Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-07-28

from bluff to bluff 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 spirals of blue smoke were
visible. That would hardly be camp
of freighters at this hour Of the day.
and besides. the Santa Fee trail along
here ran close in against the bluff.
coming down to the river at the ford
two miles further west. No party OF
plainsmen would ever venture to build
a fire in so exposed spot. and no
small company would take the
chances of the trail But surely that
appeared to be the flap Of canvas
wagon top a little to the right OF the
smoke, yet all was so far away he
could not be certain. He stared in
that direction a 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
sharp break through the bluff leading
down into the valley. 1t was rug
ged cash. nearly impossible, but a
half hour of toll won them the lower
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
hundred yards away, winding along
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 had
emerged. With this idea in mind he
advanced cautiously, his every Gense
alert, searching anxfously for fresh
signs of passage ow evidence Of a.
wagon train having deserted the beat
en- track, and turned south. The trail
itself. dustlesss and packed hard, re-
vealed nothing, but some five hundred
yards beyond the ravine he discovered
what he sought-here two wagons had
turned sharply tU the left, their
wheels cutting deeply enough into the
prairie sod tor show them heavily
laden With the experience of the !
border he was able tgB determine that 1
these wagons werea drawn by mules.
two span of each, their small hoofs
clearly defined on the turf and that
they were being driven rapidly. on
sharp trot as they turned, and then,
a hundred feet further, at slashing;
gallop. Just. outside their trail ap.,
peared the marks OFF q galloping horse.
A few rods farther along Keith came
to a confused! BLUR of pony tracks
sweeping in from THE east, and the
whole story of the chase was revealed
as though he had witnessed it with his
own eyes. They must have been
crazy, or else impelled by some grave
necessity. to- venture along this trail
in so small a, party And they were
travelling westf-waaa, Keith drew a
deep breath, and swore to himself,
"Of all the blame fools!"
He perceived tine picture in all it's
grewsome details-the two mule
drawn wagons moving slowly along
the trail in the, early morning; the
band Of hostile Indians suddenly
swooping out from some obscure hid
ing place In the bluffs; the discovery
of their presence; the desperate effort
at escape;; this swerving from the
open traii' i'm vain hope of reaching
the river and finding protection un-
derneath' it's banks; the frightened
mules galloping wildly, dashed into a
frenzy by the man on horseback; the
pounding of the ponies hoofs, pune
tuated' by the exultant yeIEs of the7
pursuers. Again he swore:
"Of all the blame fools!'"