The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-12-25

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the right. And then, then. an instant
more, and, tossing the powdery snow all
in fieecy white cloud, there came tear
ing up out of the depths of some unseen
coulee lively herd of Indian ponies re-
joicing in their unwonted freedom and
determined not to be herded back TO
slavery without a struggle.
1t was hard to repress the shout of joy
that sprang to the soldiers lips. Then
ii wasn't the ambulance after all: moth
ing but this frolicsome band of rascals
that, after breaking away from the In
dian boys the evening before, had doubt
less been driven before the gale, de-
manding the sending forth of quite a
party of the young men in search, even
before the storm had fully abated. For
moment the troopers forgot their mis-
sion as they watched the chase. Fresh
and unhampered by weight of any kind
the scurrying band came sweeping along
the edge of the distant bluff, following
an active. mischieyous leader and leay-
ing their jaded pursuers far behind. The
Indian knows too much to chase a run
LO avs uiiAl " ON II QC-
vices, well knowing he will more quick
ly stop when unpursued and can then
more readily be headed off and turned
back to the ways he should 60. On
came the nimble herd full tilt toward
the elbow in the shallow valley, where
q broad white streak told of deep drifted
snow, and there the leader veered to the
L r.. i
stretched away at racing speed on that
course but for one young warrior on 4
dun colored pony, who with the speed of
the wind came darting out across the
level surface beyond, gamely, skillfully
heading him. Around went the leader
once more in wide circle westward,
around the southermost edge of the
fleecy drift, and then, with laundering
hoofs, the whole troop went bounding
away to the west without living soul
to interpose between them and the bald,
rolling heights at the far horizon, miles
and miles away.
$50 it, pony! Tn glad to see a red
skin done for once!' was Morses jubi-
liant shout. And then, suddenly and
sharp, "Good God! What's that, Lieu
tenant? Look!'
Not six hundred yards away, now, the
little band of ponies, following their
spirited leader, had suddenly halted at
the very edge of some dip or sink in the
prairie that lay to the southeast of the
snowy rift in which the troopers were
crouching, still hidden, they and their
horses, from the sharp eyes of the chas-
ing Indians. Then as suddenly, tossing
high their scraggy manes, as though
with one accord, the nimble brutes
whirled to the south, their leader in
dulging in fine flourish of heels as he
sped away. And now Morse lay against
the bank pointing eagerly to couple of
black objects startlingly outlined on the
glistening white of the snow, two OBJ
jects that came plunging up from the
invisible depths of the hollow, strug-
Cling breast deep in the drifts, and at
last reached the edge of the prairie, and,
followed instantly by another couple,
with their long ears erect, with out
stretched neck and eager brayings, clat-
tered away in pursuit Of the herd.
Brewster knew them at glance-Stcr-
rett's ambulance mules. Indeed, the
broken pole was still dangling between
the two in rear and bounding with them
over the frozen turf.
And that swerve, that sudden halt and
turn to the south end, had cost the band
their liberty. Darling along abreast of
them, but nearly half a mile away to the
south, the warrior on the dun colored
pony had shot far out beyond them, and
| now, sweeping around in a wide circle
| 20 his right, rode between them and the
| broad wastes to the west. Two other In:
dams were circling in their front, bar
ring the way TO the low hills TO the
| south. Others still, struggling far out
eastward, refined up so rs not TO inter
fere with the rounding" of the herd.
and in a moment or two more these
| three experts had turned their runaway
property in wide sweep back into the
shining track of the sun, and in Il very
| few minutes the matter was settled; the
ponies were sulkily trotting along the
bank beyond the bend, headed for home
and hard work again, with the ambu
lance mules braying at their heels. Here
| the younger Indians, the boys, took
| charge, and from the distant slopes.
| from south and east and from the prai-
rie to the west, the others came canter-
ing toward that sharp angle half mile
away and gathered in eager consulta-
ton about one who seemed to be their
| leader.
All this, and much more. Brewster
and his men were watching with bound
| ing pulses, in breathless excitement,
Brewster with feelings of mingled hope
and despair. Now he knew that the
ambulance must be somewhere near at
hand, possibly up that long ravine on
| the south side that slanted in from the
prairie not hundred yards away below
| them. Surely the banks looked as though
there were a good ford at that point.
Might not that be the very one of which
Ellis spoke? Now, if it Were but posi-
bic to drop back out Sf the drifts in
which they were hiding and recross the
stream, they might yet creepunobserved
into the mouth of that gully and feel
their way afoot until, somewhere in the
snow, they came upon, as he now felt
sure they must, the stormbound wagon
with its precious contents. From their
crouching place il was impossible to see
across the ridge that separated them
from the ravine referred to; but to the
southeast the prairie lay before them,
and the keenest eye could detect no sign
of hollow between that which lay SO
near them and that from which those
vagabond mules had emerged far out
upon the plain. Somehow Brewster felt
certain that now at last he was actually
within pistol shot of the ambulance.
within speaking distance, almost, of the
girl he so fondly loved. whose very life
at this instant depended not only on his
courage, but also on his Judgment. One
false move would ruin all.
So long as the Indians kept up their
powwow at the bend, so long was Wini-
fred safe. The longer they DELAYED the
nearer would it bring Murphy and the
men from the main crossing three miles
away up stream. Then, six TO six, he
could laugh at the Sioux. But any one
who knew Indians at all knew that the
discovery of the mules would only set
them to work TO find the snow CAMP
from which the animals had broken
away. Aye, even as these things flashed
through his mind. Brewster could see
that they were signaling ''halt" TO the
herd guard, and that two of the young
sters were lashing their ponies out in
front Of the band and gradually bring
ing it to standstill. Almost at the same