The New era-leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1911-1912, 1911-07-21

mans eyes hardened. his fps set firm
ly, ~ this truth came crushing home.
A pretty life story surely. one TO DO
proud OF. and with probably no better,
ending than an Indian bullet. or the
fash OF . revolver in some barroom
eight
The narrow valley along which he
Was travelling suddenly changed TT
direction compelling him to climb the
rise Of the ridge Slightly below the
sunmis he halted. In front extended
the wide expanse Of the Arkansas
valley. . scene of snsendor under the
golden rays. Of thersun, with vivid
contrast of colors. the gray Of rocks
the yellow tof sand, sthe brown of dis
tant hills. the green Of vegetation
and the silver sheen OF the stream
half hidden behind the fringe OF cot
tonxoods lining its banks. This was
a sight Keith had often looked upon,
but always with appreciation. and for
the moment his eye swept acr6ss
from blum to blu1 without thought
except for its 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 a camI.
Of freighters at this hour Of the day
and hc<tinG shA C~rr En rr~F ntD~n
here ran close in against the blum.
coming down to the river at the ford
two miles further west No party of
plainsmen would eve venture to build
a fire In 70 exposed q spot, and nc
small company would take the
chances of the trail. But surely that
appeared to be the flap Of q canvas
wagon top little to the right OF the
smoke. yet all was so far away he
could not be certain He stared In
that direction q long while. shading
his eyes with both hands. unable to
decide There we're 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-
I'll night, Keith led his horse along the
slant of the ridge. until he attained a
sharp break through the bluff leading
down into the valley. Il was q rug
ged cash, nearly impossible. but q
half hour of toll won them the lower
prairie, the winding path preventing
the slightest view of what might be
meanwhile trznspiring below. Once
safely out In the valley the river could
no longer be seen. while barely q
hundred yards away. winding along
like q 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 10 the right of where he had
emerged. With this idea In mind he
advanced cautiously. his every sense
alert, searching anxiously for fresh
signs Of passage OF evidence of a
wagon train having deserted the beat
en- track. and turned south. The tran
itself. dustless and packed hard, re-
yealed nothing. but some five hundred
yards beyond the ravine he discovered
what he sought-here two wagons had
turned sharply to the left. their
wheels cutting deeply enough into the
prairie sod to show them heavily
laden With the experience Of the
border he was able TO determine that
these wagons were drawn by mules.
two span of each. their small boots
clearly defined on the turf. and that
they were being driven rapidly. on q
sharp trot as they turned. and then.
q hundred feet further, at a slashiog
gallop. Just outside their trail ap