California Joe, the Mysterious Plainsman | Page 4

discussion upon the subject, it was decided not to

follow the staked trail the following day, but to take their bearings as
well as they were able, and endeavor to find their way to Sunset
Settlement as best they could.
Hardly had they come to this conclusion, and were about to separate for
the night, to go to respective quarters, when suddenly into their midst
came a white horse, and upon his back was the rider in black.
A few of the women screamed, men sprung to their feet, and at once all
was a scene of excitement, as they gazed upon the snow-white steed
and his sable-clad rider.
*A camp with no water near.

CHAPTER III.
"JOE"
THAT the four guards had been stationed about the camp, the number
nightly placed on duty, all the emigrants knew, and yet through the line,
apparently unseen by them, the white horse and the sable-clad rider had
come. All gazed upon him an instant in silence, and he at them, as
though awaiting for them to speak. They beheld a snow-white steed of
perfect symmetry, his mouth unrestrained by a bit, and his back not
weighted by a saddle. Instead of the former was a long lariat about his
neck, and in place of the latter were several blankets fastened on with a
surcingle. The rider was a youth of seventeen perhaps, strange to say,
clad in a suit of black broadcloth that looked as though it might have
done service for his father's Sunday wear, or upon the form of some
itinerant person. The coat was buttoned up close, as though to hide the
absence of a shirt, and the boots into the tops of which the pants were
stuck, were four sizes too large for the wearer. The hat was a black felt,
and it too seemed never to have been intended to fit the head upon
which it rested. He carried a rifle large enough for a man of full size,
and a pair or revolvers, knife, and hatchet in a horse-hair belt. To the
emigrants he appeared to be like one who had found his clothing and

arms separately, and his appearance seemed to tell the story, in
connection with the graves in the forest where the party of hunters had
first seen him, of one who might be the only survivor of some fearful
massacre of some little settlement or wagon train, and had gone back
after flying for his life, to find all he loved ones dead, and had picked
up for himself just what he could find. So it seemed to those who saw
him, and his pale face rather added to this surmise being true. It was a
bold, fearless face, a trifle reckless, with earnest black eyes, full of fire,
and that seemed to look straight into one's soul. His form was well-built,
sinewy and supple, and yet he looked like one who had been ill, or else
met with some great sorrow. Seeing that the emigrants were too much
surprised at his unexpected appearance to speak, the strange youth said
bluntly: "Good-evening, folks." "Good-evening, my young friend,"
returned the captain pleasantly, while the others nodded at the
salutation, and then the Train Boss continued: "May I ask your name,
my friend?" "Joe." "Joe?" "Yes, Joe." "But you have another name?"
"Isn't Joe name enough?" "Certainly, if you do not care to be known by
any other." "I don't," was the frank reply. Captain Reynolds was both
surprised and interested in the young stranger, so he said: "I believe we
are to thank you for staking a trail out for us the past two days?" "Yes,
you were going wrong; so if you were heading for Sunset Settlement."
"There is where we are going." "Well, you were going wrong; so I put
you right." "You are sure you are right, are you?" "I know," was the
quiet rejoinder. "Well, we do not; for our guide took sick and died
some days ago, and we were going by aided by one of the teamsters,
who had been over the trail before." "Guess is a bad trail to follow in
these parts, stranger, and, as it is, you are in danger." "Ha! Do you
know of any danger threatening us?" quickly asked Captain Reynolds.
"Yes." "You will of course tell us what it is?" "That is what I came here
for." "You are very kind, and I am remiss in not offering the
hospitalities of our camp. "Dismount, and let us give you some supper."
"I have been to supper, sir, but I'll tell you that the red-skins have laid
an ambush for you." "Ha! That is news indeed!" "But how know you
this?" "I rode upon their camp to-night." "To-night?" "Yes; they are
about ten