The Iola register., 1901-08-16

sped along the trail into the bosom Of
the mountains. Dark, threatening
clouds began to gather over the tower
ing peaks as he neared the Dripping
Springs, and distant growlings of
thunder presaged coming storm.
Dismounting from his horse he
crawled to the brow of hill from
which a view of the spring could be
secured, and his heart gave a great
throb OF satisfaction when the smoke
from a number of camp fires met his
eyes. Grouped about near the springs
was village OF about twenty lodges,
and near by herd of ponies roamed
over the hillside cropping the sparse
grass which sprouted out from between
the rocks.
His searching eyes failed to discover
the presence of guard on any of the
surrounding hills, and he rightly in
| terpreted this to mean that the In
dams, having travelled with great speed
TO their present camp knew that they
need fear no pursuing party before the
| following day. Even had the capture
been discovered shortly after the poor
girl was seized, the cavalry horses
could never carry their equipment
laden riders more than half the dis
| tance from the fort to the mountains
before darkness came upon them. and,
not being able to follow the trail, the
| troops would camp until daybreak.
| Fully satisfied that there were no SEN
tinels to discover his presence, his hope
of being able to gain an entry in the
village was greatly strengthened
He must now wait until darkness
should come TO conceal his movements.
| Lying down upon the brow of the hill.
| he eagerly scanned the distant camp.
| Duslly forms moved to and fro about
the flickering fires, but the one beloved
form for which he sought with aching
eyes appeared not. Although the APP
preaching storm materially aided in
driving back the gray light of day. to
his anxious inpatient soul the night
fall came with all too tardy footsteps.
The great black clouds rolled rapid
ly toward him, at times splitting out
vivid flashes of lightning followed by
peals of angry thunder. These premo-
nitions of the coming storm filed his
breast with unspealSable satisfaction,
and he almost shouted with joy when
the storm burst upon him in all its
fury. The inky darkness which ac-
companied it would hide his move
ments, and the rain beating down upon
;he lodges of the Indians would drown
the sound of his stealthy footsteps.
As he lay there, his brain was busy
formulating plan of action. He must
enter the village, n perilous venture,
and when once there how could he de-
termine i'm which one of the twenty or
more lodges his loved one was CON
fined? He could brt 20 ahead and
trust to Providence for guidance. Not
one man in n thousand would undcr-
take such II hazardous task; but the
light of his life-all :e cared to live for
was in that village of deadly, treach-
erous foes, and if he could not effect
her rescue it was his desire that he
might die with her,
When the storm struck the village
the Indians hastily sought shelter in
their lodges, and the drenching rain
soon eXtinguished the camp fires. BE.
ing driven to shelter, the waiting sol
dier knew the savages would soon seek
comfort in their blanket beds, and
after waiting about an hour, that TO his
impatient spirit seemed an age he re-
..4Ou..,O,. nIs iuIsc auu rUue toward the
village.
Securing his horse to a bush behind
an embankment which marked the bed
of an old creek near the village, the
soldier took the pistols from the hol.
sters and thrust them through the belt
"a hnva his Nt.aiut nd ~.
knife from one of the saddle pockets
moved stealthily into the camp. All
was quiet, save the beating of the rain
and the occasional volleys from heav-
ems artillery overhead. Even the
snarling, half-starved ours with which
every Indian village is infested had
crawled into the lodges for shelter
from the storm, and did not discover
his presence
How would he ever be able to locate
the object of his search? His lips moved
in prayer TO Heaven for aid, as he
moved along like dark specter amid
the lodges, Anon he would pause and
listen intently, hoping to hear cough
or IA sigh or spoken word to tell him
of the presence of his loved one
40 nc NuuIlpuSly moved onward
vivid fash of lightning revealed to his
eyes an object like a crouching form
near lodge in the center of the vii
lage. Dropping PROSTATE upon the
wet ground he peered through the
darkness toward the object, and eager
ly awaited the next flash. 1t came. and
seated upon the ground near the door
of lodge he saw the form of an Indian
his blanket thrown over his head tc
protect him from the storm The heart
of the young soldier beat with renewed
hope as the truth burst upon him that
the Indian was guard, and that the
object of his search must be in that
lodge.
The guard must be disposed Of
Much as he dreaded the shedding OF
human blood except in the line of duty
on the field of battle, he felt that he
must allow nothing to stand between
himself and the success of his mission
Making detour in order TO approach
the crouching sentinel from the rear