The Brookhaven leader., 1883-08-09
FINDING THE TRAIL.

Here III Jne SHduOW VI InlS grim
mountain is a camp of cavalry two
hundred men in faded and ragged blue
uniforms, every face sunburned and
bronzed. every saber and carbine show
ing long use, every horse lifting its
head from the grass at short intervals
for swift glance up and down the val
ley.
Here, at the foot of the mountain,
the Apache trail which has been fol-
lowed for three days, has grown cold.
Ave, it has been lost. 1t is as if the
white men had followed a path which
suddenly ended at a precipice. 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 Vllley with anxious
faces. Down the valley, mile away,
Il solitary wild horse paws and prances
and utters shrill neighs of wonderment
and alarm. Up the valley is a long
stretch Of green grass, the earth as
level as a floor and no visible sign of
life. TIE 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 a still, hot day. Not bird chirps,
not branch waves. The eye of a
lynx could detect nothing beyond the
erratic 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 it TO 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 tightened, 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
lop. Each man casts swift glances
along the mountain side to his left-at
the green grass under his horses feet.
What's 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 it is answered again. Down the
valley, full two miles beyond where
the wild horse now stands like figure
of stone, and where the valley sweeps
to the right like the sudden turn of a
river the signal is caught up and two
hundred Apaches, eager, excited and
mounted, 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 a mile away, and his breath
comes quick and his nostrils quiver as
he stands and stares at the strange
spectacle. A little nearer and his MUS
cles twitch and quiver 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 a top, and is off down the
valley like an arrow sent by Il strong
hand. The sight may thrill, but it does
not increase the pace of those who fol-
low. The men see the wild horse flee
ing before them, but the sight does not
hoid their eyes more than a second. To
The right-to the left-above them
down they valley-they are looking for
hoof-print, for trampled spot, for a
broken twig-for a sign however insig-
nlhcant to prove that men have passed
That way. They find nothing The
signals up the mountain side were visi-
bic only for seconds.
After the first wild burst of speed the
lone horse looks back. He sees that he
Is not being pursued. and he RECEIVERS
courage. He no longer runs in a
straight line, but he sweeps away to the
lett-swerves away to the right and
changes his gait to trot. When he
hears the shouts of pursuit and the
louder thumps of hoof-beats, he will
straighten away and show the pursuers
gait which nothing but whirlwind
can equal.
Look! 1t is only a quarter of mile
now to the turn in the valley. The lone
horse has suddenly stopped to sniff the
ar His ears are pointed straight
ahead, 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 a snort of alarm
he breaks into terrific run, takes the ex-
treme left of the valley. and goes tearing
out OF sight as if followed by lions.