San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-07

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crowd of passengers-deckhands and
soldiers-al engaged in asserting and
arranging the stacks of freight and lug.
gage. This keen observer of strange
people turned quickly and looked in the
same direction with the woman's eyes,
but he could not determine what it was
that had caused the blood to leave her
face. She made no attempt at conceal
ment and was plainly in no way dis
guised OF these things the old captain
made mental note and then wisely de-
cided to bide his time.
But as the voyage progressed and the
woman gave no sign, the captain was
puzzled He said to himself: "She knows
where she is going and what she is
about and she intends to keep her own
counsel It's wonderful what quiet bit
of woman will undertake when she
makes up her mind to it. Her courage
is like the patient mans anger when al
last aroused" And the old captain
sighed long, deep sigh and kept his own
counsel.
Although he, too, had been curious
concerning her friend" he was not
greatly surprised to see her standing
alone after the passengers were all land
ed from the Polar Star. He approach
ed her Just as the officers wives, who
were in the great wagon ready to ascent
the hill, espied her, and called to her to
join them.
Nobody met me-" she said to the
captain as he came up, and, though the
words had a lonely sound, he was
puzzled anew at the tone, and the'ex-
preston he fancied he detected for an
instant in her face was one of relief
rather than disappointment.
1.-The ladies are going up to see the
town." the captain explained; perhaps
you had better go along"
The woman had learned from the Off
GERS wives while aboard the Polar Star
that their husbands and portion of the
troops were destined to Fort Leaven-
worth, fifty miles farther up the river,
and that the remainder of the soldiers,
under command of a sergeant, would
disembark at Westport Landing and &C
company the Santa Fe trains westward
as far as Fort Dodge. The captain
helped the mysterious passenger into
the train wagon, where she was imme-
diately piled with questions:
What can you do?''
"Where will you go?"
What do you suppose has prevented
your friend from meeting your
1T seems objectionable in such place
as this!" and much more was said.
To all of which the little woman sim
ply replied that she did not know.
After dinner had been served at the
tavern, and the military officers had
taken their wives out to the corrals to
see the Mexicans, and the wagon trains,
and the prairies, and it was time to re-
turn to the landing, the women turned
to their companion of the voyage and
asked her if she would go with them to
the fort, adding that she could probably
find employment there in some officers
family or she could return by the boat
to st. Louis. To their CONSERVATION she
answered that she was going on to Santa
Fe. One of the wagon masters had his
wife with him, and she had already bar
gained with her for the trip.
There was nothing to do but to say
goodby, wish the woman a safe journey
and success in her errand. After the de-
parture of her friends the lone traveller
Immediately took up her abode in camp
with the wagon masters wife. There all
was activity and hustle, preparations for
thn frOincr ND
side, though it would be two or three
days, they said, before the packing could
be completed and all made ready. Many
of the trains were on the way to the
landing, others were already down by
the levee receiving their loads and the
remainder were preparing to start.
All save one. At Kings corral the
oxen were standing idly about, and the
stupid Mexicans We're looking along the
many little trails that converged to-
ward Westport, and up and down the
Kings highway" but no wagon mas
ter was in sight for them. In half an
hour well dressed Mexican galloped
up to them on a mustang, hurting
native oaths at their logged faces and
cruel, black eyes. The "greasers" fell
to work and jabbed the unoffending cat
tie as they yoked them up.
at is a bad piece of business" said
the wagon masters wife to her guest,
companion or servant (she could not de-
fine the position which the strange wom-
an occupied in her mind and her fami-
Ivy. THE man King went off with the
others to see the boat come in and no
body hain't seed him sence. Leastways
he started down the trail he made his
self over the hill yander, an that's the
last of him. It's more like Mexican to