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

and now he was among the first TO catch
a pony and spur it off down the hillside
toward the river. Just how he differed
from the others of this unimportant
party it would be difficult to tell; per
haps most markedly in a slight aloof-
ness, a feeling that had led him &c
make bride path through the woods
that Law between Westport town and the
landing, and to follow it whenever he
had ridden down 30 the river rather than
the wagon road used by the trains.
When the boats whistle was heard he
started off in great haste, and as usual
turned into the bypath, while a dozen
or more men kept ON in the road. This
path had come to be called in derisiOn
the Kings highway" and as the Wagon
master turned into it the other riders
called out to him:
"Come on by the big road this time,
you can go faster and will get there
sooner if it is longer"
The trainmaster hesitated. But ap-
parentiy upon second thought he kept
on in the Kings highway" and only
a volley of oaths in Mexican-Spanish
and western English followed him. The
bunch of notified and red and claybank
ponies rushed pellmell down the wagon
road, their riders clanlling heavy spurs,
swinging broad brimmed hats, uttering
Indian war whoops, throwing themselves
from side to side, racing and crowdlng
the swift and sure footed little animals
to the landing.
There all was excitement. The Polar
Star was already being made fast to the
huge cottonwood stumps that hung over
the water. She was loaded down so
that the water had washed her deck and
sides a grimy mud color. Her mixed
and indescribable freight was piled high
on every side in anything but shipshape.
Her passengers were all crowded for
ward, anxious to get ashore, and their
faces were of every color and type.
Miners, soldiers, Yankees, traders, gam
blers, adventures, negroes, army Off.
GERS, emigrants and few women came
over the gang plank in a motley process
sion. Greetings were exchanged by
some with men in the crowd on the
bank; others stood aside and looked on,
stretching themselves as if just re-
leased from a cramped position, and
then looking about for the settlement.
Many of the passengers of the Polar
Star chose to walk out to Westport; some
hired Mexican ponies and mounted them
cautiously, having heard of the bucking
broncho afar off; others took passage in
the schooner" drawn by six creeping
oxen, and ali started over the hills to the
trading post, except those who were to
help unload the cargo and bring up the
supplies for Westport.
The Mexican buyers ordered the wagon
trains down in haste, the boats long de-
lay making them impatient to start out.
The captain had been ordered to wait for
United States troops bound to Fort
Leavenworth: then the Polar Star had
grounded on a sand bar when she was
six days out from st. Louis: her supply
of fuel at a certain landing was not
ready, and she was obliged to wait while
cord wood from three miles inland was
hauled to her. One detention after an
other, together with her heavy cargo,
made her trip slow one, but no serious
accident had befallen her and the freight
for the overland trains was landed in
good condition.
AS the struggling procession was
about to start up the hill the captain of
the Polar Star noticed a woman stand
ing alone and looking in a dazed and
frightened way, first at the boat and
then at the caravan. He remembered
her well, for, to use the phrase of his
own thoughts, he had had his eye on
her. throughout the voyage from st.
Louis.
She had come aboard late at that city
with her passage paid to Westport Land
ing. There, she had afterward explained,
she would be met by friend Being a
quiet, modest, plain little body, the Off
GERS wives who were aboard the boat
took kindly to her and befriended her
throughout the trip. They were some
what curious, to be sure, concerning the
friend" who would meet her; very rea-
sonably, too, since it was an almost I'M
heard Of and certainly a venturesome
thing for woman to start up country
ON a Missouri river steamboat in those
early days. But her manner, and per-
haps what she did not say more than
anything she said, prevented close in
quiry. The wife of a captain of artil-
lery, who ranked" all the others, gave
it out as her opinion that one of two
things must be the true explanation.
Either the lone woman had been de-
serted by her husband and was not quite
sure that he would keep his promise to
meet her at Westport Landing, or she
expected to join an old lover and be
;nI