Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-04-10
CHAPTER VII.

The nigh: was bright as day as Oar
rel and Ranger Ralph rode from the
little town at Miners Gulch toward tho
hills to the east in tho near distance.
, As nearly as possible, the former in
formed the scout Of the course DcSpard
had taken in carrying away the rccapt-
Urld maiden, lncz Tracey.
They soon found themselves threading
rocky dclile, along which the practical
cvo of the scout discovered evidences Oh
recent travel.
"They have como this way" he said
to Darrell.
Then we may oycrtake thom."
"Not } caSi y as you think
"Why nOt?"
"They have q fair start Of us, and
once I'm the mountains it will b. difficult
TO follow their trail"
Tho landscape became wild, and at
times almost impossible, as thcy pro
ceeded on their way At midnight the
scout came to halt, utterly at fault.
ave arc in Quandary nOw," he re-
marked.
"How?" asked Darrol.
"Hcro tho course divergcs. The out
laws may have gone down the va ley to
the wilderness beyond, Ia scd through
the gulch yondcr to the outlaw country,
or struck dire through the lis for the
Indians.
For nearly an hour they rccOnnoitered
q short distance in cat h direction The
scouts face showed satisfied express
sion IS he returned to the head OF the
canyon
"jIa~o Won learn d anything?" asked
parro, eagerly.
"Ycs?"
"What is it,"
"This"
Tho scout showed a ribbon, which
Darrel recognized as belonging to tho
dress worn by Inez Tracey
40 you recognize it," asked Ra PHI
ayes
"Then the Ind an country is our des
tination. They are carry NJ the girl tC
Their Old-tim allies, the MO1ocS.
Darrell looked deeply concerned, but
the scout seemed more encouraged anC
vigilant than ever, ard urged his horS>
TO more rapid rate of speed
Tho morn ng light brought tbcm en-
cOnraging traces Of the TcrSOnS they
sought They were toiling up steer
ascent. when Darrel found a piece o.
bride rein. IL evidently belonged tC
pcspard's band, AMI they pressed ON
confident that they were on the righ
trail.
"Rcyond here the mountains come t(
q STOP" remarked the scout.
"And beyond that?"
"Prairic and forest, and the camping
grounds of the marauding bands OF saw
ages. Ha. smoke"
As Rang'r Ralph spoke, his com
RAMON d;scerned Slight volume ol
smoke cmanating from sOrc rocks be
yond them.
They drove aong as rapidly as th'
broken roadway would admit. AT
turn scene OF wondrOus beauty ant
extent held them momentariy spell
bound
The mountain of stone shot dow
sheer a thousand feet perfectly perpen
dicular. and beyond it stretched wood
cd plain far as the eye could reach.
There seemed 10 means of reaching
excclt by tolsOme ride to where ther
was a moro gradual descent
"Look," spoke the scout suddenly.
Da1reI thrilled TO keen excitement a
he glanced at point some distance DC
loY them.
4 body of hcrSemen were Just diSaI
rCaring into a dense stretch of timber
"Dcspard and his men," he cred.
at must be them.
"Then they have escaped us
"No necessarily, the trail WI be bet
to- on the lOwlands than here. thin
know DesparI's plans"
"What are they?"
"To reioin one of his old allies in STAG
robbery and war on the sctt cmcnts.
AN lndan?'
eyes"
"NhO is hep"
shadow Snake, the ModOc warrior
What is that?"
Directly before thcm, cmanatlng troi
q rocky delilc, smoke ascended-the sam
they had observed u few minutes prev
ously.
Dare.
Al think not. 1t is probably the dc
serted camp fire of Despard's band.
Both men halted perp eXtd and bowl
Gered. as they traced the smoke to II
sonrcc. At a cave-lilIe aperture IN th
cks. large amount OF bushes an
rccds and leaves were piled. These ha
been recently ignited, and dense volume
of smoke is ued from the heap.
The two men gazed at one another l
the profoundest wonder
What does it mcan?" asked inc my
tifcd Darrell
e( dO not knOW.N