Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-02-01
THE GREEN MOUNTAIN

line, and the other concealed by the over.
hanging masses of evergreen shrubs, At
distance this seemed the alched gateway
of some huge cavern, but when he APP
preached it, he found that the rock slanted
in Just sufficient angle to give it, at dis
lance, the appearance Of shadow. Instead
of an enormous cavern, it proved to be on
ly recess or slanting niche, some twenty
feet deep at the bottom-from the back part
of which, a bold spring burst little above
the level of the prairie, and rushed down
and out from the shadow, rejoicing over the
white sand until it sparkled in the chequer-
ed sunlight beneath the over-hanging ever
green's outside-then it courscd away to-
ward the chain Of mountains and wound
about their feet. All off to the left, and
beyond this remarkable mountain seemed
an interminabe stretch of rolling pralries,
over which, admdst clumps of cactus, were
scattered herds of deer, mustang and buff
falo, in view at once.
Dan had not much poetry in him, but he
could not help being both asonishcd and
enchanted by the strange, wild loneliness
Of this scene. He slid from his saddle and
stood leaning against it for only moment
or two of wrapt contemplation, when the
habtual' instincts of watchfulness peculiar
to the ranger caused him to change his po-
sition, and turn his head. As he did SO he
perceived one of the droves of mustangs
wild horses, moving slowly toward him.
They were long way off, and there APP
peared nothing peculiar about them-but it
served to remind him that he had short
time before seen the unshod tracks of horses
and mules moving at gallop, or that, tho
they might be nothing more than mustangs,
yet the simple fact of their going at a gal
lop, was in itself suspicious of another fact
or so-ether that they were the tracks OF
Indian horses and mules, or of mustangs
that had been chased or otherwise frighten-
ed by them; so that whatever Of enchant-
ment there may have been for him in the
scene, it now gave place quickly to caution,
! and his head turned rapidly from side TO
side, with the habitual manner of the old
spy. His eye now and then fell upon the
advancing drove, but not with any con-
sciously defined suspicion. At length they
disappeared slowly down long valley, like
the sway of the prairie undulatlons, and
were out of sight so long that he had quite
forgotten them, when suddenly they appear
ed again on this side, moving directly to-
wards him, at swift gallop. He bounded
into his saddle as quick as though, suppo-
sing that, may be one or two Indians who
were mustang hunting had lain in wait for
this herd, in the deep grass of that prairie
valley, and were now chasing them with the
lasso. He urged his horse behind one of
the many clunps of cactus around him,
with the intention of laying in wait to give
these wild horse hunters trial for their
scalps as they went past him.
As he changed his position, the figures
which were approaching became more dis.
tnctly defined against the background of
sky, for they were descending towards him !
He saw what sent his heart into his throat !
that each animal had an Indian slung along
its side, by one hand and foot, holding to
either horn of the saddle! This is COM
mon trick of theirs in approaching an enc
my by daylight, on the prailies, and 1t is
difficult of detection at a distance, by the
most experienced eye, as they ride close to-
eette-. end r""t ;'f thi holy Oh -,
above the outline OF the horse Ddi was
off in a twinking The tables were very
Suddenly turned, for instead of taking
scalp or two himself, as he had expected 1t
would now require the best he knew to save
his own 1t was we'll that he could trust
his horse, for they had got so close to HIM
that his escape at all must be matter o.
sheer speed-he must run away from them
or be run through by them. 40 be or
not to be-" was the question now with poor
Dan, while he desperately urged his good
horse with quirt and spur. So soon as they
saw him start the rascals had wheeled up
into their saddles again, and yelled their
war-whoop, like exulting devils. This was
a sound which, though it came to his ears
somewhat softened by the distance, was by
no means calculated to diminish the energy
or urgency of the calls upon the speed OF
his horse, which were made by Dan. lie
glanced furtvely over his shoulder and saw
that they were spreading out into the pra-
irie with the intention of hemming him IN
against the mountains, He instantly per-
!. cGved that his only chance was desparate
run for an elbow of the chain, which, if he
could reach and turn first, he thought would
secure his scalp for the present, as around
it the stream became heavily timbered, and
he knew they would not follow him into it
for fear they might come upon his friends
1t was tremendous race, for the Indians
knew the advantage as well as he, and Dan
vows that his long curly hair began to
straightcn and lilt his cap on its ends before
he reached the point they pushed him so
close and hard. By the skin of his teeth
: he got by before they surrounded him, and
now he says his hair fell as smooth and
sleek as if pint of bears grease had been
poured over it; but not until he had reach
ed up and taken doom his cap to waive as
he shouted back at them in derisive tr-
umph, and then darted beneath the shades
of the friendly wood They left him here
as he expected; but as this was most evil
IDENTITY dangerous neighborhood, he con-
cluded it would be safest not to tarry here
but get out of it as fast as possible, for
there was no telling what new within might
take these fellows when they had spread a.
round on his trail and found him to be a.
lone So away he went through the woods
for FIVE or six miles without hating. The
hurry and necessities of his flight had taken
him off his course back to the rendezvous
of his companions. He now first discov-
cred that as he emerged from the timber
upon the prairie again, and found himself
far enough away from the course of the
e stream. He paused but for moment, to
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