Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-09-30

lIop}flEhts 1910 uy American Press ASSocfa-
toni
CHAPTER III.
After collecting the weapons of the
dead Indians we returned to the wagons
and again led the horses out to pasture.
For time they fed quietly. but by and
by one of them. Old Whiteface. who
had once before crossed the plains. sud-
denly raised his head, pricked up his ears
and quivered in every limb, as If scent
ing danger.
THE old horse hears or smells some
thing wrong" said his driver, Ed Roys-
ton. Wed better take to the corral.
boys.
For some moments after bringing the
animals in we could see no cause for
alarm. but presently there rose on the
extreme edge of the horizon dark speck,
which grew each instant larger until it
finally revealed itself as body of horse
bearing directly down upon us.
Surprising that we were to be again
attacked by a chance band of hostiles.
we stood at once to our arms.
But when the rapidly moving force
had come within a half mile or so we
saw that there were only seven riders,
and those. keeping senicircular forma-
ton, seemed to be driving before them a
number of loose ponies.
The cayalcade swept on 300 yards
nearer, and then we discovered that Of
the seven mounted persons two were
women! The rescuing party had re-
turned, completely successful. and a
minute later. amid our rapturous cheers,
Kit Carson, his four comrades. Mrs.
Secord and Helen Douglas rode into the
hastily opened corral.
All appeared to be greatly fatigued,
and the young women looked pale and
haggard, but none seemed to be much
the worse for their rough experience,
though every one of the men lad been
more or less wounded It is needless to
describe how heartily we welcomed the
party, nor is it necessary to apologize
for the fact that in our joyous excite
ment some of us so far forgot the pro
prieties as to hug the two girls with as
much good will as we could have shown
to our own sisters or sweethearts.
These very affectionate demonstrations
gave no offense. however. and our fair
companions retired to make themselves
presentable after their long ride. while
two or three of us busted ourselves in
preparing an extra good supper for the
half famished travellers All were too
hungry to talk much while eating, but
| .et X = IL,
graphic account which Charlie Blake
gave of our doings during their absence.
well done. boys! I'm proud of you,
sententiously said Carson as he finished
his meal. M w I'm going to take a
snooze."
But, captain" half dozen of us re
monstrated. I'VE want to hear all about
your own adventures.
Boys. I'd rather fight week than
talk an horr. Joe Wilkinson here is
pretty good on the CAB. He'll spin the
yarn for YOU and lying down in the
shade the ilnperturbable guide was fast
asleep in five minutes.
go ahead, then, Joe. Let's hear the
whole thing" said Blake.
well, boys, I'm most used up, out
/ IL do the best l can. You know the
reds had about two miles start of us and
had got clear out of sight when we
mounted. Kit said they'd make straight
for the mountains 80 miles off, and only
for him we couldn't have followed the
tail 10 minutes, for there were lots of
places where we couldn't see a track,
hut to him the sign was just plain as
. turnpike road.
Tom Secord-yes, and Austin, too
wanted to go at full speed, but Carson
wouldn't hear to it. That won't do, he
said; Just keep up an easy lope, so as not
u blow the horses We're sure to catch
the reds, for two of the ponies will al
ways be double weighted, and the whole
l)t will have to take turns carrying the
women
"All of us saw the sense of this rea-
coming, and we kept going on, mile after
mile, steady as clockwork, till near day
break without catching sight of the In
dams. Then we came to little creek
not far this side of the foothills, and
Carson said: Let your horses drink,
boys. just swallow or two at time.
We're getting pretty close to the red
devils now. They've gone up this side
of the creek so as to strike the old
Apache trail. It's the only one they
know of. 1t twists about among the
foothills and then sweeps round in big
circle away mp into the mountains.
Well cross the creek right here, and I'll
lead you by a short cut through Grizzly
gulch and come out on the trail away
ahead of the Indians. discovered this
pass when | was trapping round here a
few years ago, and l don't believe anoth.
er living soul has ever gone through it.
well, after we'd got over the branch We
walked our horses for a couple of hun.
bred yards to kind of settle the water ii
their stomachs, and then Kit spoke NJ
again and says:
"'Now, men. there's two miles of good
ground before US. Well cover it at tor
speed, and then there's about a mile Of
the worst riding you ever saw, but that'l
bring us right out ON the trail. and the
reds must travel more than six miles te
reach the same spot. Now, rider and
away we went, gradually going faster
and faster till our horses We're running
for all they were worth, and in five min
utes we came to Grizzly gulch.
Sure enough, it was an awful place
all broken up with big rocks and powders
in such way that we couldn't go off a
walk, and it took us full quarter of an
hour to get through. but when we did
come out we found ourselves in thiclzet
of young cottonwoods and right on the
trail, as Kit had said.
''At this time it was broad daylight,
and by Carson's orders we all got off our
horses and led them away back into the
gulch. Then, speaking very low and
solemnlike. he said: Now, men, listen
to me and do exactly as tell you, or all
our work'll go for nothing. The reds
will be along pretty soon, and there must
be no bungling. There's 10 of them.
sure, but if it wasn't for the women