The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-12-12

fast as you can, and send help after me,
I am off after him. They can easily fol-
low my trail in the soft ground, as can
his -
The girl needed no second bidding.
In her sable riding habit. mounted on
her coal black horse, she was flying down
the raod, the jetty plImes of her hat
waving above her brow, bound on her
mission. On and on she dashed, the
hoofs striking fire from the fiints of the
road over which she flew. On they
went, horse and rider dashing through a
lonely forest road, whose trees dropped
lovingly over her fair orow, then OUT
again into the open country faster and
faster they flew, the noble horse seeming
/ TO realize the necessity ct urgent haste
On they went, the brave heart of Belle
| never auailed as she realized the dis
lance yet to be traversed, but with an
encouraging word to the steed che
spurred him on. She reached the ranch
safely, told her story quickly, and soon
three riders, including her father, set out
on the chase.
They rode wildly. following the path
at the point where Belle and Conan had
met Bert, and then easily tracing trail OF
the pursued. a hard ride of dozen
miles, and just as darkness was begin
ming to hide the trail, they suddenly came
upon Bert. His horse had stumbled and
fallen, and in his still weak and exhaust
ed condition, he had tainted from the
fall. He soon revived, however. after
some liquor from a pocket-fask had
been poured down his throat. He then
told the story of Coman's crime. the
scoundrePs preeipitate flight, being in it
self sufficient to prove its truth.
The party camped for the night; but
ct daylight they were off on the trail
again. Till noon they followed it and
then. weak from lack of food, stopped at
trapper's hut, the solitary inmate OF
which furnished them with q rude meal
THE man passed here four hours
ago" said the trapper, in answer to en-
quiries. ''an3 IF he kept straight on
there is no use in following him.
why not ?'
DO you know what lies off there
ahead?" asked the trapper.
mo. replied all.
"Well, that is the commencement of
Death Valley. and if he gets far into
that he s a dead man.
And the trapper's confident statement
will not seem unreasonable to those ia
| miliar with this terrible spot. A recent
traveller thus describes it !: death Val
| ley lies just north of the old Mormon way
| to California. region thirty miles long
| by thirty broad, and surrounded, except
at two points, by inaccessible mountains.
| 1t is totally devoid of water and vegeta-
ton, and the shadow of bird or wild
| beast never darkens its white, glaripe
sands. The Kansas Pacific Railroad en-
glnsers discovered itand also some papers
| which showed the fate of the lost Mont.
gomery train, which came south fro
Salt Lake in 1850, guided by Mormon
/! When near Death Valley. some came
to the conclusion that the Mormons new
| nothing about the country, so they ap
| pointed one of their number leader,
| and broke off from their party. The
leader turned due west, SO with the peo
pie, wagons, and flock he travelled three
days, and then descended into the broad
| valley, whose treacherous mirage prom.
lsed water, They reached the centre,
but only the white sand, bounded by
| scorchiDg peaks, met their gaze
| Around the valley they wandered, ano
| one by one the men died. Then the
children, crying for water, died at then
mothers breasts, and with swollen
tongues and burning vitals. the mothers
followed. After weet's wandering, a
dozen survivors found some water in the
hollow Of rock in the mountain. 1t
lasted but short time, when all persisted
but two, who escaped out Of the valley,
and followed the trail Of their former
companions. Fighty-seven families, with
hundreds of animals persisted here; and
now, after twenty-five years, the wagons
stand still complete, the iron work and
tires are bright, and the shriveled skele-
tons lie side by side
Realizing the uselessness Of following
Conan further, the party returned, CON
ident that he would certainly meet his
death in trying to escape by the deadly
route he had so ignorantly taken.
With careful nursing Bert Humphries
entirely recovered from the wound.
Upon regaining consciousness, after be-
ing shot by Conan, he had found him
self in the railroad station, where he had
lowered between life and death, and
then, partially recovered. had made his
way to his uncle, meeting Belle, and Co.
man, as the reader has seen.