Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-17

parting of the ways. It was s:30
 when Blake retook the trail, with Sergeants Schreiber and Winsor, the latter borrowed from Ray, far in the
 van. Even had the ground been hard and stony these keen-eyed soldier scouts could have followed the signs almost as unerringly as the Indians, for each had had long years of ex- perience all over the west; but, de- spite the steadily falling snow, the traces of hoofs and, for time, of travois poles could be readily seen and followed in the dim gray light of the blanketed skies. Somewhere aloft, above the film of cloud, the sill very moon was shining, and that was illumination more than enough for men of their years on the trail.
 For over an hour, Blake followed the windings of ravine that grew closer and sleeper as it burrowed into the hills. Old game trails are as good as turnpikes in the eyes of the plainsman. It was when the ravine began to split into branches that the problem might have puzzled them, had not the white fleece lain two inches deep on the level when "Lo" made his dash to escape. Now the rough edges of the original impress sion were merely rounded over by the new fallen snow. The hollows and ruts and Impressions led on from one deep cleft into another, and by midnight Blake felt sure the quarry could be but few miles ahead and Bear Cliff barely five hours march away. So, noiselessly, >the signal "Halt!" went rearward down the long, dagk, sinuous column of twos, and every man slipped out of saddle, some of them stamping, so numb were their feet. With every mile the air had grown keener and colder. They were glad when the next word whispered was, Lead on!" instead of "Mount. BSh3
 By this time they were far up among the pine-fringed heights, with the broad valley of the Hig Horn lying outspread to the west, invisible as the stars above, and neither by ringing shot nor winged arrow had the leaders known the faintest check. It seemed as though the Indians, in their desperate effort to carry off the most important or val ued of their charges, were bending. all their energies to expediting tho retreat. Time enough to turn on the pursuers when once the rocks had closed about them--when the wound ed were safe in the fastnesses and the pursuers far from supports. But at the foot of a steep ascent, the two leading scouts-rival sergeants of rival troops, but devoted friends for nearly twenty years-were seen by the next in column, single corporal followed them at thirty yards dis tance, to halt and begin poking at some dark object by the wayside. Then they pushed on again. A dead pony, under 8 quarter inch coverlet of snow was what met the eyes of the silently trudging command as it followed. The high-peaked wooden saddle tree was still "cinched" to the stiffening carcass. Either the In- dians were pushed for time or over stocked with saddlery. Presently there came a low whistle from the military "middleman" between the scouts and little advance guard. "Run ahead,- growled the sergeant commanding to his boy trumpeter. "Give me your reins." And. leaving his horse, the youngster stumbled along up the winding trail; got his message and waited. "Give this to the captain" was the word sent back by schreiber. and "this" was a mitten of Indian tanned buckskin, soft and warm, if unsightly, mitten too small for a warriors hand, If ever warrior deigned to wear one-a nit ten the captain examined curiously, as he ploughed ahead of his main body. and then turned to his subal- tern with a grin on his face:
 Beauty draws us with . single hair," said he, "and can't shake us even when she gives us the mitten- Ross,- he added. after a moments thought. remember this. With this gang there are two or three sub chiefs that we should get. alive or dead. but the chief end of man. SO far ss "K- Troops concerned, is to capture that girl unharmed.-
 And just at dawn. SO gray and wan and paIIid it could hardly be told from the pale moonlight of the ear Her hours, the dark. snake-like col umn was halted again. nine miles further in among the wooded heiehts. With Bear Cliff stin out of range and sight. something had stopped the scouts, and Blake vss needed at the front. He found Schreiber erouehing st the foot of tree. gsring varily forward along . southvard-siopins face of the mountain that was sparsely covered vith tan. straight pines. snd that faded into mist a few hundred yards away. The trail-ths main trail that fs-seeued to TO -x--s~[< - ~~~%-~~I .~x x-~ ~