The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-09-12
BY II. S. CANFIELD
CHAPTER VIII.


The Lonely Figure at the Ford.
A day was breaking Lois was
aroused by steady tramp of hoofs and
- occasional jingle coming from a
heavy bit, uptossed by an impatient
ee0ed. Going to her outer window, and
0eering through the blinds, she saw
- troop of Seminoles heading south
westward and riding at trot. At their
2oad was Harding, and with him were
IN Of the rancho Englishmen, except
'0fynn, who remained to see that the
days work was done. They climed a
TIN smartly, and then dropped over it's
summit, a long line that grew rapidly
shorter until the last rider was hid
den from sight. All through that day
the ranche-house had its usual quiet
The rough riders were never about the
place in the light hours at any season.
Lessons went on in the school-room,
the mistress kept to her shaded room,
With novel in hand, and scent bottle
close by, and the servants came and
went with as little noise as possible.
AZ the dinner hour, however, the con-
t1nued absence Of the males made itself
telt For the first time in many moons
Hrs. Glynn did not dress for the
function. Her meal was served in her
apartment. Lois and the children
Alaed in the nursery and told each
other stories until bedtime.
Meanwhile the ranchmen and regu-
tals had pursued course parallel with
tAe river for ten miles and then swung
In toward it. They reached their des-
eination by 10 o'clock and went into
ambush. The place was we'll chosen.
Ragged hills rose all around them on
which grew mosquitoes and huisaches SO
tAiokly that passage through them
vas made with difficulty. A quarter
0e mile from them was the ford. At
the base of the hill behind whose sum-
nit they were encamped ran narrow
trail. not more than ten feet wide
twisting about the hillocks, leading to
tie river. The troops commanded a
view of this trail for a hundred yards
- the eastward and for nearly four
0nndred yards to the westward, while
they were invisible to any one riding
or walking along it. To make assur-
onee doubly sure, two Of the black
scouts waited until dark and then
tested the ford. They found a narrow
ridge Of rock and sand traversing the
stream from side to side and nowhere
mere than three feet under water.
They returned and reported and Hard
fnG SMILED. The horses had been
AsrdeI half-mile away all day, and
were driven to the camp when the
-a1n had set and the swift twilight
closed. No fires had been built for the
cooking Of dinner or supper. It was
understood by the officer and the
0Anchmen that the Mexicans would
GROSS before the moon rose at IL
.S'csock, attempt to ride out into the
00antry, gather such cattle as they
wished to steal and seek to re-cross
into their own country before day.
NIT them to come over and ride a
little way past the ambush, then charge
Gown, get between them and the river
-Gnd endeavor to secure the entire
hand. Maude suggested that they first
b permitted to gather the cattle and
- attacked on their return, as their
GaSht would then be impeded by the
steers in their front, but the Captain
Gid not like the plan. He feared that
che smugglers might after all, re-
cross by another ford, and if they did
<key would get safely back into Mex
4eo with all of their booty.
At 9 o'clock, there being no moon
1nA a light haze having covered the
stars, the night was so black that only
Ne outlines of trees near at hand
could be distinguished. Looking down
into the hollow was like looking into
The bottomless pit 1t was sea of ink
from which no sound arose. Occasion
ally horse ridden by an Englishman
would snort or move it's feet restlessly,
baf the trained steeds of the Seminoles
stood as if curved from stone. The
riders and horses showed like dark
statues dimly. They were used to the
work Sitting erect in his saddle and
aastening intently, Harding drew a
cigar from his pocket, bit off the end,
'hsad his large sombrero closely before
'AAs face, struck a match behind the
>aAeIter, blew out the match before re-
paacing his hat and held the lighted
end of his cigar concealed in his hand.
Il must smoke" he muttered apollo
-gstically. "Damme, I'd rather fight for
= long day than sit here for two hours
without tobacco. I guess they're not
looking for US hard enough, however,
ID make it dangerous"
There was little talk between the
white men, and among, the ;Semipoles
not loud sigh or whisper. An hour
passed in this way-an hour which
seemed three hours long. Upon more
than one occasion the troops had' Sat
thus through whole night with moth
sfsg baA3ad.at tbe. Sn37qtr tsfyo IL.
Suddenly from their right, IN the d.
Fection Of the river, a slight splasing
49, heard. Each man unconsciously
r,lxslshtened little and each right
aaad dropped 70 the right side to feel
49, k1sA rnwnIvAs ~ ftr ho1a$or TshAra