The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-03-23


clear night. TIE stars overhead like
lamps In the sky. the air cool ana
fresh. He turned the pony up the val
ley, making no effort to hurry the ami
mai, DESTROYS only az present of keep
ing well In the rear Of the two horse
men ahead, He knew the course they
would take, must take, up the valley
OF the Dragon MS far as the great
bend. and then across the plateau I'M
til they reached the Cottonwood. He
would simply follow cautiously until
daylight, then search for the trail to
make sure, and endeavor, from some
elevation to pick them up with his
field glasses.
The grass in the valley was thick,
But not long. 1t presented no obstacle
to travel, but the horses hoofs made
no noise. Finding the rider undenon-
stlntive, the buckskin lowered his head
and moved forward steadily at rapid
walk, Shelby swaying in the saddle,
half asleep. yet keenly awake to any
unusual sound.
Hour after hour passed. the valley
narrowing as they advanced. the hills
on either hand growing darker and
more sharply defined. and the ribbon
of the sky above constantly contrast
Ing. The man endeavored to think.
but found it useless; there was little
he could plan in advance-only con.
tinue on and trust to fortune. His
mind leaped from point to point. yet
settled upon nothing. He knew where
he was in vague way, recalling to
memory the outlines OF this country
as traced upon the map. but by this
time he was well beyond the range
of his own cattle, or any region he had
ever hunted over. All about stretched
the desert of the Bad Lands; he
could picture in his mind the scene
presented from those bluffs. either Of
broken, rocky country. or dismal
desert, white with alkal. It was Il
land devoid even of animal or bird life,
waterless and forlorn, avoided even by
Indians except for conceaiment In
all those hours of darkness he heard
no sound of life except the distant
howl of coyote.
The first faint gray of dawn gave
him glimpse of his surroundings. and,
on a slight ridge OF land, he finally
drew up his tired mount. and Gazcd
curiously about. He dismounted, and,
after Il few moments scrutiny OF the
ground, decided that he was still safe
ly on the trail Of those travelling
fJ,of C-,,ff
GENTLY defined. to indicate the passage
within few hours of both Mackl;n's
party, and the two others. Neither
outfit had made any effort at conceal
ment, but Shelby. fearing the latter
might be camned for breakfast. left
his horse to crop on the short grass,
while he advanced on foot The trail
WAS obscure but not difficult to fol-
low when once discovered. Haney
and his companion had not ventured
the passage until dawn. the marks uf
their horses hoofs so fresh as to con-
vince their trailer they were scarcely
beyond the sound of his voice. He
even found where they had dismount.
ed waiting for daylight, the ground
Uttered with the ends OF burnt ciga-
rettes.
Shelby loitered an hour before ven
turing tO-follow. There was no other
way out. and so he munched at cold
meal, and permitted the bucksain to
browse along the bank of the stream,
we'll concealed by fringe of willows.
Then. both horse and man refreshed,
he, r..
In places it was not unlike cave,)
and Shelby had no idea how far he