable and his men trying their best to overtake the fugitive, but
unable to gain on him.

"Shoot! why don't you shoot?" yelled Ree to his friends at last, and a
pair of pistols cracked simultaneously, a third and fourth rapidly
following.

Ree heard the bullets whistle near his head and realized that he was in
almost as much danger of being hit, as Big Pete. But again he cried:

"Shoot!"

The pursuers were slowly but surely falling behind in the race. The burly
Ellis, glancing back, was quick to see that fortune favored him. He
leaned far over from his horse and before Ree Kingdom could detect his
purpose in the dusky light, seized the boy by the neck. With a giant's
strength he pulled the lad partially from his seat, endeavoring to hurl
him to the ground. Failing, he relinquished his hold on the reins, and
using both hands, succeeded in drawing Kingdom over the unridden horse
between them to the shoulders of his own horse. And then with herculean
efforts he tried to throw the boy to the earth.

But Ree held to his own horse's reins with bull dog ferocity, and with
all his strength resisted the other's effort. As he was jerked from his
seat, however, the strain on the reins caused his horse to sharply swerve
inward, crowding against the other animals, and in a twinkling the three
of them, already frantic with the fury of their wild race, left the
course and sped across a woodland at the unfenced roadside.

Gasping an oath, the enraged giant tried again to push Ree to the ground,
and this time he succeeded; but he himself went off head-foremost with
the boy, who held to his arm with a grip of steel, dragging him suddenly
down. Freed of their burden, the horses ran on, Big Pete cursing
frightfully as he sprang to his feet to fi