Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-10
CHAPTER XVII.

y
taking the plain trail left by the In
dians, he followed it to the river bank.
Pushing forward, he forded the stream,
regained the trail on the opposite side
and dashed away into the sandhills in
eager pursuit of the captors of her
whom he so dearly loved.
He formed no definite plan of action.
His every effort was bent in the direc-
tion of locating the Indians where they
would camp for the night before dark
ness should blind the trail. He was
thoroughly familiar with the country,
having often secuted it with his troop,
and knew that at the Dripping Springs,
about forty miles from the river, IA
vorite camping-ground of the tribe was
located. There he hoped to find the
camp of the band, of which the captors
of Alice were but fragment.
On and on he sped through the hills
which border the river, and out into
the great tornado del Mucrto, or Jour
ney TO Death" that great desert once
"A terror to those who were obliged to
traverse its dreary,' waterless wastes
beneath the burning suns of summer.
Far ahead in the distance the San
Andreas range loomed up before him,
the eastern side of the great frame Of
mountains which inclosed the desert.
The shades of evening were rapidly
eclipsing the light of day as he en-
tered the first range of foothills and
sped along the trail into the bosom OF
the mountains. Dark, threatening
clouds began to gather over the tower
ing peaks as he neared the Dripping
Springs, and distant growlings of
thunder presaged coming storm.
-nie-.Ae"nting from his horse he
crawled to IL l,,.a-..-as =. In H------
which view of the spring could be
secured, and his heart gave "A great
throb of satisfaction when the smoke
from a number of camp fires met his
eyes. Grouped about near the springs
was village OF about twenty lodges,
and near by a herd of ponies roamed
over the hillside cropping the sparse
grass which sprouted out from between
the rocks.
His searching eyes failed to discover
the presence Of guard on any of the
surrounding hills, and he rightly In
terpreted this to mean that the In
dians, having travelled with great speed
to their present camp, knew that they
need fear no pursuing party before the
following day. Even had the capture
been discovered shortly after the poor
girl was seized, the cavalry horses
could never carry their equipment
laden riders more than half the dis
tance from the fort TO the mountains
before darkness came upon them, and,
not being able to follow the trail, the
troops would camp until daybrealt.
Fully satisfied that there were no SEN
tinels TO discover his presence, his hope
of being able TO gain an entry in the
village was greatly strengthened.
He must now wait until darkness
should come TO conceal his movements.
Lying down upon the brow of the hill,
ne eagerly scanned the distant camp.
Duslsy forms moved 10 and fro about
the nickering fires, but the one beloved
form for which he sought with aching
eyes appeared not. Although the APP
preaching storm materially aided in
driving back the gray light Of day, to
his anxious, impatient soul the night
fall came with all too tardy footsteps.
The great black clouds rolled rapid
ly toward him, at times splitting out
| vivid flashes Of lightning followed by
| pcals of angry thunder. These premo-
nitious of the coming storm filed his
breast with unspealtablc satisfaction,
and he almost shouted with joy when
the storm burst upon him In all its
fury. The inlsy darkness which ac-
companicd IL would hide his move
ments, and the rain beating down upon
| the lodges of the Indians would drown
the sound Of his stealthy footsteps.
As he lay there, his brain was busy
formulating It plan Of action. lie must
enter the village, pcrilous venture,
and when once there how could he de-
| tcrminc in which one Of the twenty or
more lodges his loved one was con
! fined? He could but go ahead and
| trust TO Providence for guidance. Not
one man In thousand would under
| take such hazardous task; but the
| light Of his lifc-all he cared TO live for
was In that village of deadly, trcach-
erous foes, and If he could not effect
her rescue IL was his desire that he
might die with her.
When the storm struck the village
the Indians hastily sought shelter in
! their lodges, and the drcnching rain
soon cxtinguishcd the camp fires. Be
ing driven TO shelter, the waiting sol
dicr knew the savagcs would soon seek
! comfort in their blanket beds, and
nftcr waiting about an hour that TO his
impatient spirit seemed an age, hc re-
mounted his horse and rode toward the
village.
Securing his horse TO bush behind
an cmbanlSmcnt which marked the bed
cf an old creek near the village, tho
soldier took the pistols from the hol-
stcra and thrust them through the belt
above his waist, and taking hunting
/ lSnifc from one Of the saddle pockctf
moved stcalthily into the camp. All
was quiet, save the beating Of the rain
and the occasional vollcys from hoav'
ems artillery overhead. Even tho
snarlinR, half-starved ours with which
every Indian village Is infested had
crawlcd into the LODGES for shelter
from the storm, and did not discover
his presence.
How would hc ever bc able 90 locat,
the object of his search? His lips move,
! In prayer 20 Heaven for aid, as h,
moved along lis, q darl. gpcctcr amid
the lodges Anon he would pause auo
listen intcntly, hoping to hear cough
on Sigh tjr IL spullcn word Us tell hip