Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-06

1AoWAxS oOkaa0 UOt 30 WHY 0AAS NV ~
tend to look Tor the tran Of the wagon until
daylight. and when dawn came ! found II
| with very little trouhlA fhdt II ct least ten
miles beyond the point where Mrs. Hosmer
had separated from the band. In other
words. I had gained ten miles on her back
trail. had been told Of q popularity about
her wagon which enabled me TO pick out its
trail at once. On the tire Of one Of the hind
wheels the blacksmith had stamped hand
thus: i.Y- This pointed in the direction tho
vehicle was going, and found its imprint
| In a dozen places headed back for the Elk
horn.
As soon as the sun was fairly up took a
careful survey Of the country and found
nothing to alarm me- The great body Of tho
hostiles had gathered lower down on the
various forks Of the Platte, and the small
bands roaming over the section could not
thoroughly cover it. / unsaddled, got bite
to eat, let the horse rest and Craze for a
couple Of hours, and had the luck to find
water, such as 1t was, in sink hole. About
8 o'clock, having an almost level country
ahead Of me, picked up the trail and rode
on. After an hours gallop came to the
spot where Mrs. Hosmer had made her first
camp. She had made distance Of about
twenty-five miles the first day, and had gone
into camp in dry ravine, deep enough to
hide the wagon from sight Of any one riding
over the plains. She had found water, though
little better than mud hole, and had built a
small fire and cooked supper. So far as had
followed the trail the horses had kept q regu-
lar gait, proving that the woman was not
unnerved by her lonely and dangerous situa-
ton. Her making camp where she did en-
couraged me bit to hope that she might
pull through. | rode on for ten miles beyond
this camp, and then finding good water and
grass and capital place to hide myself, /
halted and unsaddled again and slept until 8
o'clock in the afternoon
When pushed ahead again 1 made twelve
miles without halt. Then / reached her
second camp She had been obliged to en-
camp on the level ground, and without water.
/ saw that her horses had grazed during the
night, but she had built no fire. There was
great blood stain on the grass near the wagon,
and q few feet away lay the skeleton Of a
wolf which the buzzards had picked clean.
The animal had probably made an attack on
the wagon or the horses during the night and
the woman had killed him. / hunted about
to find the empty shell which she would have
thrown out Of her rife after firing, but as
could not find it, l had to conclude that she
had struck the beast with an ak or other
weapon. had gone five miles further on her
back track, when / made discovery that
filed me with alarm. Either because she had
sighted something to alarm her, or because
her nerve had given away, she had left the
trail, which ran straight to the northeast,
and turned square to tho east. More than
that, she had put the horses to a gallop, and
l knew that IL was tho beginning of the end.
They had gone at a reckless pace for about
five miles, and had then been pulled down,
and as could not find single sign to show
that Indians were in pursuit. knew what
had overtaken her. She had been seized with
that species Of insanity that often comes to
strong men when finding themselves alone on
the plaina There was terror In the situa-
ton that unnerved her.
God pity the human being left helpless on
the lonely plains or the wide spreading prai-
ries. If there was no peril, the loneliness of
the situation would drive one mad. One is
out of the world-almost cut OFF from Gods
own protection. There is q monotony such
as no other situation knows. There is a men,
ace in the loneliness that chills the blood.
By and by found where she had halted
to give the horses water. This was better
sign, but as she drove on, her course was err
ratio, bending from due south TO due east.
This troubled me again. She had also made
frequent halts, and just before dark found
a lot Of the household goods which had been
thrown out OF the wagon. She had lost SO
much ground by her erratio course that I
counted on coming up with her before mid
night The night came down starlight, and I
III gu
/ rode cautiously, however, knowing that 1
was approaching the Elkhorn, and realizing
that l might run upon hostiles any moment.
At about o'clock l came upon the wagon
and horses on the level ground. The tired
and exhausted beasts were nibbling at the
short grass as they walked along, and as they
became aware Of my presence they uttered
shrill neighs Of rejoicing and held their heads
high in air. l expected to find mother and
children in the wagon, but was bitterly dis
appointed At the risls Of making my pres
ence known and bringing the Indians down
upon me, shouted a score Of times, and also
discharged my rife several times. got no
answer, and after waiting by the wagon for
0 full hour felt that the case was hopeless.
IN her terror the woman had abandoned the
wagon and continued her flight on foot. The
horses were suffering for water, and as could
not DO encountered with them l cast them
loose and let them gallop away. In the wagon
were rife, revolver and knife so that the
woman was defenseless. Taking the wagon
as a fixed center, made circle after circle
around It, ut neither found nor heard Of
the poor wretchea
At midnight, feeling that I could do no
more, and yet determined not to leave them
to their fate, | went into camp near the
wagon and slept until daylight. When the
morning broke took long look around,
but saw neither signs of Indians nor traces
of the immigrants l rode back over the
trail for seven or eight miles, and finally
found the place where the horses had been
abandoned to their own guidance. could
detect it because the eccentric trail from
thence on proved that they had been guided
by their own will Then l made new circles
from this spot, spending the whole day in the
saddle, but it was in vain. Their light feet
had left no trace on the sterile plains and
after the days search l gave up and pushed
for Fort Randall.
Was the sad mystery ever solvedl Never.
can today guide you to the spot where the
Indians found the wagon and robbed and
burned it, and one of the horses was found
on the Elkhorn. AS to the poor mother and
only God knows where and how
they perished-New York Sun.
The Bishop and the Breeches.
Ny Dear Bishop of London-It will always
give me great pleasure to see you at Strath-
fieldsaye Pray coroe there whenever it suits
your convenience, whether / am at home or