The Press., 1892-07-14

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 trainfnaster hesitated. But ap- parently upon second thought he kept 8 volley of oaths in Mexican Spanish and western English followed him. The bunch of mottled and red and clay bank ponies rushed pellmell down the wagon road, their riders clanking heavy spurs, swinging broad brimmed hats, uttering Indian war whoops, throwing themselves from side to side, racing and crowding the swift and sure footed little animals to the landinS.
 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 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, adventurers, negroes, army off cers, emigrants and few women came over the gang plank in 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 W ,stport; 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 all 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 8 sand bar when she was six days out from St. Louis: her supply of fuel at 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 8 slow one, but no serious accident had befallen her and the freight for the overland trains was landed in good condition. --s- 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 cers' wives who were aboard the boat took kindly to her and befriended her throughout the trip. They were some l what curious, to be sure, concerning the ''friend" who would meet her; very req sonably, too, since it was an almost un- heard of and certainly a venturesome thing for 8 woman to start up country on 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 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 married there. More than once, when the woman sal on the deck of the Polar Star and gazed across the muddy waters of the river into the young cottonwood groves be. yond, a pathetic look crept into her face that warranted the first theory Again a trustful hope would shine through hel gray eyes and convince her new friends of the latter explanation.
 The captains attention had been espe cially attracted to her by little scene of which he believed himself to be the only witness. Soon after she came aboard his boat at St. Louis, and while he was watching her with some suspicion and wondering that woman of her appear ance should start upon such 8 journey alone, he saw her face grow suddenly white. They were both we'll forward at the time. but the woman was walking toward the stern of the vessel, and it was tied by something she saw there amid tht crowd of passengers-deckha anG soldiers-an engaged in asserting anl 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 hel face. She made no attempt at conceal 1 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.
 AuC d1o DiO soJ oSO PAo5oACSoCu diAu Cile 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 owr counsel It's wonderful what quiet bit I 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 owr 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 ascend the hill, espied her, and called to her te join them. | sSNOho6u ypot mo cho caiIs %o fbc