The Princeton union., 1900-03-22

formed our provision train Labor ionsly
hoisting himself on to the back Of liz
horse, the Ballet Girl stamped the spike
IN the end Of his wooden leg well int
the stirrup and announced that all was
ready. The horses Of the men had been
saddled for some time, The men swung .
themselves into their saddles and we
started in a canter over the desert, i,
troop that was 81 strong NJ.
The men We're in high spirits Jokes
and rough chaff flew from one to anoth.
or. But it would never do to use 11p our
horses by keeping them at canter. By
the order of the foreman the pace was
brought down to a shutfling jog, trot
The spirits of the men seemed to keep
pace with the speed of their mounts
The shouts and laughter lowered until
only a rumble Of conversation could be
heard. @ .1s< :s 's.": il
Mile after mile was passed. The plain
over which we rode was unbroken by
any tracks save those we left behind us.
The trail of the herd, the foreman said,
lay farther to the south. The cattle
were heading eastward. So were we.
The point toward which they steered
was probably the grand, sleeping profile
of Montezuma, outlined against the blue
sky by distant mountain range, and
which marked pass for which we, too.
were headed. On the other side of the
pass lay Palomas.
AT noon we ate hasty lunch and
then logged on again. One part of the
desert was precisely like another. There
was nothing to mark our progress until,
toward evening, we came on the track
of the herd. The foreman and Hayward
were mildly elated II
'sThere can't be L. ,bt but what
we're gainin on 'em, All there amt no
doubt but what they re all here, too"
said the foreman. "We're liable for to
run agains' the outfit mos any time
now" The chase was a little more
exciting after this To, guard against
ambush Or other surprise ten men were
detached and ordered to ride 200 yards
ahead OF us. and ten more were sent as
far behind.
The trail We followed, was as plainly
marked as though a broad street had
been laid out across the desert Some
times we could see it for miles ahead,
drawing to point as it disappeared
on the horizon; sometimes it passed
over one of the many sand dunes that
wrinkled the surface of the plain; then
we could see it only when we mounted
the rise
After sunset we would camp by the
side of the trail In the morning, as
soon as there was light enough to see
by. we would pick it up again. Day
after day this went on Montezuma' g
face grew more and more distinct Cat
tie that had fallen behind the herd be-
gan to dot the trail here and there.
Stretching their chafed limbs, the men
would tell each other that the thieves
would have to pay for all this discom-
fort once we had overtaken them It
seemed to me that it was months not
days, since we had been following the
cattle. l consulted with the foreman
as to the advisability of. greater speed.
"Can't see what we'd gain by it.
cnly to kill up our horses.;' he replied.
"Them thieves is drivin the herd ter
pretty near as good a place ter ship
from as where we was Lgoin when we
started out from the ranch. We're
gainin on 'em too. Don't you fret.
You'll see 'em soon enough. an then
there II be all the fun you want : "
10 be sure, the foreman s idea of fun
differed materially from the views
held on the subject, but events rebound
ed to the credit of the foreman's wis
dom, as events generally did. 49,.
1t was about the middle of the after
noon when the foreman rode up to me,
pointing to a thin cloud of dust that
hung over the trial at a point directly
ahead of; us. where rise hid it from
our sight.
''That's them, he remarked tersely.
''Now, then, reckon He interrupt
ed himself, for there was the crack of a
rifle from the invisible space, followed
by the popping of six shooters. Above
the rise there instantly appeared the