Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-04-26

Sc, % his arrival ~ tee foFt ne rapped
/ as the door of the eolenels room and
asked for the mail. he Was inforued
that the colonel had not finished bis
dispatches, bss that the mail vo0ld be
delivered b him in an hour. The coa-
daesor avAileS himself of this time 70
clean, oil and inspect his ride and re-
volvers- Carefully counting his cart
ridges. he found that be had only fifty
/ for his rife. and that be could procure
none al tue fort, as IL vas of q eslIber
different from the army guns. However,
be obtained = plentiful supply Of am
muniti0u for his reyolyers-
Wien the mail vas delivered TO him
il was sitter midnight. and tse MIGHT
vas dark and threatening Mounting
bis nOv refreshed horse and shsklng
hands With the sergeant, who attended
/ ksm AZ far as the gate of the corral, ne
rode away in the darkness with tue
fact known % him that before h'rn lay
danger, perhaps death. AID perhaps
both death and torture
The night grew darker; thea nSsn
ot lightning tore through the elo1ds IL
l the south, followed By the lov rumble
of thunder; then the lightning cauie
1 a sd after fash, and the rain fell 10
torrents, and heavy crashes OF thCuder
shook the earth. There was No Tef1gS
TO fy to ia that lonely valley, ans toe
| horse, now trembling and frightened,
| refused 10 face the storm. His rider,
| dIsmouutine. turned bis face from the
| pitisess storm and held the hoFsa BY the
/ reins.
An honr passed, and still the rain
continued to descend. The conductor
v.s ssaked With water. aad his buck
skin clothes hung upon him IN heavy
cIasumy folds At last light appe ared
under the strata of clouds, tbs rain
CEASED and she Stars shone ous ones
more.
Again moanting his horse, be set Of
on a sharp ealIop, the horse splashing
| through pudaIes of water that illed
every depression in the road. He soon
reached the place where he bad found
| tie camp Of soldiers, but the tents were
gone. The soldiers had either travelled
/ 10 she town on the railway or else had
| gone to tbs half breed settlement in the
west.
The east now grew rosy with light,
and from far across the prairie came
the booming cry Of the prairie chicken.
/ the herald of the dawn. In the air
| shove him be could hear the whistle
of the wings Of wildfowl flying away to
their homes 10 the northern lakes and
| from the bluffs above came the dismal
/ howl Of the wolf. Soon the mists rose
aud the sunlight flooded the ssrth, and
| the chirping of birds was heard on all
sides, and the day was there in its
glory.
The rider had now reached the point
whsre the road left the valley, and.
carefully surveying the bluffs with his
glass for the presence of an eae my, he
failed to detect any sign of q living
creature. He rode slowly up the hill.
keeping a sharp lookout for ambushes.
bas reached the top unmolested. After
riding mile or so he stopped to allow
his horse to Craze for short time on
the dry bunch grass. aud, mounting a
small bill, with his glass he swept the
horizon in all directions All that be
could see was three baffaloes resting on
hillside. Once more in the saddle, he
set of en- a sharp trOt and rode for an
hour, when he reached the place near
where the buffaloes had disappeared
down the bluffs.
Suddenly a warwhoop pealed through
the air, and from ravine in front of
him rushed ten warriors, almost naked,
their faces daubed with war paint and
their guns in their hands.
instantly refining in his horse, he IN
slung his rifle and was preparing TO FIRE
at the leading Indian when a Warwhoop
from behiHd startled him. Looking in
that direction, be saw body of twenty
i've or thirty indians riding down upon
him az full speed. Seeing that his re
treat was cut OF, he fred his rife at the
advancing band; and then, turning his
horse, he spurred over the prairie in the
only directisn that be could Ro-to the
westward.
Now began raee for life. The noble
horse seemed to know that his riders
life depended on his heetness. His
hoofs came lightly aHd firmly down AZ
he went skimminR over the prairie with
the speed Of ths antelope. Thud, thud
behind, on the graveliy soil of the prai-
RE fell the ho0f beats of the pursueTs
whe . rags and tatters were fiapping IL
the wind, their wolfish eyes liked on the
slight boyish form on the black hurs
thst was speedi1g away from them. Al
they rode, the cry of triumph issued
frsm their lips; they kaew that the
scalp OF the flying figure would soou
bang al the belt OF some of their band
As long as he rode in that direction be
was riding away from help-wss ridinf
20 where the white man had never beer
known to 20 and return.
Mile after mile passed. and the black
horse still rushed onward with uniirins
limbs. His pur~usrs were nog far be
hind with the exception Of two, who
we're but few hundred yards behind
aim. These be did not fear, as be knew
that bis rife would reach far beyond
their guns, and when the rest OF The
bind were out Of sight he.would stoE
and pat them where they would nevel
trouble an express rider again.
AT last the edge OF a deep eonlee Is
reached; the rider looks for a place to
de scend; there is no path. Tne rayint
At least fifty feet deep. He. tnrns
and rides along a buffalo path that
skirts the edge. A siekssiine odor nov
reaches his nostrils. He sees an obi o,
lying IN the path before kim. He h4its
for a second. IL is the body Of horse,
and al its side lies the mntiIated form
of lie rider. By the letters that atreu
the ground he knows IL Is one Of the
missing express riders.
He balts for a second and sees that
another eoulee joins the FIRST one. He
is in a trap. he rides 10 the edge and
looks over. There In the ravine lies q
mingled mass Of men and horses. The
fate Of the missing men rs revealed
At the angle where the two couiees Join
is the death trap of his pursusFs. He
hears 9 whoopof tfiamph. and, turning
sees his nearest puFsusf Eithin one hua.
dred yards Of him. Iseapiag from the
saddle, tbs exprsssuen brings the rifla
to his face, and. az the report that fol.
lows, the indian and bis horse both fall
bat the Indian cr1wls 10 his feet and
attempts 70 walk 10 the yaviae. Tbs
rifle Finaa again, and tho savage viii
never ride on the varpash more. Nov
q report rings out on the prairie. and
the conductor feels something whistle
past his face. He sees the other Indian
riding sway - fast rs ais pony can gal.
Top; the sights on his rife are chaneed
aud. when the report Is heard, the 10.
dian throws up his hands and then falls
heavily 10 the ground.
Rkm0untina, tue expressman rides IN
20 the hrst Indian and Sos at elanes
that Il 10 the chief Of tie Indians at the
agency. He dismounts and tears the
medal OF the Indians breast; then, leap