Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-20

ing Capt. Grafton will see him for 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'1l
die, he'll die" she crieas land carry my
one safeguard with lIilp to the gravel"
Soreiy 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
| he sides Randy, and at IL o'clock the ex-
PLANTATION came.
Up to shutdown F1orence-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
a short distance from Jose's, and they
went on to the ranch hoping. for better
| tidings, but bade 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
a used-up quadruped by the time they
| reached the Santa Clara. There he
| turned him into a rarchman's corral
| and borrowed another, never stopping
to say "by your leave, sir" This was
on the queens service in Raffefty'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. GWhat 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 to the northwest of the
| settlements? Grafton knew of none.
| There was indeed grave reason why she
| should not.
| For so miles northward the Santa
IeClara twined and twisted through a
fairly fertile valley, once the herding
| ground of the Navajos, now wild and al
most unsettled Americans and Next
| cans both had tried it as stock range.
| but American cattle and American
horses demanded q better quality of
grass and more of it than would serve
the stomach of the Indian pony. Treaty
obligations sent the Nayajos 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, whit er
it was almost useless to follow. The
Navajos said the MeXicans were the
thieves, the MeXicans declared them to
be the Navajos, and when both parties
I were caught and accused with prompt
unanimity Both announced that
Apaches must again be raiding, and the
name of Apache covered a multitude
of sins. Time was when Victoria and
Mana led the cavalry some glorious
chases into the Mesca,ero, but both
those redoubtables had met their fate
and agency officials across the Arizona
line were ready to swear that none OF
their once 1ntractable followers ever
thought of quitting corn or me!or
planting for the forbiddenoioys 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 norrhward, as though making
for this very region. The leader of the
gang that shot Brady and Coreoran was
fellow by the name of Ramon Valdez
and there was no deyiltry too steep fol
| 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 te
house, like wildtire. 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 hel
truculent patient. She had to leave the
latter while assisting him in his busy
preparations, and she was surprised
and rejoiced to see that on her return