The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-07-18

tonwoods lining Its bankS. This was
& sight Keith had often looked upon,
but always with appreciation. and for
the moment his eyes swept across
from bluff TO blum without thought
except for it's wild beauty. Then he
perceived something which Instantly
startled him into attention--yonder.
close beside the river, just beyond
that ragged bunch OF cottonwoods,
slender spirsls OF blue smoke were
visible. That would hardly be q camp
Of freighters at this hour Of the day,
and besides, the Santa Fe trail along
here ran close in against the blum.
coming down TO the river at the ford
two miles further west No party OF
plainsmen would ever venture TO build
hre In 30 exposed a spot. and no
small company would take the
chances OF the trail. But surely that
appeared to be the nap OF a canvas
wagon top little TO the right OF the
smoke, yet all was 80 far away he
could not be certain. He stared In
that direction long while. shading
his eyes with both hands. unable to
decide. There were three or four NOV
Ing black dots higher up the river, but
SO far away he could not distinguish
whether men or animals. Only as out
lined against the yellow sand dunes
could he tell they were advancing
westward toward the ford.
| Decidedly puzzled by all this, yet
determined to solve the mystery and
unwilling to remain hidden there un.
til night. Keith led his horse along the
slant Of the ridge, until he attained a
sharp break through the blum leading
down into the valley II was rug
ged cash. nearly impossible, but a
half hour OF toll won them the lower
prairie, the winding path preventing
the slightest view of what might be
meanwhile transpiring below. Once
safely out in the valley the river could
no longer be seen, while barely q
hundred yards away, winding alons
like a great serpent, ran the deeply
rutted trail to Santa Fe. In neither
direction appeared any sign OF human
life. As near as he could determine
from those distant cottonwoods out
lined against the sky. for the smoke
spirals were too thin by then TO be OBJ
served. the spot sought must be con
siderably to the right OF where he hat
emerged. With this idea in mind h,
advanced cautiously. his every sens
alert, searching anxiously for fresl
signs of passage or evidence of |
I ua RI hau I'D hn hA
en- track, and turned south. The t-ai
itself, dustless and packed hard. re
vealed nothing, but some Ave hundre,
yards beyond the ravine he discovers
what he sought-here two wagons h.,
turned sharply to the left, the,
wheels cutting deeply enough into tn
prairie sod to show them heavil
laden. With the experience OF tn
border he was able to determine tina
these wagons were drawn by mule,
4, two span of each, their small hooi
> clearly defined on the turf, and ths
t they were being driven rapidly, on
I sharp trot as they turned, and the
"A hundred feet further. at slashin
2 gallop Just outside their trail a
. pedTeu Tue lhdIhs Vi BdilopiuB noTs
D A few rods farther along Keith cam
: TO confused blur of pony tracl
: sweeping in from the east. and III
5 whole story Of the chase was reveale
e as though he had witnessed IL with h
!, own eyes. They must have bee
r crazy, or else impelled by some gray
$ necessity, to venture along this ira
: In so small party. And they wei