Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-07-11

OF the sentry, VINO Kept solitary watch
on the edge Of the cliff, the camp was
sleeping.
1t was still dark when this sentry
walked me-
''lt only wants two hours er daylight
now" he said Ms I sat up and began to
rub my eyea. "Breakfas' is mos ready,
an got ter wake up the rest er these
here men. How wish had buglel"
He had no bngle, however, 80 he began
to roar the call Of the reveille with the
words that the soldiers have put to 1t:
'The oorp'ral's worse than the private,
The scrga,nt's worse than tho corp'ral
Tho luffs arc worse than tho sergeant
An the captains the worst Of all
can't got 'em up,
emit get 'em up,
lcant get en- MP In the niornin.
In moment the camp was astir and
humming with voicea The men were
all dressed when they lay down, go that
their toilets We're completed when they
had rolled up In their blankets and, IL
they felt inclined, washed their hands
and faces
The bacon and coffee served out by
tho Ballet Girl soon vanished The men
devoured them standing OF squatting on
the ground wherever they happened to
be,
The Ballet Girl assisted by two 9TH
er cooks who came with our re-enforco-
ments, marshaled the pack horses that
formed our provision train. Laborionsly
hoisting himself on to the book Of his
horse, the Ballet Girl stamped the spike
In the end Of bile wooden leg we'll into
tho stirrup and announced that oil was
ready. The horses Of the men had been
saddled for some time The men swung
themselves Into their saddles and we
started In cantcr over the desert, a
troop that was 81 strong.
The men were In high spirits Jokes
and rough chaR few from one to anoth-
er. But II would never do to use up our
horses by keeping them at q cante1. By
the order Of the foreman the pace was
brought down to u shufiling jog trot
The spirits of tho men seemed 10 Keep
pace with the speed Of their mounts
The shouts and laughter lowered until
only a rumble of conversation could be
heard
Mileafter 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 Palomaa
At noon we ate basty 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 tho track
Of the herd. Tho foreman and Hoy word
were mildly elatcd then.
"There can't be no doubt but what
we're gainin on 'em, on there amt nc
doubt but what they're all here, too, y
said tho foreman. "We're liable for &c
run agains' the outfit mos any time
now" The chase was little more
exciting after this. To guard asains,
ambush Or other surprise ten men were
detached and ordered to ride 300 yardt
ahead OF ue and ten more were sent ne
far behind.
The trail we followed was as platnly
marked as though brond street had
been laid ont across the desert Some
times we could eco II for miles ahead,
drawing to n point as it disappeared
on the horizon; sometimes II passed
over one Of tho many sand dunes that
wrlnkled the surface of the plain; then
we could see II 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 SCI
by, we would pick 1t up again. Day
after day this went on. Montezuma'
face grow moro and more distinct. Cat
tie that had fallen behind tho herd be
gan to dot the trail here and there
Stretching their chafed limbs, the mer
would tell each other that the thieves
would have to pay for all this discom
fort once VIC had ovortakan them. Il
seemed to mo that 1t was months, MOI
days, since we had been following TIKI
cattle. consulted with the foreman
as to the ACCESSIBILITY Of greater speed
"Can't SEQ what we'd gain by it
only 10 kill up our horses, he replied
'Them thieves Is dripin tho herd tie,
pretty near as good place ter shiI
from as where wo was goin when WI
started out from tho ranch. We're
gainin on 'em too. Don't You fret
You'll see 'em soon enough, an ther
there'll BIO all the fun you want"
To DO sure, the foreman's idea Of fur
differed materially from the views
held on the subject but events rebound
ed to tho credit Of the foreman's wis
dom, as events generally did.
1t was about the middle Of the after
noon when the foreman rode up to ma
pointing to thin ciond Of dust tina
hung over the trial at n point directl.
ahead Of us, where rise hid Il iron
our sight.
"That's them" he remarked tersely
"Now, then. ! reckon He interrupt
cd himself, for there was tho crack Of |
rifle from the invisible space, followe'
by the popping Of SIX ehooters.s Abov
the Else there instantly appeared r.
heads ana then the bodies ana horseB q
the men who composed the vanguar,
as they raced toward us One Of til
horses was wounded, and the rider wa
sitting very straight, his reins In hi
right hand, while hts left arm, cuvere'
by Redeemed ehirt sleeve, hung by hi
side Instinctively the main body form
ed a line. parting to let the vangunr'
/ through. 1t formed up behind us an,
the rear guard galloped forward an,
Joined themJ then we all spurred for
| ward.
4 "Haitp, shouted tho foreman, liftin,
one hand. while he reined In his hors
with the other. Tho men hcsitated an,
thon stopped. Some Of them had paaso'
ahead aud wero obliged to return.
WHATS wrong9" asked.
u "There's another ridge behind TIL