The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

scamper race when it is done For, look
Ing it up and down and side to side. we've
got to have hosses-some o. their horses.
at that I jing! II we could Jest make
out somehow r other to lay our claws on
the beasteses aforehand-"
We had reached the cliff and were ones
more peering down at the enemy's camp.
Though for the cliff Swallowed valley II
was long past sunset and all the depths
were blue and purple in the changing
hAlf-lights Of the hour, the shadow veil
was but q gauze Of color. softening the
details without obscurinE them So, we
could mark well the metes and bounds Of
the camp and prick in all the items.
The camp field was the largest OF the
eavannaS or natural clearings. On the
margin OF the stream the Indian lodges
were pitched IN semicircle to face the
water. Farther back Fa1connets troop
was hutted In rough-and-ready shelters
made Of pine boughs-these disposed to
stand between the camp Of the Cherokees
and the tepee-lodge Of the captive women.
which stood among the trees IN that
edge Of the forest hemming the slope
which buttressed our cliff OF observation.
At FIRST we sought in vain for the stor-
ing-place OF the powder. II was the
sharp eyes OF the Catawba that finally
deserted 1t. A rude housing OF pine
boughs. like the huts OF the troopers.
had been built at the base OF a large
boulder on the opposite bank Of the
stream; and here was the lading Of the
powder train.
From what could be seen twas clear
that the camp was no mere bivouac for
the day; indeed. the Englishmen were
still working upon their pine-bough shell
ters building themselves in as If for a
stay indefinite.
"'Tis a rest camp" quoth Dick.
though why they should break the
march here is more than I can guess"
NO" said Ephraim Yeates. "'Taint
jest rightly rest camp. ez | take It. Ez
was a-saying last night. this here Is Tuck
asege country. and we amt no furder
than a days running from the Cowee
Towns. Now the Tuckaseges and the over
mounting Cherokees amt always on the
best o. farms. and 1 was awondering If
the hoss-captain hadn't sot down here
to wait whilst he could send a peace
offer o. powder and lead on to the Cowee
chiefs to sort O. smooth the way"
mo. send him. yet; going to send.
was Uncanoia's amendmept. LOOK
see, Chelakee braves make haste for
lead horses down yonder now!"
Again the sharp eyes of the Catawba
had come in play. At the foot OF the
great boulder some half-dozen of the
Cherokees were busy with the powder
cargo. flashing pack loads OF it upon two
horses One OF the group. who ap-
peared TO be directing the labor Of the
others. stood apart. holding the bride
refna OF three other. horses caparisoned
as For. a journey. When the loading was
accomplished to the satisfaction Of the
horse-holding chieftain. he and two 9TH
ers mounted. took the burdened animals
in tow, and the small cavalcade filed on
down the stream toward the apparent
cul de sac at the lower end Of the val
ley.
Ephraim Yeates was up in twinklirg,
dragging us back from the cliff edge.
ZIP with ye.' he cried. "Nows our
chance to kill two pa'tridges with one
stone. If we can make out to get down
into tother valley in time to see how
them varmints come out, we'll know
the way in. More'n that. we can ambush
'em and so make sartain sure o five o
the six bosses we're a-going to need.
come night. But we've got to leg for 1t
like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok."
Thus said the old borderer. and being
only too eager to come to handgripS
with the enemy we were up and running
faster than ever Joab's messenger ran.
his Scriptural simile.
Not to take the risk of delay on airy
UNEMPLOYED short cut we made straight
for the ravine of our ascent, found it as
by unerring instinct, and were presently
racing down to the Indian trace in the
little upland valley above the gorge.
For all the helter-skelter haste I
found time to remember that the gorge
as we had last seen 1t had been well
besprinkled with armed Cherokees lying
in wait for us. If they were still there
we should be likely to have a hot well
come: and some reminder of this I
gasped out to Yeates in midnight.
Mem mind that; if we run up ag'inst
'em anywhere, 'twon't be there-away.
They've took the hint and quit; scat
tered out to hunt us long ago." was his
answer. jerked out between bounds. And
after 1 had loosed the Ferrara in it's
sheath and saved my breath as I might
for the killing business Of the moment
Twas sharp disappointment that. for
all the haste of our mad scramble down
the mountain we were too late to sur
prise the secret of the enemys strong
hold. The Catawba was leading when
we dashed down into the valley, and one
glance sent him flying back to stop us
short with dumb show purporting that
the quarry was already out of the defile
and coming up the Indian path.
Richard swore grievously. but the old
cidly and began to set the pieces for the
second game in which the horses were
the stake. hiding his useless rifle in
hollow tree-his powder had been soaked
and spoiled in the early morning plunge
for life-and drawing his hunting knife
to feel its edge and point.
"Ez allow, that fotches US to the boss
lifting" he said. in his SLOW drawl- Then
he laid his commands upon us. "Ordly
and in sojer-fashion, now no whooping
and yelling If the hoss-captain's got
scouts out a-s'arching for US. one good
screech from these here varmints we're
a-going to put out n their Misty nd fix
our fiints for kingdom come 1 amt none
afeard o. pour nerve"-this to Richard
and me-"leastwise, not when 1t comes
to fair and square sojer-hghting. But
this here onfall has got to be like the
shifting o. the Malekites-root and
branch; and If ye're tempted to be any
wise marciful. jest ricollect that for the
sake o. them wimmen folks we've got
to have these hossesi"
You are not TO suppose that he was
holding Us inactive while he thus ex-
horted US On the contrary. he was post
ing US skiIlfully beside the trace like