The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-24

cavern whence the stream issued, an appar-
ition looking for all the world like a dis
membered head floating on the surface Of
the ~out-gushing food.
Twas the old boTderer who took the
, initiative in the swift retreat, and we fol-
lowed his lead like well-drilled soldiers. A
crook in the stream, sn1. abe thicket un-
derwood, screened US for the moment from
the basilisk eyes: and In a t%winkling we
had rolled one after another into the mimic
torrent and were quickly swept down to its
mouth.
Here death lay in wait for us In the mad
plunginSs OF the main river; but we made
shift to catch at the overhanging branches
OF the willows In passing, to draw our
selves out, to scramble up the gorge and
TO gain a great boulder on the mountain
side. whence we could look down upon the
scene of our late surprisal.
By this We saw. form the wings, as it
were, the setting of the stage for n trag-
edy which might have been ours. One by
one n score of heads with painted faces
fioared silently out Of the spewing rock
mouth. One by one the glistening, bronze
red bodies appertaining thereto emerged
from the water, each to take its place in
an ambuscade inclosing the stream-crossing
of the Indian path in "a pocketlike line OF
crouching figures, with the mouth of the
pocket open toward the lower valley.
Ephraim Yeates chuckled under his
eANhsi oAAN SAioNN S1AhAs dIpI 1Is III
They tell ez how the good Lord has a
mighty tender care for chillern and SIM
pies" he whispered. "Whenst we was a
coming a-rampaging up the trace a hour
y two ago, l saw the moccasin track O.
that there spy. and was too dad-blame'
biggity in my own consate to ak what it
mought mean"
What spy?' says Dick, matching the
hunters low whisper.
Why, the varmint that tracked me back
from here 'twixt dawn and daybreak, to be
sure. He waited till we broke camp and
then took out up here ahead OF us 10 tell
his chief twas e'ena'most time to set the
trap for three white simples and a red one.
Friends. I'm a-telling We plain that the
sperrits a-moving me mighty powerful to
get Gown on my hunkefs and"
For heavens sake don't do It here and
now gasped Dick. Let's get out of this
spider's-web while we may"
The old hunter postponed his prayerful
motion, most reluctantly, as 1t would seem,
and led the way In a silent withdrawal
from the dangerous neighborhood Of the
adjustment. When we had pushed on
somewhat higher up the gorge and stood
on the confines of the upland valley for
which 1t served as the approach. there was
a halt for a council of war.
Since 1t was now evident that the powder
convoy was encampcd in SOM hidden gorge
or valley to which the cavern of the un-
derground stream was one of the an
proaches, twas pain that we must climb
to some height whence We could command
a wider view.
We we're all agreed that the cavern en-
trance could not have been used by the en-
tire company; this though the conclusion
lett the vanishing trail an unsolved rid
die. For If the women could have been
dragged through the lo~w-sprlnging arch of
the waterway, We knew the horses could
nNf-fn ca1 AIs~
uon OF the powder cargo in such a passage.
So We addressed ourselves to the ascent
OF the northern mountain; though Richard
and L would first beg a little space in
winch TO drain the water from our boots,
ana 10 wiring some pounds weight of It
from our clothes. That done. we fell in line |
once more; and being 50 fortunate as to
nit upon a ravine which led to the cliff !
crowned summit, the climb was shorn OF
MALI Its toll and difficulty. Nevertheless,
by the suns height 1t was well on in the
forenoon before We came out. perspiring !
ike sappers in a steam bath, upon the
mountain top.
AS Yeates had guessed. this northern /,
proved to be a lofty table-land. |
SO lar as could be seen, the summit was |
an undulating plain, less densely forested !
than the valley, but with a thick s%prinkling |
or pines to make the still, hot air heavy !
with their resinous fragrance. Al 1t
our ravire of ascent headed well |
back from the cliff edge. so we must needs |
fetch a compass through the pine groves
before we could win out to any command !
ing point of view.
The old borderer took his bearings by the
sun and laid the course quartering to bring
us out as near as might be on the heights
above the gorge. But when we had gone 1
a little way, a thinning of the wood ahead '
warned US that we were approaching some :
nearer break In the table-land. |