Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-11-23

But shadows are never dark enough. Il
soon passed from squaw to squaW i'll the
village that t'YelIow Feather rode te
Bonito's lodge, and, like the flame Of 4
ieaping prairie fire, the word swept on till
it reached Ramone in the upper camp in
the mountains. And as luck would have
it at that time the upper camp was drink
ing Irwin" and dancing for war. SO Rs-
none drank Irwin with increased vigGl
and danced with the other wild spirits,
while his Unborn general hate for The
whites concentrated to one fierce, burning
hate for one white.
The big moon came, and with it the last
dance in the upper camp. The old and the
tender were sent down to the main camp
on the river, while the strong and active,
full Of Irwin and hell dashed into tie
night to mako a merry killing i'll their
line of flight. All the young bucks were
in the ride save one-Ramone was toe
drunk to mount OF move Three hours
later, by the light of the same big moon.
two troops Of cavalry had found ard Were
on the trail Of the bronchos' at the uppc,
camp. The next morning the agent. visit
ing the main camp to count q somewhat
scattered flock ard separate the sheep from
themselves, found Ramona tag, number
and all, present TO be counted az one of the
remnant OF sheep. He really was meek as
q lamb, sleeping most of the day in the
brush near his mothers lodge, but occa-
sionaily waking to hear the frightened
talk Ct women and children. Once Ike
heard that the black horse and the gra,.
horse soldiers We're on the trail, and HI
ti,af
grays.
He ate his supper in sullen silence, for
the tribe Was not a unit on the outbreak.
Then, when the twilight merged into
night, he saddlcd his war pony and left
the camp.
Ramona knew the rendezvous; also the
water boles and the rough, rugged noun
tains between. He leped along Oh u trail
OF his own making, heading for the far
peak Of the Black range, travelling mostly
by night and mapping by day. On the
third sun he cut the trail Of his friends.
within an easy ride OF the high peak, bun
found no signs of shod horses upon it. lie
had headed tho soldiers. He could go OF
or wait for tie procession to pass, just as
he saw fit Perhaps Yellow Feather was
not With the soldiers? If he was not there
yet w;is time enough for Ramona to be
back On the reservation before the next
count On Issue day" He rode On the
trail for awhile, then left it, knowing a
single track would not be followed, al
though it Was fresh, and hid the pony and
himself safe in the rocks above q point
where the trail led up from aside canyon.
Looking from this rock balcony, he scosi
saw yyhai h5, yr1ifpfi. fo,,-1be SnniiI.
advance guard showed first They rode
abreast and were scattered to the right
and left of the trail One silently pointed
to the fresh pony tracks, but none halted
to examine it. 1t meant q foragcr or q
lookout and was only another indication
that the first camp made By the = rol-
ehos'' was not far off. Prospects fer "a hold
back fight were improving. Then came
the black horse troop, in file of troopers,
leading their leg weary horses When each
man reached the top CT the ascent, he
mounted and kept moving. The pursuit
was slow, bnt it was continuous. Then
came the grays, and, last OF all, yellow
Feather. -
Clayson, as junior lieutenant, rode in
rear of the column to prevent struggling.
When he got to the top efsshss canyon, the
ing another canyon beyond. He ordered
the men ahead Of him to close up at trot
but he did not mount at once His lasoisc
gaunted by lack of feed and the 1875 miles
of hard riding, had no belly to hold a
girth, so Ciayson halted to resaeldle, and
by that halt became a straggler himself
The command, moving steadily. was soon
out of sight and sound.
Ramona crawled down from rock to
rock, silent as death itself, to within sure
range. just below the left shoulder blade
was the spot. He aimed from rest and
fred and made two killings, but the horse
fell first, on his off side. Then tho man
pitched across the horse A few seconds
later Ranone's knife had made rapid
piece of artistic carving. Then he was On
bis pony. lashing with his CURT for q wild