The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-11-14
THE DEAD
MANS RING.
The Story Of Lieutenant Clyde's Strange
.ddueat,ire ia .1rizOnd
BY EDWARD LIVINGSTON KEYEs.


Christmas Day in Arizona. Not the
Arizona of to-day with its railroads,
telegraphs and other modern conven-
fences, but the old Territory of twenty
five years ago, when the nearest rail-
way station laya thousand miles and
more TO the eastward, and when even
''Price's wire" was matter of the
fancy. The Arizona whose copper
colored denizens turned the coach in
which Loring, Harvard's former stroke
rode, into his hcarse; who burnt poor
Cushing, brother of the naval hero, and
his little escort, in one of Cochise's
''hatchways' in the Dragon noun
tain and who sent a volley into Jake"
Aliny's noble breast upon the banks of
San Carlos.
Ii is morning and down the narrow
trail of the rough mountain that towers
in its barrenness back of old Fort Reno
coming in single file moving objects.
The sage brush and mesquit hide from
view those that have already gained
the valley, but moment later the
bronzed bearded faces and worn blue
garments not to mention the thimble
belts and carbines, tell us that it is a
scouting party Of regular cavalry. 1t is
a long serpentine line this command
makes, and the foremost troopers are
swinging themselves into their saddles
in the valley, while as yet we see the
rear and packs" picking their way
down the dangerous defile. And dan
gerous il j.. Three vacancies had been
made in one troop during the past hour
by Indians hurting and rolling rocks
and boulders from high precipices upon
the defenseless men and beasts that
wound along below.
They move out now across the broad
valley, the white alkaline dust rising in
clouds at each motion of the horses
feet, for the trail is an old one and not
even cholla cactus, the brush and the
mesquit, which appear to he the sole
products of the valley, encroach upon
the narrow passage which had been
traversed 10y many good fellow for the
last time forever.
Though it is December, yet the tenn
perature is anywhere from 100 To 10
degrees; but, with the exceptions of "A
very few, these troopers are accustom-
ed To the climate and no murmur of
complaint escapes them. On the con-
trary, occasional snatches of border
songs break the monotony of the prod
of the horses feet, and "A good-natured
joke, with its sequel, a hearty laugh, is
by no means rarity.
1t is doubtful if there was in the en-
tire command a man who had not at
least once since breaking camp rcmem-
bered the day and contrasted il with
other Christmases in happier lands and
amid fairer scenes, and there was one
young subaltern among them who for
the last hour had done little else. He
was new to the service and il was his
maiden scout and Lieutenant Clyde,
previous TO entering upon the duties of
the profession which he had chosen
above all others, had been much of "a
dilettante and something of a sybarite
the roughness of the journey and the
homeliness of his surroundings Jared
upon him. 1t was hard luck that this
scout chanced to be his first for it was
an unusual and an unnecessarily Sc
we're trial of both men and animals.
The commanding officer had fair war
record, but he had quite recently been
transferred to this cavalry regiment
his in-expericnce in this new line pro-
voked him and his ambition TO make
''killing" caused him to disregard GER
tain details, TO lose sight of many
things which should not have escaped
his observation and attention. He had
forbidden the making of any fires lest
the Indians should see the smoke and
learn the presence of the troops Con-
three days had now elapsed
since the men had tasted coffee or any
thing warm, save alkali water, and il
was well understood they Were not to
bivouac until the mountain range con-
them was passed.
But late in the afternoon the ochre-
,olored foothills are reached. But no
halt was made; on they push and at
ength We see the head of the column
the ascent of the mammoth
natural parapet with its different color
ID sections, or strata, showing, as the
scientists tell Us, its age as unmistak-
IDLY as do the rings on cows horn
md the wrinkles under horses eye.
At this moment Lieutenant Clyde
was suffering from an attack of Melan-
.holia, together with that sense of
nausea we all have known, consequent
lpon a long-delayed breakfast. As he
reached the mountains base he drew
,ut of line, dismounted and led his
horse to the mouth of a narrow can
yon short distance to the right. 1t
looked rather cool and it had been his
10 avail himself of an unli-
eensed rest. But this resolved was
abandoned upon the discovery Of the
lead body of a man lying in the very
place he in fancy had reserved for HIM