Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-12-08
'or the horses for the time being.

for the horses for the time being.
1t was well that they had moved with
promptness and made things secure.
Before sunset the rain descended in such
torrents that the main valley was almost
river. A good sized stream swept
down the bed Of the canyon and out into
the valley, and within an hour the foot
prints of the horses and tho tracks Of
the wagons had been obliterated. The
storm lasted half the night, causing
great discomfort in the camp, but the
next day was not three hours old when
everybody was made to realize that the
storm was his salvation. Some of the
men were still eating their breakfast
when Joe, who had been down to the
mouth of the canyon for look around,
returned and said:
"Injuns till you can't restw
"Where? Wheret" called half dozen
men.
"In the valley. A band of at least IF
ty has just gone tearing by"
The fire was burning clear and MAX
ing no smoke, although it had been built
against the wall of the canyon, in a
place where the smoke would go filter
ing up among the trees. Every man
was ordered down to the wall, and they
reached it in time to see the last of the
Indian band disappear up the valley.
whats your opinion:" asked the cap
tain Of Joe as they stood together.
"They are hunting for us. They've
got word that we are in this valley and
they are trying to locate us. They prob
ably expected to find us at the other
camp"
"Well, hope they'll keep right on as
they are going"
But they won't, captain. They know
that we left that camp about noon yes
terday. They picked up dozen proofs
of it. They believe we went straight up
the valley. They'll figure that we
couldn't have goho over ten or twelve
miles when the storm broke. Five miles
above this they will be looking for our
trail. If they don't find it they will ride
on five miles farther. Then they will
discover that we did not go that way at
ALL"
"And then what"
"They will come back looking into all
the hiding places, and we shall have a
fight with odds of five to one"
I'm afraid So" said the captain, "and
this time we cannot look for a rescue by
the soldiers. The party which passed
down yesterday has no doubt been
butchercd."
Il think the reds struck into the val
ley by pass farther up answered joe
There would have been fighting, and
we should have heard the reports of
rifles. We must get ready"
The mouth Of the canyon was about
one hundred feet wide. Seventy five
feet up it narrowed to fifty feet and
made bend The wagons were in this
bend and wall had already been thrown
across a portion Of the fifty feet. Every
man now went to work to extend this
wall to a distance of thirtv-five feet and
70 make it look like a landslide from the
bank. Dirt WAS thrown IN among the
rocks, and BUSHES pulled up and set
among them, and Two OF three Of the
men brought armfuls II vines and creep
ers and trailed them over 'tha wall.
1t would not do to close up tie cu; ne
width of the canyon, as the Indians
probably knew Of lis existence, The
wall made strong barricaja, and Q.
the men surveyed it from the other side
they pronounced the deception perfect.
The test WAS at hand.
They were yet at work when the adj
vance OF the Indian party was seem re-