The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-01-26

mans eyes hardened, his lips set firm ly, as this truth came crushing home. A pretty life story surely, one to be proud of, and with probably no better ending than an Indian bullet, or the flash of a revolver in some barroom fight.
 The narrow valley along which he was travelling suddenly changed it's direction. compelling him to climb the rise of the ridge. Slightly below the summit he halted. In front extended the wide expanse of the Arkansas valley, scene of splendor under the golden rays of the sun, with vivid contrast of colors, the gray of rocks. the yellow of sand. the brown of dis tant hills, the green of vegetation, and the silver sheen of the stream half hidden behind the fringe of cot tonwoods lining it's banks. This was a sight Keith had often looked upon, sut always with appreciation, and for the moment his eyes swept across from bluff to bluff without thought except for it's wild beauty. Then he perceived something which instantly startled him into attention wonder, 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 Fe trail along here ran close in against the bluff, coming down to the river at the ford ,-4,, 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 a 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 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
 
 unwilling to remain hidden there un- til 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. It was a rug ged gash, nearly impossible, but a half hour of toll won them the lower prairie, the winding path preventing the slightest view of what might be meanwhile transpiring below. Once safely out in the valley the river could no lcnger be seen, while barely a hundred yards away, winding along like a great ser.=-ot, 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 ob 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 sense alert, searching anxiously for fresh signs of passage or evidence of a wagon train having deserted the beat en track, and turned south. The trail itself, dustless and packed hard, re- vealed nothing, but some five hundre~ yards beyond the ravine he discovs, what he sought-here two wagons n.H turned sharply to the left, then 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 hoofs clearly defined on the turf, and that they were being driven rapidly, on a sharp trot as they turned, and then, hundred feet further, at slashing gallop. Just outside their trail apr