Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-09-06
FINDING A TRAIL


Here in the shadow of this grim
mountain is camp Of cavalry.-2OO
men in faded and ragged blue uniforms,
every face sunburned and bronzed.
every sabre and carbine showing long
use, every horse lifting 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 man had followed path which
suddenly ended at 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, a mile away,
solitary wild horse paws and praucss
and utters shrill neighs Of wonder
ment and alarm. Up the valley Is
a long stretch of green grass, the
earth as level as a floor, and no visi-
bic signs of life. The pines and shrubs
on the mountain side might hide ten
thousand Indians, but there il not
the slightest movement to arouse sus-
picion. It is q still, hot day. Not a
bird chirps, not branch waves. The
eye of lynx could detect nothing be-
yond the erratic movements of the
lone wild horse adown the valley and
the circulating fight Of an eagle 30
high in the air that the proud bird
seemed no larger than a sparrow.
For an hour every man and horse
has looked for signs but nothing has
been discovered beyond what has been
described. 1t is lost trail. There's
something in it to arouse suspicion a.
well as annoyance. Ten miles away
the trail was as plain as a country
highway, and the Indians had no sus-
picion of pursuit. Five miles back
there were signs of commotion. Here
in the centre Of the valley, every foot
print suddenly disappears.
Look, now A sergeant with griz-
ely locks and fighting Jaw rides down
the valley followed by FIVE troopers.
They are to scout for the lost trail.
Every man has unslung his carbine,
every saddle-girth has been frightened,
and every man Of the six looks over
the camp as he rides out as if he was
bidding a last farewell TO comrades.
They ride at q slow gallop. Each
man casts slow glances along the
mountain side TO his right-along the
mountain side to has 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 val
ley on the other slope it IL answered
again. Down the valley, fall two
miles beyond where the wild horse
now stands like figure Of stone, and
where the valley sweeps to the right
like .he sudden turn Of q river, the
signal 10 caught up and the 200
Apaches, eager, excited and mounted
draw back into the fringe at the base
Of the mountain and wait.
The little band gaIlOped straight
down upon the lone horse. Now they
are only half g mile away, and his
breath comes quick and his nostrils
quiver as he stands and stares at the
strange spectacle. A little nearer
and bis muscles twitch and culver
and his sharp pointed ears work fas-
ter. Only eighty rods now, and with
a fierce snort Of alarm and defiance
he rsars up, whirls about like q top.
and is of down the valley like an
arrow sent by strong hand. The
sight may thrill, but it does not in
crease the pace Of those vino follow.
The men see the wild horse before
them, but the sight does not hold
their eyes more than . second. To
Continued on Fourth Page.)