Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-25
fDetroit Free Prssal

Detroit Free Prea.
II yoa seand here and peer through
il the wagon of lone emiRfaut family,
provo that The journey has been long
and weary. Ten fest away ara tho en-
bofs of the 6ro on which the evening
meal was covked. Between the wagon
and the fire is the rude bed of robes and
blankets on which the mother and
children are sleeping. On the other
side Of the vehicle stand tho horses,
munching ct the short, sweet grass or
listening TO the far-of voice eft the wolf.
This il the background. In the fore
ground sentinel sits with his back to
the solitary cottonwood. At his right
hand runs q little bfook-at his left ID
the boundless prairie, DER which night
has spread her mantle. Forty feet away
are wife and children, trusting to his
vigilance. Overhead gray white clouds
are driving across the star Lit heavens,
and the moan of the wind has an I'M
easy, nervous sound. Away out on the
prairie the wolf Rallops from knoll to
knoll and snu6s the air, and the coyote
guaws at the b!eached bones of the buf-
falo and utters lis short, sharp cries OF
hunger.
Il there danger! ALI day long as the
tired horses pulled the wagon at slow
pace, the emigrans has carefully scanned
the circle about him, but without cause
for uneasinees. he knows he is in the
Indian country, and for the last twenty
four hours his nerves have been braced
to hear their dreadful war whoop and
70 catch sight of q band riding down
upon him.
II is midnight az We find him. His
ear has been a. keen a. fOx's and his
eye has not rested for q moment. The
stakes are human iyes-his life With
the rest. The odds are ten to one
against him.
"Ah, If We were back to the old home
in Ohio! You remember the old farm
house hidden away among the cherry
and pear trees? There is the highway,
lined With dusty May weeds. Half q
mile beyond il the quaint little school
house, where the children learned their
A. b, C. Half . mile above is the bridge
across the"
The sentinel rouses up and rubs his
eyes. 1t was the creek talking to him.
As he listened to its mon0tonous bab-
BILE 1t suddenly began to converse in
plain tongue. For a moment he 10
thrilled and alarmed He looks keenly
sbOut and listens with bated breath.
There are the same sOunds-the MUNICH
ing of the horses-the babbling of the
brook now and then half grOan from
one of the children sleepina an uneasy
sleep. And now the brook talks again :
There was the big, brown barn full
of sweet smelling hay-ths pasture lot
bare legged children used to wade-the
orchard with its burden OF fruit. Don't
you remember how you used to sit on
the stOop at evening time and smoke
your pipe and watch the children at
play on the grass! How peaceful every
thing was There was drowsy feeling
IN the summer air-the lazy hum of in
sects-the low songs OF the good wife
as she rocked baby to sleep-why, you
sometimes fell asleep and let your pipe
drop"
The brook cabbled and the man slept.
Aye the sentinel who had five lives in
bis keeping slept and dreamed, and in
his dreams wandered back to the old
home and heard the old familiar
sounds.
"Shr p It was a rustic in the grass
Turn to the lift a little more. Thers it
IL. Thirty feet from the sleeping man
rattlesnake rears its head above the
grass and looks around. Its eyes CLEAN
like stars the neck swells. the tongue
flashes IN and out, and its coils and I'M
coils itself as II in fierce combat. Now
1t IL advancing-now it swerves to the
riRht-nOw to to the left-now 1t haits
and coils itself to strike. It might
creep up and bury its fangs in the flesh
OF tho sleeping man, and IL will It
creepe again. It glides through the
grass like Rleam-now to the right
now to the left-now straight ahead.
"S-s-s-hr'
The serpent halts. Twenty feet more
and 1t could have struck the sleeper,
but some movement Of his alarmed it,
and it Rlides away for fifty feet, as fast
as Q shadow travels.
Now look beyond the snake! Is il a
second serpent worping it way over the
ground to surrounoA the keeper with
peril! Is it wolf or panther creeping
forward to make a victim? Now you
can see more clearly. There is the scalp
look and feathers-the dark face-the
cleaning eyes-the shut teeth and
bronzed throat of BlackfoOt warrior.
A courier from one branch of his tribe
to another; he has discovered the equip.
ment, clrCled around it twice, and Is
creeping on the man, who sleeps instead
Of watches.
How softly he moves: A panther
stealing upon q listening dec would not
exercise more care. Almost inch by
inch, and yet he is slowly approaching.
he was hundred feet away. Now he
Is Observation-Disclosures He
can see dark mass at the foot of the
tree. and be knows that the sentinel
must be asleep, or he would not be in
that position.
See the rattlesnake. 1t has faced
about. 1t it was daylight you could see
fiercer CLEAN in its eye-a fiercer
flash OF its red tongue. A straight line
OF sixty feet drawn from the Indian to
the tree would pass over the snake.
Now the warrior creeps forward again
not weed breaking. not a rustic to
prove his presence. Two feet-four-
six. See the snake! Its head ia
thrown back-its eyes shoot aparks-
there goes the deadly z-z-z.z Of his rat
tie. The head of the Indian is not
s~ASC w. 0Wuy 30 iO uC0IS bu0 OlOluOU6
sound. He draws back, but there il a
dart, flash. and something strikes him
full in the face, and is not shakea OF
until be springs to kis feet with a cry
heard for half mile around, and
PUSHES away in the darkness.
T What was it? The sentinel ia wide
awake and upon his feet. Wife and
children have been startled fros, their
slumber to grow white faced and trem-
BILE. Even the horses have raised their
heads and are peering into the night.
There was siKgle crv-the Wild
scream Of human being suddenly tex.
rified.
ut was nothing-nothinQ but the
howl OF wolf!' whispers the sentineI
as he walks over to comfort wife and
children; and by and BY all is Quiet ana
peaceful ~ before. The night Qrovs
apace-tAe stars fade-dayl Wight break.
AZ the sun comes up tho wagon moves
on III way. and the brook and the camp
and the cottonwood are left behind.
YES. Il was the howl Of some wolf
prcvlinR about" whispers the emioranf
n - =