The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-12
A Snake in the Grass.

Detroit Free Press.
1t you stand here and peer through the
darkness you can see it all. There is the
wagon of a lone emigrant family, its cover
weather-worn and rent to prove that the
journey has been long and weary. Ten feet
away are the embers of the fire on which the
evening meal was cooked Between tho wagon
and tho fire is the rude bed of robes and
blankets on which mother and children are
sleeping. On the other side of the vehicle
stands the horses, munching ut the short,
sweet grass or listening to the far-off voice of
the wolf.
This is the background. In the foreground
a sentinel sits with his back to the solitary
~ottonwoo At his right hand runs a little
brook-at his left is the boundless prairie
DER which night has spread her mantle.
Forty feet away are wife and children trust
ing in his vigilance. Over head gray-white
clouds are driving across the starlight heav-
ems, and the moan of the wind has an uneasy,
nervous sound. Away out on the prairie the
wolf gallops from knoll to knoll and snufrs
the air, and the coyote gnaws at the bleached
bones of the buffalo, and utters his short,
sharp cries OF hunger.
Is there dangerl All day long as the tired
horses pulled the wagon at a slow pace, the
emigrant has carefully scanned the circle
about him, but without cause for uneasiness.
He knows he is in the Indian country, and
for the last twenty-four hours his nerves nave
been braced to heal. their dreaded war
whoop and to catch sight of u band riding
down upon him.
lt midnight as we lind him. his ear has
been as keen as a fox's and his eye has not
rested for a moment. The stakes are human
hves-his life with the rest The odds are
ten to one against him.
AMI we were pacK 10 tne oia nome IN
Ono' lou remeInoer tne oiu iarm-house
unuuen amay uihone te emery anu pear
rees' Ahere Is the highway, lined with
uusty pay "ees "a u mn oeyonu INC
quaint h'''e scnool-house, Where Tue chh-
uren iearneu tneIr a, D.. hah a mile
apUSe N M oriuee across tne-
me sehtinei rouses up ana ruos MS eyes
= was . creek ualNhg 70 MN: AS ne Ms
.eueu sois HOMOGENEOUS papole IL suuuehiy
began 70 converse IN pam tongue, FOR a
,nohieh' 10 Is imiieo ana alarmed ne LOOKS
neeniy aooue anu nsVens WIN nateu preatn.
nne,e u u ann sounus-tne muncnihg OF
ene oaDolihg oi lhe orook-now
u 'nen d d sroan from one Oh Tue emil
uieh SeePins an uneasy steep. Anu
now INC prook taiks AGAIN
lnere was the Dig brown barn tuil oil
S"eehins nhy-One pasture lou win is
Ponu III "uicn 1he oare leggeu
ouruen lrWI DonI you remember now
you USED 10 SIT on the stoop at ~evening-tlme
anu SMOKE your PIP ana watch the chllaren
az pIa on 'ne srdsSt nov PeaceIuu every
s . nfe uio"Sy ieehne IN
~ aNy nuh lnsec.s
.ne 'o~ sohgs Oh tne goou wIe as sho rocked
lazy seep-"ny' you sometimes zen
"s1eeP unu ie' you, PiPe uroP from -
oi0oA oapoleu ana Tue man siept'
Aye! que sehtnnei VINO nad hVe nVes IN ms
Neep,ns sep1 anu uIeaneu' nhul us dreams
.nnon5 neh 10 ehe DC nome anu neard
1ne u ianhihar SOUNDS
1ntln a rus1ie IN nne grass lurh
=. WI ihoie. lhere Is inrty
~ ~ eePin nlon d rattieshake
~A 'ne gus amu iooks
Ill. ~ 49, iiHe al III neeh
s"1N9' a. oonSue na ouu, anu IL
S 4. !. a. IN nerce conoat
- d" smeINes 0ne
y '"e iit-ho" IL haiS anu
So.s user 70 strike IL might creep up and
DuS re tanes," u hesn O thes Sleeping
ma ~ ~ "ni creePs aeaih' IL gnues
pusn u sIasS nkea gieam-nowt 10 the
~ u iei1-ho" sraight aheau.
etpeu' nalN twenty lee1 more ana
uaNe u seePeI, out some
u aiaFnheo IT, ana IL ehues
a"ay hity ieeC' as iast as d shadow traV-
"" iooh oeyonu Ine SHAKER Is IL second
SeIPent "orhihg 10 way over the ground 70
eurounu u Keeper WIN PeIh' Is IL VOL
OF panther creeping forward 10 MAKE a Vlc-
smi Nov you can see more clearly; Ihere
IL sap locN aho Ieatners-tne uark
speAhhs eSes.tue smut Oeetn ana
plohHeu snroa0 OIL a blackloot warrior. A
III vi Que oranch us trloe tc
iS S 10 Ia uiscoNerea tne equipment
cncieo arounu IL Twice, anu Is now creeping
uPon oo mAn' "no sleeps ihaoea" oil
mdngc
no i"",e' Pah'uer Sueu"ns
upon a ns'enne zoe Wouiu not exercise
mo,ec.ne' Ai"ose men oy incu' ana yet Ut
sso"iy approaching. ne was a hundred
reee AWAY. NOW ne Is hnhety-eightS-sev
enGy,sAty! he "a see u uark mass at ln'
nooe " ~ uee' anu ne KNOWS tnab the Sehtt
nei u oe asieep' q ne "oulo not Do III
ina Posiloh.
cee II iaV1ie snake. IL mas iaced ABOUT
nib vas uayngh' you couId see a nercei
speah IN us eye-a mercer nash o.
onsue. sHaisnS I'M
" oo ua"h hom inc inuihi
70 tne Tree woulo pass over tho snake
. ~ warrior creePS Forward agalh-no
a"eeu ore1hhs-no d rustic 70 prove M
A See TN
- nIo" oaekIlS eye
~ mae 80 u ueauly %-%-%-Z
- tne neai que ihulah Is no
- I onny q" n9 Ut oIh i
soaa u law oach' u snere Us uhrt
uus, NV soiiesnie s.aihes nun lul II tn
- no0 SHaAe III untii ne springs y
hs ~ WIN cry hearu LOT hai a NIL