Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-05-21
VOLUME XIII,
SeleFtrd sMisrella,1p.
SHADO WS OF, THE PLAINS.

A MAN in middle Aridzone
Stood by the deserts edge alone:
And long he looked, and leaned and peered,
Above his twirled and twisted beard,
Beneath his black and slouchy hat
Nay, nay, the tale is not of that.
A skin. clad trapper, toe o tip,
Stood on ntountain-top, aud he.
Looked long and still and eagerly.
" 1t looks so like some lonesome ship
That sails this ghostly, lonely seae-
This driedsup desert sea-" said he.
A chief from out the deserts rim
Rode swift as twilight swallows swim;
His trim m-limbed steed was black as night,
His long, black hair had blossomed white
With feathers from the koko's wings;
His iron face was flushed and red,
His eyes flashed fire as he fed
For he had seen unsightly things. @
A wild and wiry man was he,, =. s4...-.
This tawny chief of Shoshonee;
And, o, his supple steed was fleet.
About his breast tapped panther skins,
About his eager, flying feet
Flapped beaded, braided moccasins;
He rode as rides the hurricane,
He seemed to swallow up tee plain;
He rode as never man did ride,
He rode, for ghosts were at his side,
And on his right grizzled grim
No, no, this tale is not of him.
An Indian warrior lost his way
While providing on the deserts edge,
In fragrant sage and prickly hedge,
When suddenly he saw sight,
And turned his steed in eager flight. -
He rode right through the edge Of day,
He rode into the rolling night:
He leaned, he cached an eager face;
His black wolf-skin tapped out and in,
And tiger claws on side of skin
nl1 1oo 1af f,,t tfo II
But that gray ghost that clutched thereat Il II
Avaunt! the tale is not of that.
A chieftain touched the deserts rim
One autumn eve; he rode alone
And still as moon-made shadows swim.
He stopped, he stood as still as stone.
He leaned, he looked, there glistened bright,
From out the yellow, yielding sand,
A golden cup with jeweled rim.
He leaned him low, he reached hand,
He caught it up, he galloped on,
He turned his head, he saw a sight r
His panther skins flew to the wind, - -Ls.
The dark, the desert lay behind;
The tawny Ishnaelite was gone;
But something somber as death is
Tut, tut, the taleis not of this.
AZ gray old mountaineer rode down
From mount, from desert, into town,
And, striding through the town, held up
Above his head n jewcled cup.
He put two fingers to slip,
He whispered wild, he stood tip,
And leaned the while with lifted hand
And said: "a ship lies yonder dead!'
And said: "Doubloons lie sown in sand
Along yon desert dead and brown,
Beyond where wave-washed walls look down,
AS thick as stars set overhead"
That three ship masts uprose like trees
Away! the tale Is not of these.
An Indian hunter held plate
OF gold, around which Kings had safe y \
'Tis from that desert ship, they said,
Or galleon, that sunk below,
Blown over by Pacifc's breeze,
OF old, in oiden dried-up seas,
Ere yet the red men drew the bow.
And one girt well in tigers skin,
Who stood like Saul above the rest,
With dangling claws about his breast,
A belt without, blade within, e.r
A warrior with painted face,
Stood pointing east from his high place
Stood high. with visage flushed and hot
And hurting thought like cannon shot.
JOAQUIN Miller in MAJ Overland.