The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-11

material existence unEssociated with
glory. The idea wa as new to him as
1t was wholesome, Ear this was the first
time his experience had confronted iii.
Then they picked up the mail and
sent it back by two troopers, with the
body on tho blackboard. Hodgsoa 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 a dry camp On
1t that night in the foothills of the next
mountain range. Lying in the wealth
of q 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.
y
Hodgson had now seen four years
service. and next year, il poker pros
pered, he could 60 on leave. Already he
could hold his own in the game at the
traders club. He worried least of the
cantonment about mail, thereby gaining
Coggins' complete approval Only once
on reading an announcement two
years before, copied from q society pa
per, and again a few months later, when
reading of a wedding-did he evince
any interest in the mail. On the latter
| evening he did not care for the club,
but smoked alone in his quarters and
burned some letters after reading them.
Then suddenly he seemed seized with
all the cynicism youth freely fiaunts as
If 1t vainly feels-affected TO care only
! for married women and o few like
transparencies. Then, In illustration Of
| his preference, devoted himself violent
" TO Mrs. Blank, q clever, kindly soul,
who understood his symptoms, humored
and helped him, being q good woman,
possessed of the best OF husbands. Incl.
dentally or from habit Hodgson devoted
himself to duty, and now that Wilson
had staff wc~k he was given the scouts,
a promotion which provoked comment
from O'Leary, who said to Coggins, "Oi
tell you, DAM, Oh hated TO see 90 foine
q lad punished wild SIGH a compliments "
For O company OF scouts meant annoy.
ances not met with in the management
of ordinary 4roop routine, but 10 had its
compensations in opportunities for field
service.
y - = =.
News had come that a sheriff and dep
uty. guarding prisoners from Globe to
Florenec. had been o~verpowered and
killed. Hodsson was to take the trail at
once. In q few hours the scouts had
found Ii leading from the old Florence
road near the CHA, crossing where the
killing had occurred. It led through the
Superstition mountains, which he had
not had occasion to visit since Chris
topherson's death. Soon he found him
self again ON the same rugged trail and
had passed the point where before he
had lost ii. The Indians were evidently
heading for the Tonic basin and trying
70 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-.
tiers 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 &c
to the timbered mountains, 30 q trail
across this chain would lead where nc
one wished to go save Hodgson, who
now went for sake Of duty. He pushed ON.
with sullen, logged courage. owe the
stony trail used as q 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 I'm this great
altitude it was lost under the first fall
of autumn 10Y
There was nothing left for Hodgson
to do now but to return to the reserva-
tion, as the Indians were evidently try
ing to do. for the eastern foothills OF
this sierra border the Sam Carlos reserve,
and the Indians would not remain long
in the snow. Hodgson must make a de-
tour, see their squaws among the cibi-
Gus ON the western edge of the reserve,
and If 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
Cibicu that they had not yet returned.
1t was all he wanted to know, but rs he
was leaving a squaw's tepee his eye
caught sight of 10 faded pink letter, en-
riously embroidered by way Of color
ornament onto the face OF q buckskin
garment. The writing was familiar.
He seized it eagerly-in faded letters by
q fading light he read her answer.
He tore her letter from the garment
and pushed 1t into the pocket Of his ier-
sey and stood for o moment nea the
door OF the tepee. looking absently