Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-07-06
EXPLAINED BY DEATH.
A True story of the Frontier.
ry CLYDE $. CHASE.

"Oh heavens! I am lost"
Tie words came from the lips of a
voune and beautiful girl, seated upon
tbe back of a clean-limbed mustang
nonv. far out upon the trackless prairie.
i was nearly midday, but thick fog
had settled down on the plain, envelop-
inc the landscape in gray, treacherous
gloom.
Clear and mild the morning sun had
risen. and Mabel. the fearless daughter
Of Basil Garland, one of the settlers of
New Ulm, Mimi, had mounted her
pony and ridden forth for a romp in the
fresh morning air as she was accustomed
TO do; but wnen she was about to turn
her horses head homeward, the damp
gray fog had, with scarcely moments
warning settled down around her, com
pletely shutting from view all objects
over twenty yards distant.
Well did the brave pioneer girl real
lie the danger of being abroad in one
Of those terrible prairie fogs with no
landmark whatever to guide her; but
hoping to strike some small tributary of
the Minnesota River that would lead
her homeward, she had ridden many
miles through the death-ike gloom
without accomplishing her object, and
with a feeling akin to despair the
maiden finally drew rein upon the sum-
nit OF a rise in the prairie, and gave
utterance to the words that open this
sketch.
Her pony stamped uneasily and gazed
keenly around as if to penetrate, with
his big brown eyes, the surrounding
gloom.
Long the girl sat motionless in the
saddle, but at length, as the long-drawn
howl of a wolf greeted her ears from
afar back on her trail, she started with
a shudder Of horror, and giving her pony
smart cut with her riding whip, dashed
away over the prairie, her mustang
choosing its own course, and new fear
entering the breast of its rider, while
back upon their trail We're congregating
number Of gaunt, shadowy forms, ever
and anon giving utterance to the mourn
tul, quavering howl of the prairie wolf
sound by no means pleasant to the ear
ot even the most hardened frontiers
man.
The Intelligent pony seemed to fully
understand the danger that threatened
both himself and his fair rider, for nobly
did he cast the miles behind him, while
on in swift pursuit, came that horde Of
grim and shaggy forms, their number
rapidly increasing as they advanced.
But suddenly the maiden uttered a
cry OF JOY and refined her pony back upon
its launches as he barely missed Cold
ing with horseman who had heard the
hoof strokes Of her pony and had halted
TO await her approach.
The horseman was q young man of
striking appearance, clad in a garb Of
1rnged and beaded buckskin, while a
black SLOUGH hat crowned his mass of
favel-blach hair, that fell below his
broad, tirm-set shoulders. His features
We're not wholly handsome, but were
'ol OF courage and resolution. His eyes
were dark and keen in expression and a
dropping, dark-brown mustache shaded,
out tailed to hide, the firm, resolute
mouth. He was armed with Win
CHESTER repeating rife, pair of Colts
navy revolvers and long-bladed knife.
Saints alive!" burst from the horse
mans lips. "a young girl in this region,
acne and unarmed?"
oh! sir, am lost in this awful fog
and am pursued by wolves" cried the
erl. Can you not save me from them,
'cr see you have a repeating rife?"
can and will, fair girl" responded
the man, swinging his rifle around
ready for use. "Give yourself no more
'neaslness about those bowling scaven-
gers, for 1 can soon settle with them.
Lou can count on Ralph Mordaunt,
every time"
Words cannot express my gratitude
W you, Ralph Mordaunt," cried the
~ maiden, earnestly. "My name is Mabel
y "afiand, and I am the daughter of Basil
oafland OF New Ulm. You are a
Stranger here, are you not?"
y. Les, Miss, and am on my way from
Ivy oloux Valley to Fort Ridgely, and
VIII guide you to your home, as I am
''aSelng by compass to strike the Min
~, River few miles above New
olm settlement"
Thank Heaven that I CHANGED to
l llee' you," fervently said the girl. "But
vi Sir, there comes those terrible
"olVeS," she a66ad IN O hole fr;rh4onad