Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-10
DAILY POST MfELidGEICER'
FINDING TME TEAL

FINDING TME TRAIL
He,ein the shadow of this grim noun
s.iu ia a camp of cavairy-p zen II
fadad and ragged bloc uniforms. every
tsce sunburucd and bEonzed, every saber
and f.xrtipe showing long use, every
horse lifting its head from the grass al
short intervals for swift glance up and
down the valley.
Here. At tbs foot Of the mountain, the
Apache trail, which has teen followed
Zoe three days, has grown cold; aye, y
has been lost Il 10 g II the vnise men
I'D followed Path which suddeniy emo
a al { prscipdce. Prom this posns the
red demon took wings, and the oaoess
trailer II at fault.
TIE men on picket looked up and down
the narrow valley with anxious iaosA
DOM the valley, Q mile away, . solitary
Wild horss paws and pranes:. ana 1ssen
shriu nsiahs Of wondsrusrt ana alekm.
Co the valley IL . long stretch OF gree 2
arass: the earth Is level g noof ana
co eion Of life 10 visible The pines ana
shrubs and rocks ON the mountain coe
MIGHT hide ten Thousand Indians. ous
there 10 not the slightest movement 70
arouse Suspicion. Is 10 Q stu, nos osy.
Not Q bird shirps. mot branch wsves-
The eye Of lynx could detect nosofng
beyond the erratic movements Oh tne
lone Wild horse down the valley. ano sns
ciroular fight of an eagle 70 high IN cir
that the proud bird seemed no larger
than sparrow.
Looked for SIGNS, "but nothing has been
disroyered beyond what u already de-
scribed. Il Ii O lost trail. There 10
somsthino in il 70 arouse suspicion -
we'll AZ annoyance. Ten miles away the
trail was as plain AZ country highway,
and the Indians had no Suspicious OF
uursuit. Five miles back there we're
sious of connection: here. in the center
of the valley. every footprint suddenly
Disappears.
Look, nov. A sergeant With grizzly
locks and fighting jaw rides down the
valley followed by five troopsfs- They
are TO scout for the lost trail Every man
has unslung his carbine. every saddle
airth has been tightened, and every man
Of the six looks over the camp as be rides
sut az IL he had been told that he was
bidding last farewell 10 his comrades
They ride at q SLOW gallop. Eacn man
casts swift glanoes along the mountain
side 70 his right-eiong tins mountain
side to his lsft--at the green grass under
his horses feet.
What's that! Far up the slope 70 the
right something waves 70 and fro Tor
moment. Higher mp the signal ID an
sxersd. Across the valley on the other
slope i. 10 answered again. Down the
valley. a full two miles beyond where the
Wild horse now stands liks figure OF
stone, and where the valley sweeps to the
right like a sudden turn OF river, the
signal In caught up, and 200 Apaohes, ca
yer, exDited and mounted, draw back
into - fringe at the bass Of the noun
tain and wait.
The little band Rsilop straight down
npon the lone horse. Nov they ars only
half mills away, and his breath comes
quick aud his uostrils culver as be stands
snd stares nj the strange spectacle. A
little nearer and his muscles tvitch and
culver and his sharp pointed ears work
faster. The sight may thrill but Il does
not increase the pace Of those who fol
low. The men see the wild horse fleeing
before thorn, bat the sight does not hold
their eyes more than seccnd. To tbs
right, TO the left, above them, down the
valley, they are looking for hoof- print.
for q trampied spot, for a broken twig
for sign, however insignificant. ~
prove that men have passed that way.
They find nothing. The signals up
the taountain side we're visible only for
seconds.
After the first wild burst of speed tho
lone horse looks back. He sees that he
II not being pursued, and he RECEIVERS
courage. He no longer runs In straight
line, but be sweeps away 70 the left
swerves away TO the right, and changes
his gait to trot. When he hears the
shouts of pursuit and the louder thump
Of hoof-beats he will straighten away
and show his pursuers gait which no
thing but . whirlwind can equal.
Look! IL Ii only a quarter Of mile
now 70 the urn in the valley. The lone
horse has suddenly stopped 70 sniff the
air. His ears are pointed straight ahead.
and his eyes grow larger and take on
frightened look, and he half wheels as
II he would gallop back to those who
have seemingly pursued. Five, eight,
ten seconds, and with Q sharp mort
Of alarm he breaks into q tsrrihc run,
takes the extreme left OF the valley, and
goes tearing out Of sight - IL followed
BY lions.
"Haltr'
The grim sergeant sees signs in the
actions Of the horss. Every trooper IL
looking ahead and TO the night. The
green valley runs into the fringe, the
fringe into dense thiokst, the thickst
into rocks and pines and mountain
elope. No eye can Venstrate that
fringe. hs1ndians may b in ambush
thete, or the horse may have scented q
wolf or grizzly.
"For ard"
No man knows what danger turks In
the fringe, but the order was 20 scout
beyond the bend. To disobey il iano-
miny and diagrace; 70 ride forward is-
wait! There % no air stirring in the
valley. Every limb and bouRh u a. still
- II made OF iron. There d q silence
which weighs like heavy burden, and
the harsh note Of hawk or buxxard would
b . relief.
Here l. the bend. The valley CONTINUES
a. before, NO wider, no narrower, lsyel
and unbroksn. The Wild horss was out
OF sight long ago. and the nix troop
ers 80 nothing bat she green grass a
thstr syss sweep The valley fr0m side
20 eide.
.Turn the band and ride down the
veA1Sy A0S ~ Univ VI ~ 00O 1--WE y0Qx
svee open to discover any paas Lending
out"
"Haltr'
10 10 more than q mile beyond the bend.
No pass has bssu discovered; no aiens OF
trail have been picked up. The ear
goant hrs raised himself mp for long
and careful scrutiny, when an sxclama-
ton oauses him 10 turn his faoe up the
valley. Out from the fringe ride the
demons who have been lurking there 20
drink alood. Five, ten, twenty, 6fty-
the line has NO end. ID strsschsu clear
a0ross the valley before q word has besn
spoken. Then u faces to the right,
and two hundred indiana in war paint
face the grim old sergeant and his ave
troopors.
Into line-right dre0.'
u 10 the sergeant who whisporu the or
der. Sixto two hundred, bat be win faoe
the danger. To retreat down the valley
10 10 b overtaken one by one and ahot
from the saddle or reserved for torture.
down the valisy there II no hope; up the
valley n the camp and rsscus. The two
linsa face each other for moment with
out movement.
Nov, mon. one volisy. sline oarbinsa,
draw sabsrs and CHANGE