The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-10-27
THE SKELETONS STORY.
Ride closer,


two miles of parched turf and rocky
space. To the rght-the left-behind,
is the rolling prairie. This broad val
lev strikes the Sierra Ncyadas and
stops as if wall had been built
across it.
What is it on. the grass? a skull
here-a rib there-bones scattered
about rs the wild beasts left them after
the horrible feast. The ean-picked
skull grins and starcs-every bone and
scattered lock of hair has its story OF a
tragedy. And what besides these rel
les? More bones--not scattered, but
lying in heaps-a vertehrm with ribs
attacaed-a tleshless skull bleaching
under the summer sun. Wolves! Yes.
Count the heaps Of bones and you will
find nearly score. Open boats are
picked up at sea with neither life nor
SIGN to betray their secret Skeletons
ere found upon the prairie, but they tell
u plain story to those who halt beside
them Let us listen:
Away of TO The right You can see
trce-top5 Away off to the left you can
see the same sight. The skeleton is in
line between the two points. He left
one grove TO ride 10 the other. To ride,
Cor+oi,1,.. r,iIo ,u.,,, ;s tho cLolotor
of = horse or muIe line beast fell and
wos inft thoro r. no lnft tbo ,,royo ~
m 80" ho Would bayn heon ryitbin a mia
of this spot at dusk. 1t is therefore,
plf,nronnn nr nnssihIv NJ drsr Slime
- I,J;ous ,,,o, Loyo dr;,o, hin, iron,
HI, ,ro,,,i,,n wound ~. noybon no boJ
exhausted The game and was shifting to
new fields.
It Is months since that ride, and the
trail has been obliterated. Were il 9th
crwjsc and Won took it up from the
snot where the skeleton horse now lies,
Won would find the last three or four
milns made nj = tremendous pace.
,.S,onr s,cu' s,epr'
Wnat is i,5 Darkness has gathered
over mountain and prairie rs the hunter
;,oy .lopo, ov.r rho brnlnn urouud
Oyerho,d thc countless s,ors lool, down
rnon -,ropnd hin, i ,rn nall of
uich, Thnrn ,,.. thr natter Of foot.
,trns on ,hn dr. oross He boI,s and
,oors ,round lin Lut tho d,rtnnss is
loo dcrn for him ln discover any cause
for alarm
.po,,r,., ,,pt,or, rottcr'''
Thrrr !, q ,roIri /, is not Gftv
v.rls ,r,,, ,,r,n,. In I.,cr bol,nd Tbn
y,nne ..r,. t,, I',g., t,r those If an In
Jion 4 rriy, q vyn,ld rusb mon ils
yirt,,o Win -, roar Of Jr,ionce and an.
ccr ,',,,,.,. ,n,Ii hIrl himself
5.'.. i.,. -, srarr with 8
scream ~ i,.,het!c INC nalu'cSt h"'''ci'
owes Whispers inc H"ii'er' Us
now Suuuehly breaks upon MS eur
NoIVes! Inc gauH'' gr,HH'y wolves
OF the loot-niiiS-thIi' ana poor, ana
hungry ana saVa%e-Ihe lcgS 'lrcle'S-
the mouth luil OF 'eelh "nicI can crack
the shouluer-Dohe OF o'ihaio' TIC can
see 'Iieir dark forms iilltihS from PolhV
10 polht-Ihe paI'cr Oh 'heir 'eet "Po!
inc parGhcd grass proves that lie IS SUI
rouhueu,
NO" t'ie i"Cc p'gI"S. lhcIc Is u"
sheI'cI uhtil 'he grove Is tc'ciieu' III
st!hct gu'ueS inc HORSE ana terror
iaShtS MN WIN Such WHIP rs human
nan" never W'eI"'', over sp'ce'
through the gloom almost rs sNltI as
an arrow sent by u strong ha"d' Dui
dark me follows q me OF WolVeSs
spreads ou' 10 the riGht ana leH' ana
gaIIops alter tongues ou'-eieS ha'h-
lngIgreat lakes OF foam hyln& DacN
10 b!otch stone ana grass anu leave
trail to be followed 10y the coWardly
coyotes.
Men ride thus only when life : the
stake. a horse puts forth such speed
only when terror follows close behind
and causes every nerve TO tighten ike
wire drawn until the scratch Of q
finger MAKES it chord with wall OF de-
spair. a pigeon could not skim this
valley with such swittncss, and yet tho
wings OF fate are broad, and long and
tireiess. The line is there-aye! it is