The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-09-29


sunburned and bronzed, every sabre and
carbine showing long use, every horse lift
ing its head from the grass at short inter-
walls for swift glance up and down the
valley.
Here, at the foot of the mountain, the
Apache trail, which has been followed for
three days, has grown cold Aye, it has
been lost. 1t is as if the white man had
followed path which suddenly ended at
precipice. From this point the red de-
mons took wings, and the oldest trailer is
at fault.
The men on picket looked up and down
the narrow valley with anxious faces
Down the valley, mile away, solitary
wild horse paws and prances and utters
shrill neighs of wonderment and alarm.
Up the valley is long stretch of green
grass, the earth as level as floor and no
visible sign of life The 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
a branch waves The eye of lynx could
detect nothing beyond the cratic move
ments of the lone wild horse adown the
valley and the circular flight of an eagle
80 high in 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 dis
covered beyond what has been described.
1t is lost trail. There something in it to
arouse suspicion as we'll as annoyance. Ten
miles away the trail was as plain as coun-
try highway, and the Indians had no sus-
picion of pursuit. Five miles back there
were signs of commotion. Here in the
centre of the valley, every footprint sud
denly disappears.
Look, now A sergeant with grizzly
locks and fighting jaw rides down the val
lev, followed by FIVE troopers. They are
to scout for the lost trail Every man has
unslung his carbine, every saddle-girth has
been frightened, 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 slow
gallop. 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 horses's feet
What's that! Afar up the slope to the
right something waves to and fro for a
moment. Higher up the signal is answer
ed. 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 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 they are only
half mile away, and his breath comes
quick and his nostrils culver as he stands
and stares at the strange spectacle. A lit
tie nearer and his muscles twitch and culver
and his sharp pointed ears work faster.
Only eighty rods now, and with fierce
snort of alarm and defiance he rcars up,
whirls about like top, and is off down the
valley like an arrow sent by strong hand.
The sight may thrill, but it does not in
crease the pace of those who follow. The
men see the wild horse fleeing before them,
but the sight does not hold their eyes more
than second. To the right-to the left
above them-down the valley-they are
looking for footprint, for a trampled
spot, for broken twig-for sign how
ever insignificant to prove that men have
passed that way. They find nothing.
The signals up the mountain side were Wis
ible only for seconds.
After the first wild burst of speed the
lone horse looks back He sees that he is
not being pushed, and he RECEIVERS courage.
He no longer runs in a straight line, but
he sweeps away to the left-swerves away
to the right, and changes his gait to a trot.
When he hears the shouts of pursuit and
the louder thump of hoof-beats he will
straighten away and show the pursuers
gait which nothing but whirl-wind can
equal.
Look! 1t is only quarter of a mile
now to the turn in the 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
look and he half wheels as if he would gal
lop back to those who have seemingly pur-
sued. Five, eight, ten seconds, and with
snort of alarm he breaks into terrific run,
takes the extreme left of the valley, and
goes tearing out of sight as if followed by
lions.
HALT!
The grim sergeant see signs in the &C