Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-10-12

lily OdpCs, 0Id1l OA WILL SEC A1A 1OI you,
il the doctor will permit"
Whereat the widow only stormed the
more and declared, with hysteric tears,
that they were keeping her away from
Randy Merriam out of spite and hatred
just at the most critical time. "He'll
die, he'll die" she cried, land carry my
one safeguard with him to the gravel"
Sorely puzzled, Mrs. Grafton had to
leave her once in awhile for a few min
utes at time to consult her husband,
who could frequently be heard moving
about the parlor or going quickly in
and out of the house. It was plain that
Grafton was troubled about something
besides Randy, and at II o'clock the ex-
PLANTATION came.
Up to shutdown Florence-Mrs. Mer-
riam-had not been seen or heard of at
Jose's ranch.
One of the trailers, Rafferty, by name,
declared that Mignon's tracks turned
suddenly to the northward and led away
from the ranch and into the maze of
foothills to the right of the cantonment
trail. At shutdown they had reached
Jose's, still hoping against hope that
she would be there, but no sign of her
had been seen, and, borrowing fresh
horse, Rafferty, started back to Sedg-
wick at the gallop to carry the news. He
met the doctor with Mrs. Hayne only
short distance from Jose's, and they
went on to the ranch hoping for better
tidings, but babe him ride for Sedg-
wick with all speed. Rafferty, could
ride week in and week out if the horse
could stand it, and Jose's broncho was
used-up quadruped by the time they
reached the Santa Clara. There he
turned him into ranchman's corral
and borrowed another, never stopping
to say "by your leave, sir" This was
on the queens service in Rafferty's
mind. and no mans property was sacred
when "Miss Florence's" life was in
volved. Buxton was up and about when
the courier came, and in ten minutes
had reached the Office and sent for
Grafton. What he wished to know was,
had she any reason whatever for turn
ing away from the beaten track and
taking to the unknown regions off the
road and far 10 the northwest of the
settlements? Grafton knew of none.
There was indeed grave reason why she
should not.
For so miles northward the Santa
Clara twined and twisted through a
fairly fertile valley, once the herding
ground of the Navajos, now wild and al
most unsettled. Americans and Mexi-
cans both had tried it as stock range,
but American cattle and American
horses demanded a better quality of
grass and more OF it than would serve
the stomach of the Indian pony. Treaty
obligations sent the Navajos farther
into the mountains to the northwest
beyond the Mescalero-but there were
restless rOamers who were constantly
off the reservation, sometimes On pass
but oftener on mischief, and on the pre-
text of trading they came recklessly as
far as the settlement, and then some
body's horses were sure to be missing,
spirited away into the foothills, whittier
it was almost useless to follow. The
Navejos said the Mexicans were the
thieves, the Mexicans declared them to
be the Navajos, and when both parties
were caught and accused, with prompt
unanimity both announced that
Apaches must again be raiding, and the
name of Apache covered multitude
of sins. Time was when Victorio and
Mana led the cavalry some glorious
chases into the Mesca1ero, but both
those redoubtables had met their fate,
and agency officials across the Arizona
line were ready to swear that none of
their once intractable followers ever
thought of quitting corn or melon
planting for the forbidden joys of the
raid and the warpath. All the same the
foothills and the valley far to the north
west of the settlements were full of
mystery and danger-the roaming
ground of the horsethief and the rene
gade, and Merriam's men, just in from
their long chase, pointed out how the
Mexican ruffians, though starting
originally toward the southwest, had
in long wide circuit gradually worked
their way northward, as though making
for this very region. The leader of the
eouA6 1AAO oAOC oAoAy anu NO1COlt4I1 DIS
fellow by the name of Ramon Valdez,
and there was no deviltry too steep for
him. The news, therefore, that Flor
ence Merriam had not reached Jose's,
but that her trail was lost somewhere
among the buttes and powders four
miles to the eastward of that frontier
refuge, struck dismay to the hearts Of
her friends at Sedgwick. The tidings
went from lip to lip, from house to
house, like wildfire, and by midnight
an entire troop had ridden forth with
their ever ready three days. rations,
and with Capt. George Grafton in COM
mand, and their orders were not to re-
turn without Mrs. Merriam or definite
news of her.
Mrs. Grafton let her husband go only
with deep reluctance. He was very nee
essary to her now. She felt the need of
his support in the management of her
truculent patient. She had to leave the
latter while assisting him in his busy
preparations, and size was surprised
and rejoiced to see that on her return