Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-09

we's safe"
 She silenced him. for Marylyn was entering, and quit the shack. Outside, before the warped door. she paused. | He's always so sure of himself but he can't do anything. And Marylyn- oh, wish there was some one with us now-some one that d help us if any thing went wrong"
 Of sudden. looking down at her hands, her eyes fell upon the crimson stripes left across her palms by the blow, and, in fancy, horseman was riding swiftly toward her from the east again, while she leaned on the cross brace and waited.
 "Twenty miles," she said thoughtful ly-"twenty miles," and turned the marks under
 Sun baked, deep of rut and straight as the flight of crow lay the road that led northeast from the swift, shoally ford of the Missouri to the cat tie camp at Clark's. It began at the rough planking upon which the rickety ferryboat, wheezing like some asth- matic monster, discharged its load of soldiers or citizens and ran up through the deep cut in the steep, caving river bank. From there over the western end of the Lancaster quarter, across the coulee under a hub depth of mud dy backwater-at the only point where the sumac grown sides sloped grad ually-it took its level, answering way.
 Twice only in its course did it touch the ravine curving along near by it once, six miles from the ferry landing, where on the limbs of a cluster of giant cottonwoods that grew in the bottom of the gully score of Indian dead were lashed, their tobacco pipes, jerked beef and guns under the blanket wrappings that hid them, and again at Murphy's Throat, four miles farther up, where the coulee narrowed until a | man standing in it's bed with arms outstretched could place the tips of his fingers against either rocky wall. Beyond the Throat the crack in the plains grew wider and shallower, yeer- ed out to the eastward and at last came to an abrupt end in high mead ow below the distant river bluffs.
 For decades the road had been a buffalo trail, foot wide and half as deep, that in the dry season guided the herds in single file from the cak- ing meadow to the distant waters of the Missouri. Then the travee poles of Indian tribes gave it the semblance of wagon track, the center of which was worn bare by the hoofs of laden ponies and the feet of trudging squaws, and finally the numbering carts of trad CTS, the Studebakers of settlers and those heavier wagons that roll in the rear of marching men made of the track a plain and hardened highway.
 Down 1t that morning, approaching to the accompaniment of loud talking the tramping of horses, the cracking of whips and the jingling of spurs, came a long procession. Yet so absorbed was Dallas in her blowing that not until the head of it's column was close upon her and there was barely time to go to the brides of the frightened mules did she see it.
 A tanned, unkempt officer led the way, with paying foxhounds running about him. On either hand rode his staff and his scouts, Arickaree Indians in patched bfeeches and dusty blan- kets. And behind. full bearded. all military look gone from their boots hats and uniforms. came the cavalry, riding two and two and flying torn and faded guidons.
 Dallas had no chance to view the front of the command, for the mules claimed all her attention by hauling back on their bits. But now they quieted little, and she was free to watch the dozen or so musicians who came next, mounted, with their brass instruments in hand. She saw that these men were nudging one another and directing at her glances which were bold and amused.
 Something of her fathers hatred of soldiers stirred her. She grew defiant, yet only for a moment. The musi- clans trotted by, and now Indians were passing-men, women and children, whose stolid faces disclosed no hint of grief or hatred for their captivity. The braves, twenty in number, formed the head of the band and kept no or der of march as they spurred forward their ragged, footsOre ponies. Their Springfield rifles, knives and toma- hawks had been taken from them. but they still carried their once gay lances and shields of buffalo hide covered with rude pictures of the chase and battle. But, though on other occasions these would have betOkened the free warrior, they now only emphasized by contrast the blankets that trailed in- gloriously from their wearers' shOul- ders to the ground and the dropping feathers of the conquered chiefs.
 Al war pIlSsts NHose SuIls oA btaIs claws, triple feathers, charms and bag plainly betokened the medicine man. headed the tribe He was seated upon a gaudily decorated saddle. The nose band. front and cheek pieces of his horses bridle were thickly studded with brass nails. Bright pompoms of colored wool swung from the curb and the throatIatch, and the nag's tail was stifly braided with strips of wOOlen. rcnrInA nrh r-nilnr,r and hItrn Tyllu.o I.n-