The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-04-12
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\" SINJER," BY wRAfK5 wTR4Nkk1N GA1 KIN
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LANDS the fall before. on creek where
he had found otter plentiful. During
the month of November he had taken
ten nearly prime pelts. Then one morn
ing, as he was making the rounds of
his traps, he suddenly missed Smjer,
and remembered that the dog had not
been with him since he had left the
shack.
1T was Sinier's habit to take a run
after rabbits when they first went out
of doors at daylight. But the dog had
never before failed TO overtake him
within a mile or two. The trapper felt
uneasy. and after tramping the creek
a bit farther. he went back without
finish the round of his traps.
when he reached the shack he found
its door burst in. His extra gun. a
shotgun, had been taken, his pack of
otter pelts and his store Of sugar and
coffee. All else was as he had left it.
but the dog was nowhere about. nor
was there any sign of him.
Thieves, white or red. had robbed
his camp. and Slnjer had discovered
them, followed, and been shot. So
much was clear to Barefoot. Circling
about his cabin, he found the tracks of
the thieves. Three pairs of moccasins
had come up the creek and gone down
again.
Fort Union was three days travel
distant, and at that post lived family
of half-breeds, the Des Champs, whose
livelihood was chiefly gained by thiev-
ing. These fellows were in the habit
of prowllng about the country on foot.
the better to hide themselves. robbing
traps and the camps of hunters. Bare
foot had no doubt that three of these
scoundrels were the men who had
robbed him. AS it was not yet noon.
their trail was warm one, and Bare
foot determined to follow. overtake
them at their night camp. and secure
their booty, if chance should offer.
"The fellows would not, of course.
expect him to return so soon. and might
possibly be taken off their guard.
mo snow had fallen yet, and recent
fires had burned over much of the grass
lands, so that the moccasin tracks were
often plainly to be seen. Where they
We're easily followed Barefoot Travelled
at swinging trot.
AT first he had expected to find the
body of his dog at no great distance
from the shack; but as he put the miles
behind him, and still found no trace
of Sinjer he was much puzzled in
mind. He began to hope that the dog
was alive, but If so, where was he?
This matter was settled at the
mouth Of the creek some teu miles be.
low his cabin. Here, upon n newly
burned tract, he found dog tracks
which he knew to be Sinjer's! Ten
minutes Of careful trailing disclosed
the astonishing fact that Sinjer was
going in company with the thieves
Sometimes their moccasins fell directly
upon the dogs tracks. and again the
prints of his toes fell within a human
footprint, proving beyond question that
Slnjer had been trotting both before
and behind the men.
And now theory flashed into Bare
foOts mind. He had camped in these
same Bad Lands when the dog came
to him In a snow storm. Here Sinjer
had lost his old master ana here he had
found him again! Thus was the puz.
zle neatly unrayeled.
Yet this discovery only whetted
Barefoots desire TO follow. The pelts
were Of little account compared with
Sinjer So he followed on as tlreless
as a coyote At the mouth Of the
creek the robbers train led directly
down the Little Missouri. They were
headed for Fort Union, and were max
ing good time. too.
AT dark Barefoot could no longer
see their tracks, and he was dlsheart-
ened lest they should turn aside into
some creek valley. He pushed ahead,
holding to the river for a couple Of
hours longer, and then he caught Il
glimmer of campfire among the
trunks Of some cOttonwOOds.
ION the Ice Of the river hugging its
near bank Barefoot crept toward them
until ne could hide in clump Of will
lows and Look out on their camp. AS
he had suspected, the men were half
breeds, and one, at least, was a Des
Champs whom he knew.
"The three had eaten supper and
We're resting, squatted about their fire.
They were smoking their pipes quietly,
and close at hand, near the fire, lay
Slnjer, sound asleep!
Barefoot watched the thieves until
two of them rolled into their blankets
and the third, putting fresh logs on
the fire, squatted on guard. With his
one dog to assist the fellows in a night
vigil, Barefoot felt that prudence re-
qulred him to keep out OF their camp.
"The trapper's only hope OF recover
ing his property now lay in watching
the camp from distance, and I'm the
chance Of whlstling slnJer off, II the
dog should so scouting round in the
morning.
$50 he dropped down the river q
half-mlle, where he hid in u willow
thicket, ate some scraps OF venison
and rolled in for the night. He was
awakened at daylight by the boom OF q
gun up the river. Peering out OF his
thlcket, he saw two figures. q quarter,
mile or so away, coming at run. One
was four.foot-Sinjer and the other
a man in clI'se.