Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-05-31
CHAPTER III.-(contInued.)

The trail, continually skirting the
high bluff and bearing farther away
from the river. turned sharply into a
marrow ravine. There was a consid-
cradle break in the rocky barrier
here, leading back for perhaps hun
,dred yards, and the plainsman turned
his horse that way, dismounting when
out Of sight among the boulders. He
could rest here until night with little
danger of discovery. He lay down on
tthe rocks, pillowing his head on the |
saddle, but his brain was too active
ITO permit sleeping Finally he drew |
the. letters from out his pocket, and |
began examining them. They yield |
ed very little information. those TAX
On from the older man having no en- |
velopes to show to whom they had
been addressed. The single document
found in the pocket Of the other was
IN memorandum of account at the
Pioneer Store at Topeka, charged to
John Sibley, and marked paid. This
then must have been the younger
mans name, as the letters to the 9TH
,er began occasionally Dear Will"
They were missives such as wife
might write to husband long abb
sent. yet upon mission Of deep In
terest to both. Keith could not fully
determine what this mission might be,
as the persons evidently understood
each other so thoroughly that mere
allusion took the place Of detail.
Twice the name Phyllis was mention
ed, and once Fred" was also re-
ferred to, but in neither instance
clearly enough TO reveal the relation
ship, although the latter appeared to
be pleaded for. Certain references
caused the belief that these letters had
been mailed from some small Mis-
souri, town, but no name was men,
~8ioned. They were invariably signed
Mary" The only other paper Keith
discovered was a brief itinerary of the
Santa Fe trail extending as far west
as the Ration Mountains, giving the
usual camping spots and places where
water was accessible. He slipped the
papers back into his pocket with a
distinct feeling of disappointment,
and lay back staring up at the little
strip Of blue sky. The silence was
profound, even his horse standing mo-
Nnless, and finally he fell asleep.
The sun had disappeared, and even
the gray Of twilight was fading out of
the sky, when Keith returned again
ito consciousness, aroused by his
horse rolling on the soft turf. He
aawoke thoroughly refreshed, and
eager to get away on his long nights
ride. A cold lunch hastily eaten, for
"a fire would have been dangerous,
and he saddled up and was off, trot-
ting out of the narrow ravine and into
the broad trail, which could be fol-
lowed without difficulty under the dull
. CLEAN of the stars. Horse and rider
were soon at their best, the animal
swinging unurged into the long, easy
1ope Of prairie travel, the fresh air
tanning the mans face as he leaned
forward. Once they halted to drink
from narrow stream, and then push
ed on, hour after hour, through the
deserted night. Keith had little fear
of Indian raiders in that darkness,
and every stride of his horse brought
him closer to the settlements and
further removed from danger. Yet
eyes and ears were alert to every
shadow and sound. Once, 1t must
have been after midnight he drew his
pony sharply back into rock shadow
at the noise of something approach
ing from the east The stage to Santa
Fe ratified past, the four mules trot-
ting swiftly, squad Of troopers rid
9ng hard behind. 1t was merely a
Jumping shadow sweeping swiftly
past; he could perceive the dim out
lines Of driver and guard, the soldiers
swaying In their saddles, heard the
pounding of hoofs, the creak of axles,
and then the apparition disappeared
into the black void. He had not call
ed out-what was the use? Those peo-
pie would never pause to hunt down
prairie outlaws, and their guard was
sufficient to prevent attack They ac-
6nowledged but one duty-to get the
wall through on time.
The dust of their passing still in the
air, Keith rode on, the noise dying
away In his rear. AS the hours pass
ed, his horse wearied and had to be
spurred into the swifter stride, but
the man seemed tireless. The sun was
an hour high when they climbed the
long hill, and loped into Carson City.
The cantonment was to the right, but
Keith, having no report to make. rode
directly ahead down the one long
street to livery corral, leaving his
horse there. and sought the nearest
restaurant
Exhausted by a night Of high play
and deep drinking, the border town
was sleeping off its debauch, saloons
and gambling dens silent, the streets
almost deserted. To Keith, whose for
ner acquaintance with the place had