The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-03-25

itication OF being entirely trustworthy,
says a correspondent Of the Philadel-
phia Times. During the early days or
December, before the rains began, X.
n. Tucker-commoniy called odd
Kaintuck" by his familiar-an eX-
teamster and general all-round cattle
herder, cowboy, ETC., was acting as
guide to a party of hunters, the section
visited being low down in the territory,
not far from the border. When they
had been several days out the party
struck camp in a little arroyo seco, or
dry creek bed, to keep out of the sweep
of the winds, ard did some pretty good
shooting, antelope and rabbits being
the principal game, with now and then
a coyote or a mountain lion to relieve
the monotony and keep things some
what adventurous. In the course of a
few days, however, the immediate sec
ton having been pretty thoroughly
worked, "Old Kaintuck," taking one of
the men, Hickson by name, set out
upon a sort OF scouting expedition TO
select a new location. 1t CHANGED that
kaintuck's pony, a famous little ami
NAL called Cita, that was dear TO the
old Transfers heart. had that very
morning grazed her shin by a fall on
the srlOCth rocks at the bottom of the
arroyo, SO. much to his regret, but that
she might be saved a toilsome and ir-
ritating journey through the alkali
dust, her master rode another animal,
leaving his pet tethered to a manza-
nita bush near camp. A few hours after
the departure Of Kaintuck and Hick-
son the party in camp became aware,
70 their great CONSERVATION, that they
were in the midst of one Of the terrors
OF western plain life, a sandstone.
The wind swept across the desert lands
with a velocity almost incalculable,
driving before it sheets and clouds of
sand that stif1ed the breath, blinded the
eyes and burnt into the skin like live
Goals. The camping party had much
ado to get themselves and the ponies
behind the stunted timbers or under
the jutting rock lodges on the banks
OF the arroyo. Once here, however,
they felt comparatively safe, but what
VI Pooi iiiShoOl anu olu hdlDluCh F.
The wind was driving directly in the
line OF the route taken by the two
scouts and the hunters we'll knew
what small chance they stood against
its fury on the open prairie. But the
question OF attempting to go to their
relief was not ever to be thought of;
all they could do was just to sit and
wait, that dreariest of alternatives.
Though its fury was spent in a few
hours, the wind kept up all day, bring
ing whitfs and gusts of white dust that
followed in the track of the SAND cloud.
AS night came down, however. the
wind lulled and the moon rose. a great
white zoe that Illuminated the plains
and showed the trees upon the foothills
in the distance. Not long thereafter
there was a sound of horses feet in the
distance; presently a solitary horseman
dashed into camp and poor Hickson.
more dead than alive, fell from his
staggering pony. 1t was some time
before anything could be learned from
him of his own narrow escape or of
Old kaintuck's" probable fate. 1t ap-
pears that Hickson and his pony had
been driven against a clump of manza-
nita bushes and so held in check
against the drifting sand. But poor
"Kaintuck' had not Jared so well. The
last Hickson had seen of him he had
been thrown from his horse and both
were being driven on by the relentless
powers of the sand cloud. What rem
nants Of strength Hickson had had left
when the storm passed he had exhaust
ed in a fruitlesS search for his COM
panion and had at last returned 70
camp in despair. OF course, a relief
party was organized at once to go out
and make a strenuous effort, at least.
to find 'Old Kaintuck." In the hurry
and hustle of preparation one OF the
men called out that Cita, the team
stor's Pet mare, was missing.
1T must have been Cita that GAL
Hoped by me like mad as | was trying
to find my way back to camp just after
dusk" said Hickson, hearing the
alarm. Il fancied there was something
familiar in the pony's whinny as she
passed, though she flew by like a wild
thing"
Gone to look for her master" said
one Of the men. Then let us after her
as fast as possible"
So still was it after the storm and
so bright the moonlight that an old
hunter in the crowd was able to dis
tinguish now and then a horses track
In the wide-swept sand and presently