The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-29
COPYRIGHT. 1877 BY TIVE Auraos

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cemetery she looked curiously over the
low wall at the mounds and headboardi
and frankly at the two caballeros. Fell,
and myself. with our riding costumes OF
California jean much overlaid with
cartridge belts and the dust of Arizona
trails After we had left the burial
ground she passed within the wall,
where, looking back, | saw her gather
ing wild flowers among the graves
1t was the middle of the afternoon
before we could get our horses from the
blacksmith. Saddling and mounting
them, we rode toward the easterly mouth
Of the pass AS we crossed the parade
ground an Indian courier, dusty and
| travel worn, rode tired horse from the
| trail up TO the quarters of the command.
ing officer, and before we were out of
sight of Camp Bowie | saw an orderly
going in haste across the parade ground
toward the soldiers barracks Then q
rocky point shut off the backward view
as we followed the wagon trail that
winds along the steep canyon side down
to the San Simon plain
As we emerged from the pass a wide.
open valley lay before us, slightly de.
pressed toward its middle and rising
again toward its faroff eastern bound.
airy, the foot of the Peloncillo noun.
tains, which stretched north and south
parallel with the Chiricahua range
which we were leaving. STEMS peak
rose loftily ahead, and our trail, the
overland stage route across the plain,
marked by telegraph poles and their
wires, led well TO its right. We carried
our rifles across our saddle pommels as
we rode the bay Missouri horses, Bill
and Tip, which had borne us many a
hundred miles in the Apache country.
A single blanket and oilskin "slioker"
were strapped behind each saddle, and
a flour sack rolled in Felix's blanket
held our provisions, bought at Camp
Bowie. With canteens freshly filled
with water before starting ont, we felt
that we had made all reasonable prepa.
rations for comfort and safety and en-
tered on our journey with light hearts
North and south the plain extended
seemingly without limit The summer
had been rainy, and the grass and plants
Of the and region had grown eXuber-
antly. On delicate stems the razor blade
heads OF the grama grass waved in the
breeze above the curly punches from
which they rose, and the plain was
spangled with wild flowers There were
mimic thickcts Of the taller, coarsor
grasses, patches Of sagobrush and
crossword and here and there Il space
of barren alkuli ground Low clumps
OF thony mesquite trees dotted the
landscape, miniature and grotcsque
groves Of the larger yuccas and cactus.
es appeared, and growing near the
ground were seen the prickly pear, the
spiky soupwced and the trailing vine
and odorif,rous yellow fruit of the
wild pumpkin.
Animal life was not lacking in the
scene a band Of antelope fed in the
distance, and jack rabbits bounded away
at our approach and then sat upright
and mOtionlcss, holding erect their pro
digious, black tipped ears as they watch
ed us out the corner Of their eye Slen.
der, striped gophers ran lithely through
the grass, to crouch, III an attitude of
at the entrance of their holes.
and the chameleon lizards darted hithcr
and thither with surprising swiftness
High III the air hawks and eagles swan
in circles, with extended, motionless
wings, and at one place, where the car.
cass of an OK lay by the wayside, Il flock
Of buzzards were contesting the car.
rion with two coyotes. On the left,
ahead, in n depression of the plain, a
playa, or prairie lake, caused by the
rains, glittered brilliantly blue
in the sun.
The trail, worn hard and smooth by
the travel of centuries, was an excellent
roadway, and we pushed forward at a
good pace, varying the fast walk and
the trot 60 which our horses were accus.
toned 10y All occasional short gallon
Late In the afternoon we turned from
the trail TO the playa, 200 yards away
Near at hand, the water, so blue in the
distance, revealed itself as turbid. and
is recession through evaporation had
eft IL surrounded 10y wide, flat margin
)f hardened mud deeply imprinted by
he feet of birds and animals and white
with alkali Spreading as it did over
ground that was almost level, the lake
vas astonishingly shallow, and the
lorses had to be ridden into it, far from
he edge, to find water deep enough for
hem to drink comfortably. Swarms of
)allid, alkali fed mosquitoes rose about
is, and the horses tormented by their
bites and not liking the water, stamped
md paved and moved about, drinking
lowly, u little at time.
Don Ramon had driven oUt OF the
BASS an hour after us, but he travelled
aster than we. and his ponderous car
iage rolled along the trail as we sat on
Dur horses at the lake A water keg,
below the rear axle, showed
hat ne was prepared to'camp that night
m the plain The pair of Spanish mules.
1anked 10y "A led animal. drew the vehi-
lie easily at trot and. passing the
,laya, rapidly widened the distance from
IS Manuel was driving the team, and
reside him sat the Indian maid Dolores
A