Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-08-10

tureF ytulh. k1eI IhCts VIII Ato SAooat
pale olive tint, was set OF most becom-
inRly By the black lace mantilla worn
over the heavy braids and coils Of her
duaky hair, and there was suggestion
Of slumbering fire in the sleepy fall OF
long lashed lids over magnificent dark
eyeA
A Carmen took her way past tho
cemetery she looked curiously over the
SS shkS xs y sae &c sns oHRS' sWS ana
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 gravea
II 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 a tired horse from the
trail mp 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 solaiers' barracks Then .
rocky point shut of the backward view
AZ we followed the wagon trail that
winds along the steep canyon side down
to the San Simon plain.
As we emerged from the pass . wide,
opcn valley lav before Us, slightly de-
pressed toward it's middle and rising
again toward its farof eastern bound
ary, 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 a.
we rode the bay Missouri horses, Bill
and Tip, which had borne US many
hundred miles in the Apache country.
A single blanket and oilskin "slicker"
were strapped behind each saddle, and
-four sack rolled in Felix's blanket
held our provisions, bought at Camp
Bowie. With cantocns freshly filed
with water before starting out, 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 arid region had grown exuber-
antly. On delicate stems the razor blade
heads Of tic grama grass waved IN the
breeze above the curly lunches from
which they rose, and the plain was
spangled with wild flowers. There were
mimic thickcts Of the taller, coarser
grasses, patches Of sagebrush and
greasewood aud here and there q space
Of barren alkali ground. Low clumps
Of thorny mesquite trees dotted the
| landscape. miniature and grotesque
groves Of the larger yuccas and cactus
es appeared. and growing near the
ground were seen the prickly pear, the
spiky soapwced AID the trailing vine
and odorifcuus 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 motionloss, holding erect their pro-
digious, black tipped ears as they watch
| ed us out the corner Of their eye. Slen-
der, striped gopbers ran lithely through
the grass, to crouch, in an attitude OF
attention, at the entrance Of their holes,
and the chameleon lizards darted hither
and thither with surprising swiftness.
High in the air hawks and eagles swan
In circles, with extended, motionless
wings, and at bne place, where the car
cass Of an OK lay by the wayside, flock
Of buzzards were contesting the car
rion with two coyotes On the left.
ahead, in Q depression Of the plain, .
playa, or prairie lake, caused by the
summer 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 ut o
good pace. varying the fast walk and
the trot 10 which our horses were accus-
toned by all occasional short gallop
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
its recession through evaporation had
left il surrounded BY wide, hat margin
Of hardened mud, deeply imprinted by
the feet of birds and animals and white
with alkali. Spreading as it did over
ground that was almost level, the lake
was astonishingly shallow, and the
horses had to be ridden into it, far from
the edge to find water deem ennngh for
them to drink comfortably. Swarms OF
pallid, aikali fed mosquitoes rose about
Ms, and the horses, tormented BY their
bites and not liking the water. stamped
and paved and moved about, drinking
slowly, q little at time.
Don Ramon had driven out OF the
pass an hour after us, but he travelled
faster than we, and his ponderous car
riage rolled along the trail rs we sat on
our horses at the lake. A water keg.
swinging below the rear axle, showed
that he was prepared to camp that night
ON the plain. The pair Of Spanish mules,
fianked by led animal, drew the vehi'
Gle easily at q trot and, passing the
playa, rapidly widened the distance from
Us Manuel was driving the team, and
beside him sat the Indian maid Dolores
As the carriage drew past the water
sheet Don Ramon looked watchfully,