The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-01-23

startled way, and whispered:
"The Mormons-the Danitesw
had taken the utmost precaution.
Several times | had seen white men at a
distance, but if they suspected my pres
ence they had searched for me in vain.
AS luck would have it, now that l was
off, these keen watchers, these never
sleeping sentinels, had discovered me.
Were they following me? dismountd
and clambered to the top of great rock
twenty feet high, where | could secure a
better view. They were dead on my
trail. Not only that, but a great dog
was running ahead of them with his
nose to the ground. The men might
have lost my trail on the broken ground !;
the dog would follow me to the death.
The men were riding at lope. Why?
They were waiting until left the noun
tain to strike across the prairie. Be
hind some rock at the base of the noun
tain | could hold half dozen men at
bay. Out on the prairie it would be two
to one. 1t was their business to kill and
destroy, not to be killed. scrambled
down from the rock and mounted and
rode on, pushing my animals at a gal
lop. l turned TO look, and the pursuers
had increased theirpace. slowed down
to a walk, and 10! they did the same !!
Then, at a moderate canter, / rode for
ward for two hours, turning occasional
ly to look over my shoulders. They
were gradually drawing nearer. The
atmosphere was thickening and the af-
tenoon wearing away, and they did not
want TO lose me in storm or the dark
ness. Even when they had shortened
the distance to two miles they could not
see me turn in my saddle.
If | struck off on the prairie they
would soon settle me. If continued
on along the base of the mountain
what? Would they try to steal upon me
before the coming of darkness?. If
turned at bay would they give it up as a
bad job and ride away? Mol they were
pitiless, merciless, determined. They
would cling to my trail as the wolf fol-
lows wounded deer. If took posi-
tion of defense they would besiege me-
If rode on must leave trail for the
keen-scented dog to follow.
AT four o clock it was rapidly growing
dark. The sky was now an inly black,
and the coming of the storm could not
long be delayed. The avengers were not
more than mile away, keeping my pace
as before.
What! \ great soft, white fake of
snow fluttered down upon my horses
name and hung there like feather. l
turned to the left and rode straight out
upon the plain. 1t was desperate
chance to dodge them. If the storm
held off fifteen minutes l must fight
them in open ground. If the storm
broke in ten might try plan had
conceived. Another tlake--a third-a
fourth-and then all of a sudden there
came a roaring gust of wind off the
mountain, and night set in as if a cur
tain had been lowered. With the dark
ness came such a down pour of flakes
that could not see five feet beyond my
my horse, and the ground turned white
in an instant. Providence was with
me.
l turned my animals sharp to the right
direct for the mountain. | had half a
mile to go to reach it, and the ground
was rough and broken. might as well
have been blind for the good my eyes
could do me in such storm, but it was
not likely l could miss the mountain.
My horse was stumbling forward, fol-
lowed by the mule, when l heard the
deep bay of the dog. This was the first
time lie had given tongue. He had
chung to my trail for hours, silent, grim,
vengeful. He had suddenly lost the
trail, and was giving vent to his anger
thereat.
Ten seconds after the dogs first bay
heard the men shouting to each other,
They had separated in order not to miss
me in the storm, and were apparently
following on my trail, or, at least, COM
ing after me.
BY and by the wind ceased to beat in
my face, though, l could hear it roaring
and bowling above me. had reached
the base of the mountain. The horse
! did not stop, however. Right ahead,
into pitch blackness, he slowly walked
and pretty soon the snow ceased tC
blind me. Indeed, only now and then {
stray fake seemed to descend, and thl
ground beneath my horses feet was M
longer white. Far above my head
heard the swish and roar of the storm
but down where was there was scarce
ly any motion to the air.
Slowly and carefully the horse felt hi
way, and the mule kept athls heels anC
several times uttered snorts of alarm
When the horse ceased to go forward
dismounted. There was grass under IN,
feet, and there was no snow on til,
grass. In few seconds ! had light
and as | held it above my head ant
moved about l realized our location
We had entered a narrow valley break
ing into the mountain. Had the grounC
been rocky and broken it would hav,
been called a canon. knew that i
must be very narrow valley, becaus
he fine snow scarcely sifted down at all
and there was no wind. That went Il
show that the trees met above and actet
as a screen. How far had we come "
the valley? / decided that the distanc,
was at least quarter of a mile. WoulC
the Mormons follow me in? | left tn,
horses where they were, and felt m,
way down the valley. Felt,is the word