Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-03-14
"Neither. a horses hoof."

There's horses heofs there, anyway
father, look for yourself
The trapper advanced to the bank.
Sure enough upon the damp, black sur
face of the place was outlined the dis
tinct impress Of horses feet, There |
could be no doubt of 1t, aud as little |
tn the frontiersman's mind
that any horse could have crossed the
bank and left so light an impression.
"There's some trick herew he NUT
tered perplexedly, stroking his strag-
Cling beard. ~ have it," he cried, sud
denly. "Whoever did 1t wanted to leave
no trail, and they've tried to throw the
blame on poor dumb brute by tying
pair of hoofs over their thicving feet.
No horse walks on two feet and this an
imal has. Tyson-pd swear 10 1t! Keep
a close watch, HirsNa, till RI turn from
this mail tomorrow night. Wen track
down this mystery, or lose our reputa-
ton as frontiersmen."
But the affair annoyed him all that day
and was uppermost in his mind even
after the nail coach arrived, and he start.
ed off for Mendoza with his horse.
lie was startled when the driver in
formed him that some dissatisfaction
among the Chippewas was reported, and
he kept close lookout along his lonely
route as he thought of Tyson, to whom
he accredited the source of the threaten
iHg trouble.
But his journey was not disturbed,
and he delivered the mail, rested an hour
or two, and the next evening at dusk,
congratulating himself on his safety, he
reached the liNle path through the tim
Der leading to his hut.
His horse started suddenly as shst
whizzed by his head across the opeRing.
He sprang to the threshold just as a sec
end bullet pierced his cap,
With welltrained instinct the horse
dashed on and past the hut'as Amos fell
rather than glided through the door
quickly opened by his wife.
safe Amos" she cried, thankfully. as
she barred the door ave tried to warn
YOU. but we didn't care to leave the
cabin"
The traPper looked startled.
"There's danger, eh:" he muttered
mot the Injuns,"
Yes, Amos, the IRiuns."
In hurried tones she explained what
had happened since he left the place.
That very morniRg Hiram had observed
several savages and white man skulk-
ing near by; had overheard sufficient of
the conversation to indicate that their
mission was no, peaceful one, ana had
fastened to the cabin.
They had barred the door just in time
to shut out the intruders, who made a
wild dash toward the hut-four half
drunken Indians and Abner Tyson.
An that day in state of siege they
had ex changed harmless shots with the
savages, and were not a little alarmed
when they discerned in the movements
of the men that they were evidently
skulking in the forest to wayIay the
trapper on his return
Amos lips grew closer together and
his ewes flashed onniously,
"ry~~., and fire-water against an hon.
est mar" he muttered, as he examined
his rifle. "rhe pesky yarmint wants re.
venge, eh' Well, he'll get itm
He will, if You listen to me, father"
spoke up Hiram, as he advanced from a
port. hole WHARF he had been watching
the moonlit opening.
What do you mean, ladi"
That I've found out by the flash of
their rifles were the men are"
You have, eh2n
Yes, father, Right at the edge of the
opening is big hickory, blown over in
the last storm, Across the top cotton
fell and holds it there. There's big
hole where the roots flung out the dirt,
and Tyson and the Indians are living in
it,
" ou're sure of that:n
Certain, father. Creep out of the
rear window and get around into the
timber. I'll guarantee to fix them
The traPpers eyes flashed with admi-
ration Of the quick intelligence Of the
boy as he discerned Hiram's purpose. but
he hesitated TO give his sanction.
The risk, lad he began.
"llltake it, father Leave it 10 me to
get out Of the way, if they see me"
Agile as a squirrel, Hiram darted
through the window, gained the swamp
and thence by detour reached the
forest
Once in the belt of timber, he erept
cautiously through the underbrush. at
last drawing a sigh of relief as he rose
TO his fest, directly under the cotton tree
he had described.
|, was huge tree, and as he had said
had fallen directly over the hickory.
Only It's weight kept the imprisoned
hickory from swinging back 10 lis place,
and he knew that the elastic strained
roots of the latter. once the tension of
the cotton relieved hem, would snap
back 10 the root-bed like fash.