Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-08-18

That's why they're UP on the prairie
Brewster's heart seemed almost 70
stand still. All ON sudden the leaders
swerved; the blanketed riders could be
seen bending low and over as they
swung their nimble steeds ia circle t0
the right. And then, then, An instant
more, and, tossing the pOwdery snow all
in fieecy white cloud, there came tear
ing up out Of the depths Of some unseen
eoulee lively herd Of Indian ponies re-
joicing in their unwonted freedom and
determined not to be herded back to
slavery without struggle.
II was hard to repress the shout Of jov
that sprang to the soldiers lips. Then
1t wasn't the ambulance after all; moth
ing but this frolicsome band Of rascals
that, after breaking away from the In
dian boys the evening before, had doubt
less been driven before the gale, de-
manding the sending forth Of quite
party Of the young men in search, even
before the storm had fully abated. For
moment the troopers forgot their mis-
sion as they watched the chase. Fresh
and unhampered by weight 0f any kind
the scurrYing band came sweeping along
the edge of the distant bluff, following
an active, mischievous leader and leay-
ing their jaded pursuers far behind. The
Indian knows too much to chase rum
ming horse; he leaves him to his own de.
vices, well knowing he viii more quick
ly stop when unpursued and can then
more readily be headed off and turned
back to the ways he should go. On
came the nimble herd full tilt toward
the elbow in the shallow valley, where
broad white streak told Of deep drifted
snow, and there the leader veered to the
left and south and would doubtless have
stretched away at racing speed on that
course but for one young warrior on a
dun colored pony, who with the speed Of
the wind came darting out across tile
level surface beyond. gamely, skillfnlly
heading him. Around went the leader
once more III wide circle westward,
around the southermost edge of the
fieecy drift, and then, with laundering
hoofs, the whole troop went bounding
away to the west without living soul
to interpose between them and the bald,
rolling heights at the far horizon, miles
and miles away.
$50 it, pouyl I'm glad to see a red
skin doue for oncew was Morse's jubi-
liant shout And then, suddenly and
sharp, Good God! What's that, Lieu
tenants Lookm
Not six hundred yards away, now, the
little band of ponies, following their
spirited leader, had suddenly halted at
the very edge Of some dip or sink in the
prairie that lay to the southeast of tile
snowy rift i'll which the troopers were
crouching, still hidden, they and their
horses. from the sharp eyes of the chas-
ing Indians. Then as suddenly, tossing
high their scraggy names, as though
with one accord, tile nimble brutes
whirled To the south, their leader III
dulging in fine flourish Of heels as he
sped away. And now Morse lay against
the bank pointing eagerly to a couple of
black objects startlingly outlined on the
glisteuing white Of the snow, two OBJ
iects that came plunging up from the
invisible depths Of the hollow, strug-
Cling breast deep in the drifts, and at
last reached the edge of the prairie, and,
followed instantly by another couple,
with their long ears erect, with out
stretched mock and eager brayings.. .clat-
tersd away in pursuit Of the herd.
Brewster knew them at q glance -Ster-
lett's ambulance mules Indeed. the
broken pole was still dangling between
the two in rear and bounding with them
over the frozen turf.
And that swerve, that sudden halt and
turn to the south end, had cost the band
their liberty. Darling along abreast of
them, but nearly half mile away to the
south, the warrior on the dun colored
pony had shot far out beyond them, and
now, sweeping around i'll a wide circle
TO his right, rode between them and the
broad wastes to the west. Two other In
dians were circling in their front, bar
ring the way to the low hills to the
south. Others still, struggling FAR out
eastward. reined up " as not to inter
ferc with the rounding" Of the herd
and in moment or two more these
three experts had turned their runaway
property in wide sweep back into the
shining track of the sun, and III a very
few minutes the matter was settled; the
ponies were sulkily trotting along the
bank beyond the bend, headed for home
and hard work again, with the ambu-
lance mules braying at their heels. Here
the younger Indians, the boys, took
charge, and from the distant slopes,
from south and east and from the prai-
RE TO the west, the others came cantcr-
ing toward that sharp angle half mile
away and gathered in eager consulta-
ton about one who seemed 10 be their
leader.
All this, and much more, Brewster
and his men were watching with bound
ing pulses, in breathless excitement,
Brewster with feelings Of mingled hope
and despair. Now he knew that the
ambulance must be somewhere near at
hand, possibly up that long ravine on
the south side that slanted in from tile
prairie not hundred yards away below
them. Surely the banks looked as though
there were d good ford at that point
Might not that be the very one Of which
Ellis spokes Now, il it were but posi-
bic to drop back out Of the drifts in
which they were hiding and recross tEe
stream, they might yet creep punobservcd
into the mouth of that gully and feel
their way afoot until, somewhere in the
snow, they came upon, as he now felt
sure they must, the stormbound wagon
with it, precious contents From their
crouching place it was impossible to zee
across the ridge that separated them
from the ravine referred to; but to the
southeast the prairie lay before them,
and the keenest eye could detect no sign
Of hollow between that which lay ID
near them and that from which those
vagabond mules had emerged far ont
upon the plain. Somehow Brewster felt
certain that now at last he was actually
within pistol shot OF the ambulance,
within speaking distance, almost, Of tile
girl he 50 fondly loved, whose very life
at this instant depended not only Oh liz
courage. but also ON his Judgment. one
false move would ruin all.
SO long as The Indians kept up theiIn
powwow at the bend, 50 long was WM1
fred safe. The longer they deIayeJ
nearer would it bring Murphy aia
men from the main cr0SSiflv f1lrp