Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-08-23
CHAPTER ..
The Plainsman.

ufung his head SO as to gaze across |
the crest. shading his eyes with one |
hand, to thus better concentrate his |
vision. Both horse and rider plainly |
exhibited signs of weariness, but |
every movement OF the latter showed |
ceaseless vigilance. his glance roam |
Ing the barren ridges. a brown Win |
chester lying cooked across the saddle |
pommel. his left hand taut on the |
rein. Yet the horse he bestrode |
scarcely required restraint. advancing |
slowly, with head hanging low, and |
only occasionally breaking into a
brief trot under the impetus OF the
spur.
The rider was a man approaching
thirty. somewhat slender and long OF
limb, but possessing broad. squared
shoulders above a deep chest. sitting
the saddle easily In plainsman fash
lon, yet with an erectness Of carriage
which suggested military training
The face under the wide brim OF the
weather-worn SLOUGH hat was clean
shaven, Drowned by sun and wind,
and strongly marked, the chin slight
ly prominent, the mouth firm, the gray
eyes full of character and daring. His
dress was that OF rough service. plain
leather chaps" showing marks Of
hard usage, gray wooden shirt turn.
ed low at the neck. with a kerchief
knotted loosely about the sinewy
bronzed throat. At one hip dangled
the holster OF "forty-five." on the
other hung a canvascovered canteen
His was figure and face to be noted
anywhere. a man from whom you
haf 81
and one who seemed to exactly fit
into his wild environment
Where he rode was the very west
ern extreme of the prairie country.
billowed Ike the sea. and from of the
crest of its higher ridges, tho wide
level sweep of the plains was visible,
extending like a vast brown ocean to
the foothills Of the far-away noun
sains. Yet the actual commencement
of that drear. barren expanse was
fully ten miles distant. while all
about where he rode the conformation
was irregular. comprising narrow val
leys and swelling mounds, with here
and there a sharp ravine, riven from
the rock and invisible until one drew
up startled at its very brink The
general trend of depression was I'M
doubtedly southwark leading toward
the valley Of the Arkansas, yet irregu-
Har ridges occasionally cut across,
adding to the confusion The entire
surrounding landscape presented the
same aspect, with no special object
upon which the eye could rest for
Buidance-no tree, no upheaval OF
rock. no popularity of summit, no
snake-like trail-all about extended
the same dull. dead monotony of
brown, sun-baked hills, with slightly
Ereener depressions lying between.
anterspersed by patches of sand or the
white CLEAN of alkali. 1t was a
dreary, deserted land, parched under
The hot summer sun, frightened by no
vegetation, excepting sparse punches
or bunalo grass or an occasional
stunted sage bush, and disclosing no
where the slightest sign Of human
Ihabitation
The rising sun Redeemed the crest
OF the hills. and the rider, hating lis
willing horse, sat motionless. gazing
steadily into the southwest. Appar-
emily he perceived nothing there un.
usual, for he slowly turned his body
about in the saddle. sweeping his
eyes, inch by inch, along the line Of
ahe horizon, until the entire circuit
mad been completed. Then his com.
pressed lips smiled slightly. his hand
mnconsciously patting the horses
neck.
Il reckon we're still alone. old girl /"
ne said quietly, a bit of Southern
nrawl I'm the voice. Wen try for
the trail and take Il easy"
He swung stifny out OF the saddle
hnd with reins dangling over his
shoulder began the slower advance
On foot. the exhausted horse trailing
behind. His was not a situation in
which one could feel certain Of safetv
for any ridge might conceal the wary
foemen he sought to avoid, yet he pro-
eeeded now with renewed confidence
II was the summer of 1868. and the
place the very heart OF the Indian
country. with every separate tribe
ranging between the Yellowstone ana
the Brazos. either restless or openly
on the war-path. Jlumors OF atrocities
we're being Tetoid the length and
breadth OF the BIZ der. and every re-
port drifting in to Ither fort or set.
uement only added 10 the alarm For
once at least the Plains Indians had
discovered a common cause, tribal DIFF.
ferences had been adjusted in war
against The white invaders. and Kio-
was. Comanches. Arapahoes. Chey-
ennes and Sioux had become welded
together in savage brotherhood. To
oppose them we're the scattered and
unorganzed settlers lining the more
eastern streams. guarded by small de-
sacnments OF regular troops posted
here and there amid that broad viii.
nerness' scarcely within touch Of each
other
everywhere beyond these lines of
patrol wandered roouofuo uyar $500.