Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-29

glony. The idea was rs new to him as
it was wholesome, for this was the first
time his experience had confronted il.
Then they picked up the mail and
sent it back by two troopers, with the
body ON the blackboard Hodgson exam
ined the letters several times. The one
he wanted did not come That meant
another weeks waiting, so he was glad
that meantime he could be following
the trail.
In reality they made dry camp OH
it that night in the foothills of the next
mountain range. Lying in the wealth
of western sunset Hodgson had often
viewed that most gorgeous pile of form
and coloring known as the Superstition
range, and now that the trail led there
he felt glad. for he wished to visit 1t.
But by night they had lost the trail in
this arid fastness. and being all day
without water were barely able, with
much suffering from thirst, to get their
jaded animals back to the Rio Gila.
Hodgson had now seen four years
service. and next year, If poker pros
pered, he could go on leave. Already he
could hold his own in the game at the
traders club. He worried least of the
cantomnent about mail, thereby gaining
Coggins' complete approval Only once
--on reading Gu announcement two
years before, copied from society pa
| per, and again few months later, when
! reading of a wedding--Clid he evince
| aly interest in the mail. On the latter
evening he Cid Tot care for the club,
but smoked alone In his quarters and
burned some letters alter reading them.
| Then suddenly he seemed seized with
all iho cynicism youth freely flaunts as
if it valny feels--afrected to care only
| for married women and few like
transparencies Then, in illustration of
his preference, devoted himself violent
! ly 70 Mrs Elank, q clever, kindly soul,
who understood his symptoms, humored
and helped him, being good woman,
possessed Of tho best Of husbands Incl
dentally or from habit Hodgson devoted
himself TO duty, and now that Wilson
had staff work he was given the scouts,
promotion which provoked comment
from 0 'Leary, who said to Coggins, "Oi
tell you, Dan'l, Oh hated to soc SO foine
a lad punished wild sich compl l'meent "
For company of scouts meant annoy.
ances not met with in tho management
of ordinary troop routine, but it had its
compensations in opportunities for field
service.
News had come that sheriff and dep
uty. guarding prisoners from Globe to
| Florence, had been overpowered and
killed. Hodgson was to take the trail at
once In few hours the sconts had
found it leading from the old Florence
road near the Gila, crossing where the
killing had occurred. 1t led through the
Superstition mountains, which he had
not had occasion to visit since Chris
topherson's death. Soon he found him
self again or the same rugged trail and
had passed the point where before he
had lost it. The Indians were evidently
heading for the Tonic basin and trying
to return to their own reserve, Once
among their tribe, only the released
prisoners could be identified, and the
perpetrators Of this last outrage would
be lost.
Tradition warns you that if one en-
ters far into the Superstition mountains
he will never return, the country being
too rough for animals and too dry for
man. Prospectors who have penetrated
the edges of this range say that it is
filled with mineral, Improbable for
want of water. Cattle do not range
there, and men hunting large game go
to the tiInbered mountains, so trail
across this chain would lead where no
one wished to 20 save Hodgson, who
now went for sake of duty. He pushed ON,
with sullen, dogged courage. over the
stony trail used as lost time gaining
refuge by hunted savages in these most
arid mountains of our most arid land
until he emerged, almost mad with
thirst, on the Rio Salinas, In the Lower
Tonic basin. Thence the trail led into
the Sierras Auchas, and IN this great
altitude II was lost under the first fall
OF autumn snow.
i There was nothing left for Hodgson
to do now but to return to the reserva-
ton, as the Indians we're evidently try
ing to do, for the eastern foothills OF
this sierra border the San Carlos reserve,
and the Indians would not remain long
In the snow Hodgson must make de-
tour, see their squaws among the cibi-
Gus on the western edge OF the reserve,
and IL their bucks had not already re-
turned he might hope to cut their trail
where It left the snow line and intercept
them from their haven, the reservation.
He had found from their squaws on
cihicu that they had not yet returned.
II was all he wanted 10 know, but as lao
was leaving squaw's tepee his eye
saught sight of faded pink letter, Gu.
riously embroidered by way q color
ornament onto the face Of buckskin
garment The writing was familiar
Ho seized lt cagerly--tn faded letters by
q fading light lao read her answer.
He tore her letter from the garment
and pushed Il into the pocket OF his jer'
soy and stood for q moment near the
door Of the tepco, looking absontly
across the bare hills Of the brown re-
serve. Ho was thinking Of tho woman