The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-11
XNIV
HOW WE FOUND THE SUNKEN


fAlIlJE. L.
Looking back upon the hazards anG
chance-takings of our adventure in the
Wilderness, l recall no more promising
RISK than that we ran by sleeping un-
sentried within rifle shot, for aueht we
knew, of the camp of the enemy.
But touching this, It's only on the
mimic stage of the that the
players rise to the plane of superhuman
sagacltN and angel-wit, never faltering
IN their lines nor b%etraying by slip or
t~onsue-trip their kinship with common
Being mere miortals, we
were not so endowed: we were but fou,
outwearied men. we'll spent in the long
chase, with never ii leg among us fl,
TO pace a sentry beat nor a decent
Wakeful eye to keep it So,
as l have said, we took the risk and
slept; would have slept as soundly,
dare say, had the risk been twice as
great.
We were astir at the earliest craving
of the dawn, Richard and l.. and were
the laggards of the company at that,
since the old hunter was already out
and away, and the Indian had kindled
a fire and was grinding more of the
parched corn for the morning meal.
Dick sat up in his leaf litter, yawning
like a sleepy giant.
Lord, Jack" said he, 'if ever we win
out of this coil with a full day to spare.
l mean to sleep the clock hands twice
around at a stretch, I promise YOU
Twas but a catch, this c%at-nap; no
more than enough to leave a bad taste
in the mouth
Aye, but the taste ma be washed
out SAID l. Il am for a dip in the
river; what say you?"
He took me at the word, and we had
an eye-opening plunge in the SPRING
cold flood Of the swift little river at the
mouth of our ravine. Twas most mar
Vicious refreshing, and with appetites
sharp set and whetted by the stripping
and %plunging we We're back at the fire
IN time to give good day to Ephraim
Ieates, at that moment returned with
the headquarters of a fine yearling
buck, fresh killed, across his shoulders,
Seeing the deer's meat, we would
think the old hunters thrift of the
dawn sufficiently accounted for, but
when the cuts were a-broil we were
made to know that the buck was mere
~ a lucky incident in the early morn
ing scouting.
Taking time by the forelock, the old
borderer had swept II circle of recon-
Nuisance around II hating place, 80
get the p'ints of the ompass," as he
would say. His first discovery was
that the ford we had found in the dark
ness served as the river crossing of an
'le III we'll uSeU llUl1n race.
Along this trace from the eastward the
powder train had come, no longer ago
than mid-afternoOn of yesterday. and
arguing from this that the night camp
of the band would be but a short march
to the westward. Yeates had pushed on
to feel out the enemy's position.
For Il mile or more beyond the ford
he had trailed the convO easily. The
Indian trace Or path, well trampled by
the numerous horses of the caValcade.
followed the upstream Windings of The
western mountains. But in the eve it
self, a rocky defile where the slopes
on each hand became frowning battle
ments to narrow valley and stream. the
n to a darkling gorge, the other TO
a laundering torrent, the trail was lost
as completely as if the powder con-
voy had vanished into thin air.
Here was a fresh complication, and
one that called for instant action. We
had counted upon a battle royal in any
attempt to rescue the women. but thai
F~alconnet, impeded as he was by the
slow movements of the powder cargo.
could slip away, was a contingency for
which we were wholly u~nprepared.
So, as o would guess, the hunter
breakfast was hurriedly dispatched.
and by the time the sun was shoulder
high over the eastern hills we had bro
ken camp and crossed the river. and
were pressing forward to the gorge az
disappearance.
Continued Next WeeL