Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-05-17

from bluff to bluff 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 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
two miles further west No party Of
plainsmen would ever venture to build
a fire In so exposed a spot. and no
small company would take the
chances of the trail But surely that
appeared to be the flap Of canvas
wagon top a little to the right of the
smoke. yet all was so far away he
could not be certain. He stared in
that direction 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
80 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 I'M
til night, Keith led his horse along the
slant Of the ridge, until he attained q
sharp break through the bluff leading
down into the valley. 1t was a rug
ged cash, 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 longer be seen, while barely a
hundred yards away, winding along
like a 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 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 Q
wagon train having deserted the beat
en- track, and turned south. The trai
itself, dustless and packed hard, re
vealed nothing, but some five hundred
yards beyond the ravine he discovered
what he sought-here two wagons hat
turned sharply to the left, theil
wheels cutting deeply enough into the
prairie sod to show them heavil!
laden. With the experience of tn,
border he was able to determine tina
these wagons were drawn by mules
two span of each, their small hoof
clearly defined on the turf, and tina
they were being driven rapidly, on
sharp trot as they turned, and then
hundred feet further, at a slashinl
gallop. Just outside their trail ap
peared the marks Of galloping horse
A few rods farther along Keith cam,
to confused blur of pony track
sweeping in from the east, and tn
whole story of the chase was reveale,
as though he had witnessed 1t with hi
own eyes. They must have BEEF
crazy, or else impelled by some grav
necessity, to venture along this trai
in so small a party. And they wer
travelling west-west! Keith drew
deep breath, and swore to himself
: "Of all the blame fools!"
He perceived the picture in all it
grewsome details-the two mule
drawn wagons moving slowly alon
the trail in the early morning; tn
band of hostile Indians suddenl
!, swooping out from some obscure bic
ing place in the bluffs; the discover
Of their presence; the desperate effor
at escape; the swerving from tn
open trail in vain hope Of reachin
the river and finding protection III
, derneath its banks; the frightene
/. mules galloping wildly, dashed into
: frenzy by the man on horseback; tn
!, pounding Of the ponies hoofs, pune
tuated by the exultant yells of tn
!. pursuers. Again he swore:
!, "Of all the blame fools!"