Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-28
(" DIED CAME
Il is morning on the prairie.

Il is morning on the prairie.
To the east is the rosy sunrise and thu
dim. far away outline of a mountair
range: to the north shadovy linz
which may mean hills or timber: to thu
west and south broad, level ocean OF
green grass which has no limit. /. seems
as level as door to the eye. bu. it is cut
up with dry ravines and bitches, and
there are sharp ridges and dips and
sunken spots.
The sun in warm. the air still. and
every blade of grass 10 loaded with iia-
mond dewdrops. There Is no bird "a
chirp, and no crickets to cali oct. ba,
there Is no feeling of loneliness. One
who faces that morning sun and feels
the vas.ness of the prairie is lost in
quiet amazemsns. There is an awe upon
him akin TO that which man feels whs 4,
ne sees the ocean dashed to mighty fury.
The one il An exhibition Of Divine an
ger-the other of Divine peace.
See. A rough clad, full bearded man.
OF iron muscles AMI fearless courage,
suddenly rises from hoilow, t0sses
aside his blanket. and slowly turns his
head in every dirsctioa 70 scan the green
grass SEA. At the same moment his
horse merges from dip which has
heretofore sheltered him. and with a
whinny of recognition and pleasure ad-
vanced straight upon his master.
Alone! Man and horse are the only
living creatures in sight. They are as
much lost 20 the world as two grains of
sand washing to and fro in the Atlantic.
The masters hand steals up until il
rests upon the horses neck, and the
faithful aaimsl crowds bit nearer.
Both are awed by the broad expanse.
The mighty grandeur OF Nature steals
in upon tbs m4n's so1l and it seems to
pass like an electric current TO the horse.
He raises his head, his nostrils expand,
his eyes grow clearer and larger. Surely
he must see the picture spread out be-
fore him there ana something of its
beauty must be felt.
Sse that! Ths mans hand goes up 10
shade his eyes. He is looking straight
to the west. He stands like rock and
his eyes are As keen as an eagles. The
horse Is locking in the same direction,
ears pricked forward, lips quivering and
every muscle In his legs frightened up as
1t for a Face. What is it !? A fiutter on
the surface OF the prairie caught the
mans eye for an instant and then dis
appeared. II was two miles away. II
was only trifie, but on that trifle de-
ponds his life. A shiowrecked sailor
catches his breath at sight of every
white cloud creeping above the water
line. The hunter of the prairie feels
his heart bound, at the fiutter of birds
wing. the bark of u coyote, the boot of
an owl, at sight of hoos print or a
broken bush. These may mean moth
ing, or they may mean an ambush, a
race for life, capture and torture.
Cyl vi! yiw
The level-seemiEg prairie ia broken
two miles away by dry ravine deeper
than mans hight. This curves and
bends and leads on four miles. Scram-
bling out of its depths, and each one
sounding his war-whoop as he mounts
his poney, are score of Indians.
For two days the hunter had swept
the horizon in vain. He was alone on a
great ocean. Night had been tranquil
and full of sound sleep. Here, now ris-
ing like spectres from the earth before
him, is = band of blood thirsty demons
raving for his life. The sight stuns him
for few seconds. Then, with a growl
Of chagrin and defiance, he filings tee
saddle upon his horse, picks up his rife,
and while yet the Indians are mile
and a half away, he mounts and heads
for the east.
A race for life has begun.
Ike hunters horse strikes into a lsng,
steady gallop, which would keep him
alongside 81 train of oars. There ia
a chorus of yells from the redskins as
they make the first rush. Then tho al
lence of the prairie is broken only by
the thud thud of the horses feet.
The very silence is ominOus, and speaks
Of grim determination to run the vic
tim down.
Steady. now! The hunters horse de-
vours mile after mile Of the green
prairie, now at the crest Of a swell-now
almost hidden in dip-now for an in
slant out of sight of those who follow.
They gain a little. The hunter plans
that they shall. Every yard they gain
requires an extra speed that will take
ten minutes of tho race after high
noon. At 10 O'Clock they have gained
half mile. Then the pace is even and
neither loses nor gains.
There is something terribly grim in
following man to his death. Net a
Thud! thud! thud! over level and ridge
and always to the east: The sun mounts
higher and higher, and now and then
the hunter glances back with o faint
hope that the pursuit Was abandoned.
No! He might ~ we'll expect q wolf to
quit the pursuit of u wounded deer
leaving its lifo blood to stain the grass
at every rod.
It is high noon.
The pursuit began over sixty miles
away, but the breeze brings to the hun
ter's ears that same mDnotony OF heOf
beats. and he Rlances back to eco that
same dark line strung cut at his heels.
1t has become a question OF endurance.
II he can tire them out he will escape.
He shuts his teeth anew, reaches for
ward caress his horss---
He il down! A burrow caught foot
az the horse sped onward. aud man aud
animal roll ~ the grouAd. The race u
finished. The poor beast whinnies an
apology for his fall az he founders about
with broken leg; and the exultant
shouts Of tho redskins hardly reach the
hunters ears before he in down along
side the crippled horse, and bis ride
aimed at the approaching foe.
II is another bright, peaceful day.
Here are the same uure air, the same
blue skv, the same psnorams Of grass
and flowers, and dimly outlined noun
taius.
A band Of hunters nre crossing the
prairie at a st-aAy galley. instead OF 9
single man riding for his life. Avui'
tutc ris-s % with 4 hoarse scream-a
seoond--a third--and the odor OF decay
reaches the Hostrils of riders aud
heroes. The band halts, rides TO the
left, and presently all look down upon
q siphs which tells its ovn story. The
swollen carcass Of a horse. the scalpec
and dis6guped body of y hunter-srsm
pled Rrass;-spots of blood-broken A.
rows-the earth uptorn BY hoofs.
One with stouter heart than the res
dismounts and picks mp . dozen nassen
cd bullets and q score Of arrows. Iher
he orioles round the spot, and gather
up the empty shells thrown out BY tn
hunters Winchester. Bullets, arrow
and shells ara deposited IN heap D.
tie corpse, and the man points out on
|--three-dvo-soven spots on the prairi'
-. - kkA tv1 sns,lAd OPnua And Stains q