The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-02-22
AGAIN at the Cabin.

puS carson C1Cy, travelling diOuS LILO
open trail yet meeting with no one,
not even a mail coach passing them.
Evidently the Indians were so trou-
lblesome as to interrupt all traffic with
Santa Fe and the more western forts.
The slowness Of their progress was
on account Of the General, whose con-
dition became worse in spite OF Fair
Ibain's assiduous attentions. With no
medicine the doctor could do but little
to relieve the sufferings Of the older
man, although he declared that his
illness was not serious one, and
would yield quickly to proper medical
treatment They constructed rude
travels from limbs of the cottonwood,
and securely strapped him thereon,
one man leading the horse, while the
doctor tramped behind.
Keith, fretting more and more over
this necessary delay, and now OBJ
sessed with the thought that Hawley
must have rejoined his party on the
Arkansas and gone south with them,
finally broke away from the others
and rode ahead, to gather together the
necessary horses and supplies in ad-
vance of their arrival. He could not
drive from his mind the remembrance
of the gamblers attempted familiarity
with Hope, when he had her, as he
then supposed, safe In his power once
before in that lonely cabin on the Salt
Fork. Now, angry with baffled ambi-
ton, and victim of her trickery,
there was no guessing to what ex-
tremes the desperate might resort.
The possibilities of such a situation
made the slightest delay in rescue an
agony almost unbearable. Reaching
Carson City, and perfectly reckless as
to his own safety there from arrest,
the plainsman lost no time in perfect
ing arrangements for pushing for
ward. Horses and provisions were pro-
cured, and he very fortunately discov.
cred in town two cowboys belonging
to the Bar x" outfit, their work there
accomplished and about ready to re-
turn to the ranch On the Canadian,
who gladly allied themselves with his
party, looking forward to the posi-
bilities of fight with keen anticipa-
ton. Keith was more than ever de-
lighted with adding these to his outfit,
when, on the final arrival Of the 9TH
ers. the extra man brought from Sher-
idan announced that he had had
enough, and was going to remain
there No efforts made revealed any
knowledge of Hawleys presence in
Carson City; either he had not been
there, or else his friends were very
carefully concealing the fact. The ut
ter absence of any trace, however, led
Keith to believe that the gambler had
gone elsewhere-probably to Fort
Larned-for his new outfit, and this
belief left him more fully convinced
than ever of the fellows efforts to
conceal his trail.
The party escorting Waite reached
the town in the evening, and in the
following gray dawn the adventures
forded the river, and mounted on fresh
horses and fully equipped, headed
forth into the sand hills. The little
company now consisted of Keith, Fair
balm, who, in spite of his rotundity
OF form had proven himself hard and
at, Neb. having charge Of the single
pack-horse, the scout Bristoe. and the
two cowboys Of the bar X" rough.
why fellow, accustomed to expo
sure and peril. It was emphatically q
Aghtine outfit, and to be trusted in
emergency.
They followed the cattle trail south
toward the Salt Fork, as this course
would afford them camp at the only
water-hole in all that wide desert ly-
ing between. With this certainty of
water. they ventured to press their
animals to swifter pace, although the
sand made travelling heavy, and the
trail itself was scarcely discernible.
It was a hard, wearisome ride, hour
after hour through the same dull,
dreary landscape of desolation, the
hot, remorseless sun beating down
upon them, rejecting up into their
blistered faces from the hot surface of
sand There was scarcely breath OF
air, and the bodies of men and horses
were bathed in perspiration. Not .
cloud hung in the blue sky: no wing
OF bird broke the monotony Of dis
tanoe. no living animal crept across
the blazing surface Of the desert. Oc-
Icasionally a distant mirage attracted
The eye, making the dead reality even
1ors horrible b. IT. semblance 70 VA
ter, yet never tempting them to stray
aside. After the first mile converse
ton ceased, the men riding grimly,
silently forward. intent only on COW,
ering all the distance possible. Late
that night they camped at the water
hole, sleeping as best they could.
Scourged by the chill wind which
swept over them and dashed grit into
exposed faces. With the first gray Of
dawn they swung stiffened forms into
the saddles and rode on, straight as
the crow flies, for the Salt Fork. They
attained that stream at shutdown. gray
with sand dust, their faces streaked
from Precipitation. feeling as though