The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-20

lU>0hA A O As0ssu = O., NnA>
cHAPrGR xxxIv.
Again at ths Cabin.
Thsy wsre two weary days reach
mS Carson City. travelling along tho
eDen trail yet meeting with no one,
nee even . mail coach passing them.
Evtdsntly the Indians were 20 trou-
bassoms ~ to interrupt al traffic with
santa ~ and the more western forts.
The slowness OF their progress was
On account OF the General. whose con-
diton became worse In spite Of Fair
bain's assiduous attentions. With no
medicine the doctor could do but little
% relieve the sufRerings Of the older
man, although he declared that his
Illness was not . serious one. and
: would Yield quickly 70 proper medical
treatment They constructed q rude
travols from limbs Of the cottonwood.
anA securely strapped him thereon.
- man leading the horse. while the
Doctor trampsd behind
Ksfth fretting more and more over
sn1s nsosssary delay. and nov OBJ
sssssd with thu thought that Hawley
mast have resoinsd his party on the
Arkansss and gone south with them,
onaliy broke away from the others
anA rode ahead. 70 gather together the
oecsssary horses sn4 supplies In ad-
yanoo q thelr arrival He could not
lxivs from his mind the remembrance
q the gamblers attempted familiarity
With Hope. whsn he had her, a hs
then supposed. safe ir his power once
before In that lonely cabin on the Salt
Jork Now. anQy With banned ambt
don, and victim q h~r trickery.
thsre va no guessing 70 what ex-
tssmss The dsspsrado might resort
Ths Possibilities Q. sooh Q situation
0ads the slightest delay In rescue an
agony almost vnbszrsblA Reaching
Carson City. and perfectly reckless -
- HE own safety there from arrest
~ plainsman lost no time IN perfect
- arrangements for pushing for.
VasG Horses and provisions were pro
eursd, and hs vsry fortunately disoov.
os0d m town two oowboys bslonsins
- tAS bar x" OUTFIT their work there
oeoompfishsd and about ready 70 10
enA % The ranch on the Canadian,
80 gladIy allied thenssetvss with his
Oarty. iooAing forward b the poss&
t1l1tiss q . Asht with keen antelope
I'm ks1th vas moro than ever do
noAtsd with adding these 70 his outat
WAsa. On ths nnal arrival of the 9TH
- the sxtrs man brought from 8her-
Nm announced that he had had
enough, and Wa going 70 remain
0sre. No efforts made revealed any
mOwlsdge Of Hawieys presence in
OArsoa City: sither hs had not been
eAsrs. Or else his friends were very
carefully concealing the fact The ut
- absence OF any trace. however. led
Keith to believe that the gambler had
0Dus elsewhere-probably to Fort
fArusd--for his new outft and this
beaief left him moro fully convinced
enan ever OF the fellows efforts to
esaceal his trail
The party esoorting wHits reached
eAe town In the evening. and In the
ALLOWING gray dawn the adventurery
fsrded the river. and mounted on fresh
horsss and fully equipped. headed
esrth into the sand hiila The little
company DOW consisted Of Keith. Fair
eain. who. In spite OF his rotundity
ee form bad proven himself hard and
n Neb. having charge Of the single
Dnck-horse. the scout Bristoe. and the
tvo cowboys Of ths Bar X" rough.
vfry fellow. accustomed to expo-
sure and peril II was emphstically q
aghtins outfit and 70 be trusted In
emergency.
They followed the cattle trail south
epward the Salt Fork, as this course
would afford thsm a camp at the only
~aksr-hoie In all that wide desert ly.
~ between. With this certainty of
water. they vcntured to press their
animals to swifter pace. although the
ssnd made travelling heavy. and the
trail itself was scarcely discsrnibls.
n was . hard. wearisome ride. hour
altar hour through the same dull,
drsary landscape of desolauon. the
hct- remorseless sun beating down
upon them. rejecting up into their
blistered faces from the hot surface OF
sand There wins scarcely a breath OF
air. and the bodies OF men and horses
were bathed In perspiration. Not q
cloud hung In the blue sky: no wing
of Q bird broke the monotony OF dis
tance. no living animal crept across
tho blazing surface OF the desert. Oc-
casionally a distant mirage attracted
the eye. making the dead reality even
more horrible by Its --vahancA q We.
sss. yet never tempting them to stray
assde. A.er the flrst mile conversa,
eon ceased. the men riding grimiy.
salsatiy forward. intent only on Gov
sssng al the distance possible Late
tAat night they camped st the vutar.