The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-08-30
Finding tl,e Trail

, mountain Is camp OF CaValry-20O
men in faded and ragged blue uniforms
every face sunburned and bronZed,
every sabre and carbine showing long
use, every horse lifting ils head from
the grass at short intervals for Il 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 beon lost. 1t is as if the
white man had followed path which
suddenly ended at Il precipice. From
this point tho red demons took wings,
and the oldest trailer is ut fault.
Tho men on picket looked up and
down the narrow valley with anxious
f'lCes. Down the valley, mile away, u
solitary wild horse paws and prances
anu uttcrs shrill neighs of wonderment
ana alarm. Up the valley is long
stretch of green grass, the earth rs level
as floor and no visible sign of life.
The pines and shrubs and rocks on the
mountain side might hide ten thou
sand Indians, but there is not the
Silgi!tcst movement TO arouse suspicion.
IT is still, hot day. Not bird
cnirpS, not branch waves. The eye
of a lynx could detect nothinr
beyond the cratic movements of the
lone wild horse adown the valley and
The circular fight of an eagle SO high
IN air that the proud bird seemed no
larger than sparrow.
For an hour every man and horse
mas looked for signs, but nothing has
been discovered beyond what has been
described. 1t is lost trail. There
something in it to arouse suspicion as
we'll as annoyance. Ten miles away
tne trail was as plain rs Il country
highway, and the Indians had no sus-
picion of pursuit. Eve miles back
there were signs Of commotion, Here
III the center Of the valley. every foot
print suddenly disappears.
Look, nowl 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 lnslung his carbine, every
saddle-girth has been frightened, and
every man OF the six looks over the
camp rs he rides out as if he had been
| told that he was bidding Il last farwell
to comrades. They ride at Il slow GAL
l0p. Each man casts swift glances
along the mountain side to his right
along the mountain side to his left
at the green grass under his horcs's
feet.
WHAT'S thatl Afar up the slope to
the right something waves to and fro
tor moment. Higher up the signal
Is answered. Across the valley on
the other slope it is answered
again. Down the valley, full two
miles beyond where the wild horse
now stands like 81 hgnro of stone, md
where the valley sweeps to the right
like the sudden turn of a river, the
signal is caught up and 200 Apaches,
eager, excited and mounted, drew
back into the fringe at the base of
the mountain and wait.
The little band gallop straight
down upon the lone horse. Now thew
are only half 3 mile away, and his
breath comes quick and his nostrils
culver rs he stands and starcs Ut the
strange spectacle. A little nearer
and his muscles twtch and culver
and his sharp-pointed ears work fast
er. only eighty rods now, and with
tierce snort of alarm and defiance
he rears up, whirls about like Il top,
and Is OFT down the valley live an ar
row sent by a StrOug hand The sight
may thrill, but it does not increase the
pace OF those who follow. The men SEQ
the wild horse fleeing before them, but
the sight does not hold their eyes more
, than a second. TO the right-to the
left-above them-down tie valley
, they are looking for a hoof-print, for 4
, tramplcd spot, for broken twg-for a
sign however insignificant to prove that
men have passed that way. They find
nothing. The signals up the mountain
, side were visible only for seconds.
, After tho first wild burst of speed the
lone horse looks back. lie sees that he
IS not being pushed, and he RECEIVERS
courage. He 10 longer runs in u straight
; line, but he sweeps away to the left
swcrves away to the right, and changes
his gait to Il trot. When he hears the
, shouts OF pursuit and the louder thump
or hoof-beats he will straighten away
add show the pursuers a gait which
nothing but whirl-wind can equal.
LoOkl 1t is only a quarter Of q mile
now to the turn in tho valley. The
lone horse has suddenly stopped to sniff
the air. His ears are pointed straight
ahead, his eyes grow larger and take on
: frightened lack and he half wheels as
II nc would gallop back to those who
have seemingly pursued. Five, eight,
ten seconds, and with q snort Of alarm
he breaks into a terrific run, takes tho
, extaeme left Of the valley, and goes
, tearing out Of sight as if followed by
lions,
"IIaltr'
The grim sergeant see signs in the
actirns Of the horse. Every TROOPER Is
looking ahead and to the right. The
green valley runs into the friege, the
fringe into dense thicket, the thickct
into rock and pine and mountain slope.
NO eye conld penetrate that fringe.
The Indians may be ambushed there. or
the horse may have scented wolf or grriZ-
zly.
"Forward ~,
No man knows what danger turks in
, the fringe, but the order was to scout
beyond the bond, 10 disobey is ignom-
, my and disgrace; to ride forward is
waitl There is no air stirring in the
valley. Every limb and bough is as
, still as If made of iron. There is a
silence which weighs like II heavy bur.
den, and the harsh note of hawk or
, buIzaiu would be q relief.
> Here is tho bend, Tho valley con-
) tinues as bcfOro--no wider-no narrow
er-level and unbrokcn. The wild
} horse was out of sight long ago, and the
six troopers see nothing but tic green
, grass as their eyes sweep the valley