Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-01

boulders. along precipices or steep de-
scents to the level of q rustling brook.
For three weary days the footsore and
exhausted lad toiled on, scarcely stop
ping to eat, only sleeping when 1t was
too dark TO 20 on. The way was clear
until be reached the path to a little
mountain peak that was set like q gem
among the hills. He had been there be-
fore with his father TO hunt for lost cat
tie. He paused here long time; to the
right was the distinct trail TO the peak,
but 10 the left his sharp eyes saw hoof
prints, as II few of the Indians had left
the rest. He was sure by the scattered
brush and the trunks of rotting trees
hastily thrown about that care had been
taken to cover up this way.
The dog shifted along the beaten way;
he knew the trail of the cattle he had
guarded. He trotted back to his master
as il to plead with him to follow.
Harry never knew quite why he turned
into the tangled thicket leading to the
San Miguel peak, but he felt sure there
was q secret path in the mountain; sew
eral old piousers had said so, declaring
the Apaches had q camping place behind
the peak.
1t was a dreadful task to break
through the thicket; the sharp needles of
the pines stung his face, thorny- branched
SCRUB oaks tore at his clothing and great
boulders of rotting tree trunks impedsd
his progress. The certainty that no
Indian pony even could traverse such q
region chilled his hope and courage. He
had tied q strip of gingham where he
left the trail to the peak, and the idea
that he had put the rescuing party on a
false scent made him miserable. II he
was wrong and his father followed his
directions, thinking he had some elew,
would not the wasted days in fruitless
search make him angry and despairing?
AS the lad went on, prey to gloomy
thoughts, he could see no marks~at all;
he was sure nothing but wild animals had
invaded the solitude. Then suddenly
he came to the end Of great rocky wall,
a sheer descent OF 900 feet. 1t was a
spectacle of awe-inspiring grandeur. The
great rocky wall, the canon far below,
the silver thread of river, and beyond
gloomy mountains heavily timbered,
while peering above them, were bald
peaks. Over the latter clouds like tat
tered wells hung, or some were hidden
in dazzling silver mist as the sun touched
them. Purple shadows were creeping
down the intervening canons, and over all
brooded majestic peace. A soft wind
came whispering throughthe pines like
breaking waves along strand and great
eagle swept gracefully across q chasm to
his distant eYre. Harry turned back
into the thicket; he was lost himself
now. 81 won t lose my head, - be said
bravely. "I was right to come, father
would have himself. III keep on, that's
all can do now
As he climbed slowly and painfully up
ward bit of odd color in the sombre
green and brown of the landscape caught
his eye. Something blue was lying on
the ground. 1t gave him some such
sensation as Crusoe felt when he saw the
footprint on the sand.
''It may be q patch of flowers,'
painted the lad, pushing forward. 1t was
not, but little sailor hat with futtering
blue ribbons, his SISTERS dearest treas
ure. 1t was gift on her fifth birthday,
and very proud she was to don it and run
down to meet Harry, Doc at her heels,
and all the ride from town that day the