The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-04-04

IN charge Of q corporal, and with the
sergeant return at once to the valley.
Taking leave Of the priest, he went to
the house Of the governor Of the pueblo
to pay his respects and make arrange
ments for the delivery Of grain at the
camp for the use Of the animals.
The governor desiring to show the
lieutenant through the pueblo, and his
courtesy being accepted, over two hours
elapsed before he returned to his wait
ing horse and threw himself into the
saddle. As he did SO he asked the gov
ernor if there was not shorter road to
camp than the one he had recently
passed over.
"Oh, yes" replied the chief; ''you
came by the bowl You can return by
the cord. ("
"How much can I save9''
1.-THE cord is six miles shorter than
the bow"
A careful description Of the short cut
was made by the governor, and few of
the chief men gathered about, and Ray
mer, concluding that it would be i'm
possible to stray from the trail, bade the
Indians goodby and left the plaza by
the northern side, Vic bounding and
barking at his horses head.
The general direction Of the road was
straight and led through country over
which the soldiers in the valley had not
secuted. The first six miles was through
land cultivated by the Pueblos or used
by them as grazing ground for their
stock. At the end of that distance it en-
tered forest and ran along the side of
a small brook for several miles and then
rose gradually to the side of q range of
hills.
As the two horsemen turned the spur
of foothill they suddenly perceived five
persons riding short distance in ad-
vance, two men and three women. One
of the men wore the cassock Of Catho-
lie priest, the other the garb Of civilian.
Two of the women seemed by their dress
to be of the sisterhood in charge of the
convent school at Santa Fe. The third
woman was dressed in q green riding
habit.
When the lieutenant and sergeant ap-
preached, the party in advance detected
to the right to allow them to pass. As
they did SO one of the sisters said some-
thing to their companion and threw her
shawl and veil, which she used to
conceal her face and figure. The priest
turned and revealed the features Of
Padre Gutierrez, the missionary of the
pueblo they had just left
"Ah, Father Gutierrez" said Ray
mer, "why did you not let me know
you intended going to my valley and al
low me to be your escort?"
"For two reasons, my gallant son
because I am not going to the valley and
because thought you were going the
way you came"
"I did intend taking the other route,
but the governor persuaded me to try
shorter one Am already astray2"
"You are in the right trail, =" replied
the priest. "My route and yours are the
same until we reach La Roca Grande.
There we turn off to Pena Blanca.
care you not inviting attack to travel
without escort?" asked the officer.
''The Pueblos report no Navajoes in
this part Of the country. These sisters
and their charge are on their way to
Santa Fe and will find q carriage await
ing them on the river"
While this conversation was going on
the party was walking the horses along
the side of the activity before men,
toned, at considerable distance above
the eastern side of the brook, their hoofs
making no noise in the soft, black earth,
when the lieutenant and his companions
were startled by the braying Of a dom
key somewhere in the valley. All the
men sprang quickly from their saddles
and seized the horses by their curbs to
prevent them from answering their
humble relatives greeting, for in such
region it was safest to take no chance
of meeting an enemy. The priest and
his attendant helped the women to the
ground, and the whole party withdrew
into dense clump of frs.
leaving the sergeant in charge of his
horse, Raymer crept down the hillside
to point from which he could plainly
see both sides of the brook. Looking
across the ravine, he saw party Of In
1ians couple of hundred yards beyond
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