San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-05-29
THE OVERLAND TRAIL.

If age-in perfect health and or steady
aerve. was no believer in the uncanny
hardly in the supernatural-and had
always poohpoohed at tales Of ghosts,
phantoms and visions Of all sorts.
It is unnecessary to explain how came
70 be travelling in the far west without
companions, except for horse and dog
and gun. Following the general route
IF the old overland trail, camped one
night in the edge of considerable forest,
and at point from which could look
forth over broad, open plain.
It was already after sundown. The
good horse was picketed, and having pro-
Vided q supper for myself and dog from
rabbit which my gun had brought
down an hour or two earlier. disposed
things for the night, and rs the stars
came out, lay down to sleep. comfortably
rolled In blanket.
It was probably in the small hours of
the night that awoke and arose to a sit
ting posture. The moon was climbing
the eastern sky. with not d feather OF
cloud in her course, and every object
stood forth us clearly as in the day.
But 1t was not for me to contemplate
| in quietude the rare beauty of the night.
In almost the first moment Of conscious
ness my eyes fell upon u slowly moving
t,biect in tho distance. 1t was one OF
those canvas covered wagons, the ''prairie
,chooners" so familiar in the early days
Of overland travel to California.
It was approaching almost directly to.
ward me, and my curiosity was Mt once
aroused. Why any one should be travel,
ing thus. and so late at night, 1could not
imagine. Tho movement was heavy, as
If the horses were jaded, and the man
who walked by their side had weary
STEP
Twenty minutes passed, the vehicle
approaching nearer and nearer. Still on
| it came, until when about thirty yards
from me it suddenly stopped. and the
man, looking about, seemed to be con-
sidering the wisdom Of making camp.
At this point suddenly realized that
the approach of the wagon had been
utterly noiseless. What could this meant
Was dreaming? No. was never more
awake. Was this hallucination2 No;
for the dog, who had been aroused by
my movement in awakening, now turned
his head in the direction Of the new ar
rival and uttered low growl. laid
nv hand on him to keep him quiet.
The man now stood by the forward
wheel, looking in Mt the opening Of the
canvas top, and, though heard no voice,
imagined that he was speaking to some
one within. A woman's head appeared,
and. after a glance around, gave nod
of assent, and the man proceeded to I'M
harness the horses and turn them loose
10 graEe. Then after moment, in
which he seemed to be anxiously sur
yeying the trail over which they had
come, he helped the woman to alight.
And now their movements greatly
puzzled me. Walking to and fro. they
seemed to be searching for some par
ticular spot of ground. Finally the wo-
man pointed to space between two
Young trees, and the man, after looking
at it for Il moment. went to the rear end
of the wagon and brought forth spade.
With the edge of this implement he
marked off q rectangular space about
five feet by two, and began to dig. All
this. let it be remembered, was in abso.
| lutte silence.
By this time my curiosity had turned
to marvel. Here was contradiction OF
common sensel could not believe that
what | saw was real; these beings must
be apparitions. And yet here by my side
was the dog, as alert as |, and trembling
with an impulse to investigate, while
obedient to my hand Of restraint.
The digging proceeded, and, the soil
being soft. some five feet of depth was
soon reached, and then the man threw
out the spade upon the ground. The
woman. meanwhile, had been plucking
branches OF evergreen, bringing them In
arufuls ,nd throwing them beside-"the
grave Thought. And now, with the
utmost care and patience, the whole cav
ity was lined with these sprigs Of ever
green held in place by twigs thrust into
the backs on either side
This done, the man sprang out The
two surveyed their work for a moment,
and then, after gazing once more, es Il
In anxiety, over the route BY which they
had come, they approached the wagon
Having rolled up the canvas on one side,
thew lifted out a small mattress, deposit
ing it upoa a blanket which they had
spread upon the ground
This mattress v7s not without Its bur.
Sea- HE beams Of the full moon enabled
ne 70 see there a slight fo-n-that Of q
E.tle giri who had scarcely lived out
ttrse years Tie pretty white hzadi
-srs f5lded over the breast Long golden
ezr,s teIl On estbsT SIDE uPoo the PiIlOw-
H. tacs. which I could sse with ss;on-
-, ,1a..--e=s- rs v-o-derf-Ilv tezz-