The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1911-12-29

with the small squads OF armed men.
In this stress of sudden emergency.
every available soldier on active duty
civilians had been pressed into sery'
ice and hastily despatched to warn
exposed settlers. guide wagon trains,
or carry dispatches between outposts.
And thus our rider Jack Keith. who
knew every foot OF the plains lying
between the Republican and the Can
adian rivers, was one OF these thus
suddenly requisitioned, merely be
cause he Glanced to be discovered un,
employed by the harassed commander
OF cantonment Just without the ems
vtrons Of Carson City Twenty min
utes later he was riding swiftly into
the northwest, bearing important
news to General Sheridan, commander
of the Department. who happened at
that moment to be at Fort Cairnes
To Keith this had been merely anoth-
er page in a career OF adventure; for
him to take his life in his hands had
long ago become an old story. He
had quietly performed the special
duty allotted him. watched squad
ron OF troopers trot forth down the
valley of the Republican. received the
hasty thanks OF the peppery little gen.
eral. and then. having nothing better
TO do, traded his horse in at the gov
eminent corral for fresh mount and
started back again for Carson City
For the greater portion of two nights
and day he had been in the saddle,
but he was accustomed to this. for he
had driven more than one bunch OF
longhorns up the Texas traiE and as
he had slept three hours at Cairnes.
and as his nerves we're like steel. the
thought OF danger gave him slight
concern. He was thoroughly tired,
and II rested him to get out OF the
saddle, while the freshness OF the
morning air was tonic. the very
breath OF which made him forgetful
of fatigue
After all, this was indeed the very
sort of experience which appealed to
him. and always had-this life OF
peril in the open, under the stars and
the sky. He had constantly expert
enced 1t for so long now. eight years.
as to make 1t seem merely natural.
While he ploughed steadily forward
through the shifting sand OF the cou.
| lee. his thought drifted idly back over
those years. and sometimes he smiled,
and occasionally frowned. as various
Incidents returned TO memory. II had
been rough life. yet one not unusual
10 those of HIS generation Born OF
/ excellent family IN tidewater Virginia,
his father successful planter his
mother had died while he was sim in
/ early boyhood, and he had grown OF
/ Slit of from all womanly influence, He
rad barely attained his majority o
senior at william and Mary's College
when the Civil War came; and one
month after Virginia cast in her lot
with the South lie became sergeant
in cavalry regiment commanded by
bis father He hsdjepioyed that life
and won his spurs yet II had cost
There was much not oyer-pleasant e
remember. and those strenuous years
al almost ceaseless fighting Of Ions
night marches, OF swift mercilesi
raiding. of lonely scouting within tn,
enemy's lines. of severe wounds
hardship and suffering had left thel
marks on both body and soul. Hi
father had fallen on the field at Ant!e
tam. and left him utterly alone in th'
world. but he had fought on grirll,
to the end. until the last flag OF thu
Confederacy had been furled. BY tina
time. upon the collar of his tattere'
gray jacket appeared the furnished In
sigma OF a CAPTAIN The quick tear
dimmed his eyes even now as he re
called anew that final parting follow
ing Appomattox. the battle-worn face
OF his men and hisNown painful joul
uey homeward, defeated wounded an
penniless. II was no home when h
got there, only heap Of ashes and
few weed grown acres No familia
face greeted him; not even a slav
was left
He had honestly endeayored % r.
main there, to face. the future an
work IL out alone; he persuaded hin
self to feel that this was his pari
mount duty to the state, to the men
ory OF the dead. But those very year
OF army life made such a task in
possible: the dull. dead monotony {
routine. the loneliness the slownes
of results. became intolereble As
! came to thousands of his9GonIrade
the call of the West came to ,himI .ar
,, AT last he yielded. and drifted towhf
the frontier The life there fascina
ed him, drawing him deeper and dee
!. er into its swirling vortex. He b
, came freighter. mail carrier, hunte
! government scout cowboy. forema
{ Once he had drifted into -the mou
taIns, and took chance in the mine
= but the wide plains called him baC
I. once more to their desert LONELINESS
what an utter waste II all SCENE
2 now that he looked back upon 4
Eight years of fighting, hardship al
rough living, and what had thu
!, hronght him? The reputation OF
hard rider daring player at card
!. 4 quick shot, scorner OF danger. al
VI bad man TO fool with-that was Y
whole Of a record hardly won. II