, 1890-11-13
THE CRY IN THE DARKNESS.
It Awoke the Camp TO tho presence
of Danger.
Dxaa I

a
The ride had led over ground so
sterile that even sage brush couio
not grow there--across dry ravines-
over out-crop of iiinty rock--irohh
one ridge to another, until al iast we
cnme to the Loup river ana Went
into camp In scattered grove. NO
signs of Indians there. AS the set
ting sun flooded the earth with its
golden light, we could see for miles
and miles in every direction NO
sign of danger.
Night comes down as softly as
child closes its eyes in sleep, and the
lirht breeze from the north brings II
film of white cloud to hide portion
of the stars. a sentinel Is posted on
the bank of the stream, u second TO
the east-u third to the west. III
seems almost absurd to take these
precautions. The crlcket Is sing uhder
the stones-iield mice run ABOUT III
the grass-the waters of the Loup
sing u peaceful song as they ho"
past our camp.
No Indians-no signs. lt IL such
calm, quiet nights AS this when
have lulled the tired emlgrant to his
last sleep on earth. Seeing no In
dians, he has argued that none were
lurking and watching. we VINO
have fought the red man from Fort
Kearney to the source of the Powder
river know him better. The very
absence of his footprints Is menace.
The ouietness of the night is warn
ing to be needed.
At 10 o'clock everybody but the
sentinels Is fast asleep Some OF the
horses are lying at full length, so
buried in slumber that their heavy
breathing can be heard for yards
away. At II o'clock all Is quiet
Even the cricl<ets have almost given
DER their noise. Fleecy clouds now
cover the whole heavens, making
the night no darker, but more un-
certain. AS the eye looks off over
the level plain the shadows take on
different shape and have more
life.
Midnight! The three sentinels
softly entered camp-bend over the
sleepers, and five minutes later the
guards had been changed. Those
who slept are now as watchful as
foxes; those who watched are in the
land of dreams.
Half-past IL o'clock! No sound
now but the purling waters, and
their monotony would close the
eyes of a sentinel who listened long.
One o'clock! Now there Is the
quietness of IL graveyard. Men and
horses seem to be dead. The senti-
mel to the east gives u sudden start.
He would deny it on his oath, but
for an instant he slept. He shakes
himselfand looks over the camp. All
Is p ace, but he has received II shock
which makes his heart beat faster.
His stand Is at the foot of n cotton
wood. He sinks down on his kneee
and peers out from either side of the
trunk. Nothing In slght-nothing
but the dark shadows cast by the
clouds.
"Chirp! Chirp! Chirpw
a cricket begins his song again
after IA long silence. 1t seems loud
enough to awaken every sleeper but
ii Is not. IL IL very low and quiet,
II reaches the ears of only one sem
tinel.
Watch! Watch WatchW
His heart leaps to his mouth.
The words came to him Tvs plain as
If spoken by some human being,
Watch what? Watch where?
Watch for whom?
watch! Watch! Watchp
The sentinel's eye falls upon a
dark spot on the grass II hundred
feet away. 1t Is the shadow of II
cloud. The darker spot in the center
Is a rock lifting It's head out of the
earth. He noticed it before the
darkness came. He can see nothing
moving-there Is no danger.
"Look! Look! LookW
His heart jumps again and his
eyes so back to the dark spot. They
cling there for two or three minutes,
during which time the cricket IL ab.
soluteiy silent. Did something
move? Is the black spot nearer
than 1t was?
Creeping! Crawling! Comingw
So shouts the cricket, and now
the sentinel IL sure that the dark
spot has advanced. OF course it
has! 1t has also changed the line of
it's advance. With bated breath he
waits and watches. The man who
disturbs camp without good cause
will be taunted with cowardice.
All! 1t does move! The black spot
is not now over fifty feet away.
"Shoot! Shoot! ShootW
The sentinel softly pulls back the
hammer of his heavy carbine, raises
the weapon quietly to his shoulder,
and the loud report is followed by IA
cry so long-drawn, 80 wild and weird
and full of death that no one forgets
1t for month. There Is wild con-
fusion for moment, and then every
body Is ready.
"What il it?"
Three or four men advance to the
dark spot to find the body of an In.
dian stretched at full length on the
earth, shot through the breast.
Eighty rods away are half n hun
dred fierce warriors, awaiting in the
darkness for the spy to return and
report. At the sound of his death
cry they mount their ponies and ride
away.