The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-24
FINDING THE TRAIL.
A Sergeant's Scouting Squad on tha
Lookout for ''Signs."


Detroit Free Press.
Here IN the shadow OF this grim mountaiu
Is a camp Of cavalry-2oO men In faded and
ragged blue uniforms, every face sunburnei
aud bronzed, every sabre and rarbine show.
Ing long use. every horse lifting his hea 1
from th, grass et short intervals for a swift
glance up and down the valley
Here. AZ the foot 1T the mountain, ths
Apache trail which has been followed for
.liree days has grown cold Aye. il has bean
lost Ii is as if the white men had followed q
path which suddenly endel At pre,il,irr
From THIS point the rcG demons took wins;a
and the oldest trailer Is at fault
The men on picket looked up and down the
narrow valley with anxious faces powd
the valley. "a mile away, solitary will
horse paws and prances and uttcrs shrill
neighs of wondernent and alarm. Up the
valley Is a long stretch Of green grass, the
earth as level "a floor and no visible sim Of
life, The pines, and shrubs and rocks on the
mountain side might hide 10000 Indians, bpr
there Is not the lishteSt movement TO arou-e
suspicion. II is still, hot day. Not bird
chirps. bot a branch waves The eye OF \
lynx could detect nothing beyond the eIratic
movements of the lone wild horse adowu the
valley, and the circular flight Of an eagle so
high in air that the proud bird seemed no
larger than sparrow.
For an hour every man and horse hsA
looked for signs" but nothing has been dis
covered beyond what has been described II
is a lost trail There is something In IL to
arouse suspicion as well as annoyance Ten
miles away the trail was a. plain as coun
,yl,t nl itn InI tpI
cion OF pursuit Five miles back there were
signs of comnotion. Here, In the ccutre OF
the valley, every footprint suddenly disap-
pears.
Look nowl A sergeant with grizzly locks
and fighting jaw rides down the valley fol.
lowed by five troopers They are to scout for
the lost trail. Every man has unslung hls
carbine, every saddiegiith has been tight
ened, and every rlan of the six looks over
the camp as he rides ont as il he had been
told that he was bidding last farwell 70
comrades. They ride at "A slow gallop. Each
man casts swift glances along the mountain
side to his rght--aiong tie mountain side to
his !eit--at the green grass under his horses
feet
What's that! Afar up the slope to tho
right something waves 10 and fro for a mo.
ment Higher up the signal is answered.
Across the valley on tie other slope it is
answered again. Down the valley, a 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 Apa.
ehes, eager, excited. ami mounted, draw
tack into the fringe at The base of the moul,
tain and wait,
The ,.'','" .','" Jand gallop straight down upon
the lone horse. Now they are only half a
mile away, and his breath comes quick an,l
his nostyils quiver as he stands ana stares ut
the strange spectacle A little nearer and his
muscles twi,cb and quver and his sharp
pointed ears work faster. Only eighty rods
now, and with a fierce snort II alarm and de-
Eance he rears up, whirls about like top,
ara il oi down the valley like an arrow sent
by strong hand, The sight may thrill, hat
II does not increase the pace Of those who
follow The men see the wild horse fleeing
before them, but the sight does not hold theiI
eyes more than second To the righf---to
the left--ahove them down the valley--they
ate looking for hoof-print for trampled
spot fer broken iwig---tor a sign however
insignificant IN prove that inen have passed
tHat way iEtN Tiiu nOtulils. lie s'cnAis
up the mountain side were visible only 70,
seconds
After the first wild burst Of speed the lone
horse looks back He sees that he Is not
being pushed. and he recovers courage He
10 longer runs in straight line, but he
sweeps away 10 the left--swerves away to
the right, and changes his gait to trot.
When he hears the shouts of pursuit aud
the louder thump Of hoof- beats he will
struighten away and show the pursuers
gait which nothing but whirlwind col
equal
Looki II is only a quarter Of mile now
10 the turn In the valley. The lone horse has
suddenly stopped 10 snff the air. His ears
are pointed straight ahead, his eyes grow
larger aud take OH frightened look and hs
half wheels as II he would gsllop back &c
those who have seemingly pursued Five,
eight ten seconds aud with a snort Of alarm
he breaks into terrific run, takes the ex
treme left Of the valley and goes tearing oui
Of sight ms If followed by lions
"Haltr
The grim sergeant sees signs in the &C.
tions of the horse. Every trooper Is looking
ahead and TO the right. The green valley
runs into the fringe the fringe into dense
thicket, the thicket into rock and pine and
mountain slope No eye can penetrate that
fringe The Indians may be in ambush there,
or the horsa may have scented wolf az.
grizzly
Forward"
No man knows what danger turks in the
fringe. but the order was 10 scout beyond the
bend To disobey is ignomy and Disgrace. to
art Ia 4 n.
ring In the valley Every limb and bough il.
as still a. il made Of iron. There is a silence
which weighs like heavy burden. and the
harsh note Of hawk or buzzard would be a
relief
Here Is the bond The valley continues an
tefOre-no wider--no narrower--level aud
unhlCksn The wild horse wa- cut 9f siga.
long ago, and The six troopers see nothing
bat the green grass as their eyes sweep the
railcy from side tu side
Turn The bend and ride down the valley
for mile OF so. siid keep your eyes open to
discover any pass leading cut
Halt"
II * mere than miie beyesd the bend
No pas ha. been discovered. No si2ns of a
uail have been picka1 up The sergeant !la.
raised himself np for q long aud careful
scrutiny. wien an exclamation causes him 10
;urn hi, face up the valley. OCT from th,.
fringe ride the demons Who have been luis
ing there 10 drink blood Five--ten--twen
-afty-,he line has no eni II stretches
cleai across the valley before wor,, las
teen spoSrn Then il faces 20 the right, ani
2N Indians In war paint face the grim old
sergeant and his five troopers.
"iut0 line--right dIess"
!, j. the sergeant who whispers the order
Six 10 200. but he will fece the danger. To
retreat down the valley is 10 be overtnken
one by one aud shot from the saddle or re.
served for torture. Down the valley there IL
no hope, up the valley Is tue camp and res
cue. The two lines face each other for u,.
ment without a movement
Now, inen, one vol!ey--s,ing carbines-
druN sabres aud charge"
4 sheet @: fiameoa roar--a cloud Of smoke.
and the six horses sprMs forward. Then
here IL q g'ani ycl,, a rtisn by gvc!y ho.s
and rider, al w.iiripoo. begin 90 circle.
Sahres CLASH an ciang wh.s.ip-:e-
voivers po2--ro.ccs shoit anl setcam iti.
not three minutes sin e tae first caiLine VA
fred, bur the tiugeiy has eiislcI Evt.y
troper Is dowp and .salpet, half dege;i
rc'.sS'n- ara lead or dying. dozen horses