My horse took a long
sweeping gallop and kept it up for about twelve miles, by which
time he was beginning to sweat quite freely, and I commenced to
urge him and put him down to all I thought he would stand. When I
came in sight of Black Bess she raised her head and whinnied to
me. The young man was lying asleep and holding her rope, while she
was grazing near him. Again I changed my saddle from my other
horse to Black Bess, and gave the young man instructions to start
at once and lead my horse slowly so as to prevent him from cooling
off too fast. I mounted Black Bess and now I was on the
homestretch. I did not urge her any for the first few miles until
she commenced sweating freely, after which I commenced to increase
her speed, and fifteen minutes after six I rode up to the
telegraph office and handed my dispatch to the operator, who
started it on the wire at once. I led my mare up and down the
streets to prevent her from cooling off too quick, and when it was
known where I was from, everybody in town had about forty
questions to ask relative to the hanging of the four Modoc braves.
On leaving the telegraph office I asked the operator to let me
know when the first dispatch started from Jacksonville, and while
at supper he came in and told me that the Examiner had just
started their dispatch over the wire, which was just one and
three-quarter hours behind me in getting to the office.
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