Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-09-01
FINDING THE TRAIL.


mountain is a camp of cavalry-300
men in faded and ragged blue uni
forms, every face sunburned and
bronzed, every sabre and carbine
showing long use. every horse lift
ing its head from the grass at short
intervals for a swift glance up and
down the valley.
Here, at the foot Of the mountain.
the Apache trail, which has been fol-
lowed for three days, has grown cold.
Aye, it has been lost. 1t is as if the
white men had followed path which
suddenly ended at a precipice. From
this point the red demons took wings,
and the oldest trailer is at fault.
The men on picket looked up and
down the narrow valley with anxious
faces. Down the valley, mile away.
a solitary wild horse paws and pran-
ces and utters shrill neighs of won
derment and alarm. Up the valley
is long stretch of green grass, the
earth as level as floor and no visible
sign of life. The pines and shrubs
and rocks on the mountain side might
hide ten thousand Indians, but there
is not the slightest movement TO
arouse suspicion. 1t is a still, hot
day. Not a bird chirps, not branch
waves. The eye of lynx could de-
tect nothing beyond the erratic move
ments of the lone wild horse adown
the valley and the circular fight OF
an eagle so high in air that the proud
bird seemed no larger than a spar
row.
For an hour every man and horse
has looked for ''signs," but nothing
has been discovered beyond what has
been described. 1t is n lost trail.
There is something in it to arouse
suspicion as well as annoyance. Ten
miles away the trail was as plain as a
country highway, and the Indians
had no suspicion of pursuit. Five
miles back there wero signs of com
motion. Here, in the center of the
valley, every footprint disappears.
Look, now! A sergeant with griz-
ely locks and fighting jaw rides down
the valley followed by five troopers
TLey are to scout for the lost trail
Every man has unslung his carbine,
every saddle girth has been tight
ened, and every man of the six looks
over the camp as he rides out rs il
he had been told that he was bidd ng
last farewell to comrades. They
ride at a slow gallop. Each man
casts swift giances along the noun.
tain side to his left-at the green
grass under his horses feet.
What's that! Afar up the slope to
the right something waves to and fro
for moment. Higher up the signal
is answered. Across the valley on
the other slope it is answered again.
Down the valley. full two miles be-
yond where the wild horse now stands
like figure of stone, and where the
valley sweeps to the right like the
sudden turn of a river. the signal is
caught up and 200 Apaches,' eager,
excited and mounted, draw back into
the fringe at the base of the noun
tain and wait.
Tho little band gallop straight
down upon the lone horse. Now
they are only half mile away, and
his breath comes quick and his nos
trils quiver as he stands and stares at
the strange spectacle. A little nearer
and his muscles twitch .and culver
and his sharp-pointed ears work
faster. Only eighty rods now, and
with fierce snort of alarm and de
fance he rears up, whirls about like
top, and is off down the valley like
an arrow sent by strong hand.
The sight may thrill, but it does
not increase the pace of those who
follow. The men see the wild
horse fleeing before them, but the
sight does not hold their eyes more
than second. To the right-to the
left-above them-down the valley
they are looking for a footprint,
for a trampled spot, for a broken
twig-for "a sign however ipsignifi-
cant to prove that men have passed
that way. They find nothing. The
signals up the mountain side were
visible only for seconds.
After the first wild burst of speed
the lone horse looks back. He sees
that he is not being pushed, and he
RECEIVERS courage. He no longer
runs in straight line. but he sweeps
away to the lefi--swerves away to
the right and changes his gait for a
trot. When lie hears the shouts OF
pursuit and the louder thump OF
hoof-beats he will straighten away