Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-03-28

mans eyes hardened, his lips set arm.
~, 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 revolver in some barroom
fight.
The narrow valley along which he
was travelling suddenly changed its
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
sight Keith had often looked upon,
but always with appreciation, and for
the moment his eyes swept across
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 Fee 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 IRE in 80 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
determined to solve the mystery and
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 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
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 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 hundred
yards beyond the ravine he discovered
what he sought-here two wagons had
turned sharply to the left, their
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
sharp trot as they turned, and then,
hundred feet further, at a slashing
gallop. Just outside their trail ap-