Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-08-09
FINDING THE TRAIL,

Here in the shadow of this grin
mountain is camp of cavalry-tw,
hundred men in faded and ragged blu,
uniforms, every face sunburned an,
bronZed, every saber and carbine show
Ing Long use, every horse lifting il.
head from the grass at short interval.
for swift glance up and down the val
lev.
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 a path which
suddenly ended at precipicc. 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 prances
and utters shrill neighs of wondermrnt
and alarm. Up the valley is a lone
stretch of green grass, the earth as
level as a floor and no visible s:gn 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 still, hot day. Not bird chirps.
not branch waves. The eve of a
lynx could detect nothing beyond the
errauc movements of the lone wild
horse adown the valley and the circular
flight of an eagle SO high in the air
that the proud bird seemed no larger
than 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 is
something in ii 10 arouse suspicion as
well as annoyance. Ten miles away
the trail was as plain as country high
way, and the Indians had no suspicion
OF pursuit Five miles back there were
signs of commotion. Here. in the center
OF the valley, every Footprint suddenly
disappears
Look, now! A sergeant with grizzly
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 had been
told that he was bidding last farewell
to comrades. They ride at a slow GAL
Iop. Each man casts swift chances
along the mountain. side to his left
the green grass under his horses feet.
What that. Afar up the slope to the
right something waves TO and fro for a
moment. Higher up the signal is an
swered. Across the valley on the other
slope 1t Is answered again. Down the
valley, a full two miles beyond where
the wild horse now stands like a figure |
OF stone, and where the valley sweeps
10 the right like the sudden turn of a
river. the signal is caught up and two !
hundred Apaches. eager. excited and
draw back into the fringe at .
the base of the mountain and wait.
The little band gallop straight down
upon the lone horse Now they are
only half mile away,Hand his breath
comes quick and his nostrils culver as
he stands and stares ut the STRANGE
spectacle. a little nearer and his mus
cies twltch and culver and his sharp
pointed ears work faster. Only eighty
rods now, and with fierce snort of
alarm and defiance he rears up, whirls
about like top. and is off down the
valley like an arrow sent bv Il strong
1and. The sight may thrill. but it does
not increase the pace of those who fol-
ow. The men see the wild horse flee
nc before theil, but the sight does not
lold their eyes more than a second. To
he right-to the left-above them
Town they valley-they are lookino~for
hoof-prlnt, for trampled spot. for
broken twig-for a sign however insip-
iilicant to prove that men have passed
hat way. They find nothing The
signals up the mountain side were WISH ,
Die only for seconds. .
After the first wild burst of speed the
one horse looks back. He sees that be
S not being pursued. and he RECEIVERS ,
He no longer runs in a
traight line, but he sweeps away to the !
eIt-swerves away to the right and :
'hanges his gait to trot. When he i
lears the shouts of pursuit and the $
ouaer thumps of hoof-beats, he will
away and show the pursuers i
gait which nothing but a whirlwind /
an equal ~" :;
LOOK! 1t is only a quarter of a mile I
low to the turn in the valley. The lone t
orse has suddenly stopped to sniff the
II. His ears are pointed STRAIGHT a
head, MS eyes grow larger and take on $
frightened look and he half wheels az
ne would gallop back to those who t
ave seemingly pursued. Five, eiybt h
en- seconds. and with a snort of alarn, h
e breaks into a terrific run. takes the ex- I,
rene left OF the valley. and goes tearino n
ut OF sight as if followed by lions. Il
Inc grim sergeant sees ..signs'' in W
ne actions of the horse. Every troonar Y
looking ahead and to the right. Tbe n
reen valley runs into the fringe. the c
1nge into dense thicket, the thicker b
ITO rock and pine and mountain slope Il
@ eye can penetrate that fringe. The e.
ndians may be in ambush there. or the Il
orse may have scented wolf or grizzly O.
Forward .
no man knows what danger turks in
&c fringe. but the order was to scout p