Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-02-12
A HUMAN BLOODHOUND.

"Histw
A single Indian has been following
the right hand bank of the Rio Pecos
river where it trends to the angle of the
Chico mountains, New Mexico.
Fort Sumner is so miles to the
south, Santa Fee 100 to the north. 1t
is a wild, weird country, with the
staked plains sweeping right up to the
water of the Pecos from the east, and
the country to the west is forest, ra-
vine, valley and desolation.
In u dip OF the earth, and still
further shielded by great powders, the
Indian has found few charred sticks
and handful of ashcs--relics OF a
camp fire lie springs to the cover OF
rock and for n quarter OF
an hour nothing ia seen or
heard of him. Instinct taught him
that--the same instinct that any wild
animal has BY and by he carefully
rises into view and steps forward to
examine the ashes.
"ugh!"
1t rained three days before. The
ashes are dry. The black sticks pre-
serve their gloss, A twig broken from
a bush il still bleeding A bone in the
ashes is broken to get at themarrow,
This is Wednesday, and the hour
Is 10 o'clock in the forenoon, That
fire was built Monday noon, The
prints OF boot heel are numerous, IL
was "a white man. The prints are ex-
actly alike. There was but one man
scout, hunter or prospector. He
was heading up the stream.
"Ughl" .-..-..
ON THE TRAIL.
Everything il clear to the Indian in
five minutes, and he picks up the
trail. IL is forty-six hours since that
fire was lighted--at least forty-iour
since the white man left il behind.
That is an old trail but here is u hui
man. bloodhound. Nature has made
him to endure heat, cold and fatigue
as il he were an animal, lie has the
cunning OF u fox, the ferocity Of u
panther and the vindictive persistency
which nothing but death can discour-
age.
There is no trail--,nothing which the
keenest dog could follow. But the In
dian glides forward Ikea shadow, look
ing only at the lay OF the ground, A
man who travels without fear takes the
easiest road. Aman who isnot pursued
travels slowly, TO the right--to the
leftover rocks--across rills--up hill
down hill--neyer tagging, no matter
what the distractions, and at the
end OF three hours he turns sharply to
the left, penetrates the cedars for n
few wards and comes to n halt before
another camp fire. A branch among
the ashes gives out faint smoke.
The ashes are still warm. The fire
was built Monday night, and over it's
flame the white man cooked his Tues
day breakfast, This IL Wednesday Mt
/ o'clock The white man has been
moving slowly.
Half IN hour for rest and n bite to
eat mad the Indian moves forward
again. Here and there rs he flies
along he sees broken branch--the
moss torn from roch-the
leaves disturbed-plcnty of
signs that some one has passed that
way. The scent IL too old for n
bloodhound; neither panther nor
wolf could read the signs. In three
hours he has reached another camp
Inn
bling out Of the rocks, and water was
thrown on the flames to quench them.
1t was not thoroughly done, how
ever. Fire clings to several stickC,
and the earth under the ashes is warm.
The fire was built Tuesday night. The
white man left it about \ o'clock this
wednesday, morning II is now 4
o'clock p. IN. lie * only eight hours
ahead, and there are still three hours
OF daylight.
THE VICTIM.
Has he Travelled fast or lesurely2
| Is he dozen miles away or only three
or four? The question is answered
before the Indian has pursued the
| trail hall mile. The white man has
stopped to break off piece OF rock
with his hammer. Heisa prospector.
lie goes up this ravinc half IA mile and
| returns. He leaps this creek to exam
inc the face OF the cliff -passes an hour
or more inspecting the sand and gravel
in the bed OF the creek II is n locali-
ty Of promise. There is no hurry.
"Ughv'
1t is twilight in the forest--night in
the canyons and gorges. The Indian
had no trail to follow, but there IL an
instinct which leads him on. He
knows he is close on the quarry. He
moves swiftly but stealthily. There
are rocks and bushes and limbs and
vines and pitfalls, but he seems to see
| them in the darkness as well as in the
light. The flame Of n camp fire has
caught his eye.
A man clothed in the coarse gar,
ments OF miner sits with his back to
arock. On the fire ut his feet his meat
is toasting and his coffee is boiling
| The silence about him is that of the
grave. His surroundings are powders,
cliffs, lodges, ravines, trees. IL is a
wild, weird spot. Nature was in a
vindictive mood when she made it,
One sitting here alone at high noon
would feel a chill of loneliness. The
man looks into the fire. For mo
ment his thoughts are elsewhere. Oh
O sudden that mysterious something
that current which passes between life
and death, electrifies him and with his
gaze riveted into the darkness
beyond the fire he springs to his feet.
Too latel The Indian is not thirty
feet away, but before he can lay a
hand on the body life has departed
When bullet strikes the human heart
life is measured by seconds and frac.
| tions of ds..-Detroit Free Press
OlITGROWN