FRANK GROUARD THE GOVERNMENT SCOUT (Continued from page 39) storm turned on its artillery and the temperature fell many degrees. The men were dressed in summer clothes and their over-heated blood, due to the long hours of excessive exercise made the suffering from cold most intense and gnawing hunger also added its quota of misery. The storm however rendered some compensation-the Indians ceased their pursuit until day-break, thus giving the troops a trifle lead. The twenty-five picked men, more dead than alive, resumed their retreat as soon as possible after the storm subsided. But for the dauntless Chief of Scouts, who was equal to any emergency, they never could have survived and made the remaining twentyfive miles into camp. He scaled gigantic walls and led his men along what seemed to them mere squirrel paths. Finally they came out onto a crest and saw, twenty miles away, camp and comrades. Could they make it? It was a long, perilous twenty miles for foot-sore, starving, exhausted men with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of blood-thirsty warriors trailing them. After one more desperate effort they reached a mountain stream lower down where they could drink,— the only refreshment they had during that long battle and hazardous retreat. They had scarcely slaked their thirst when a band of warriors came within firing range. The Sibley party managed to elude these without a skirmish. Another night of travel and evading the Sioux spies lay between the troops and camp. So exhausted were they that it took four hours to make six milesmany times they had to ford storm-swollen streams up to their arm-pits in water as cold as melting mountain snow and ice could make it. At last about ten o'clock on the morning of July 9, 1876, after three days of this terrible struggle to reach Crook's Camp, the entire party returned safely. There was much rejoicing. All agreed that the miraculous escape was entirely due to the skill and judgment of the Chief of Scouts, Frank Grouard, and the coolness and good sense of Lieutenant Sibley in following the lead of the only man in the party who could save the command from complete destruction. EARLY HISTORY OF THE CITY OF VALLEJO (Continued from page 33) northern side of the bay. For several years his wines and brandies took first prize at all state fairs and at the Mechanics' Fair at San Francisco. In 1865 he made his first trip east, and was royally entertained by government officials and old-time friends in Washington, many of whom had partaken of his hospitality in the West. A LITTLE PRAYER TO JOSS real but merely some vision out of the red vapor that curled up about him. Placidly, Ah Foon gazed through the crimson fog at the paled face of his wife and the imperturbable countenance of Chang Lee. "Chang Lee," said Foon courteously, "I wish you a very good evening." As the other bowed, Foon sighed and went on, as though speaking to the frowning Joss. "This night a most unpleasant duty devolves upon me. I have tried to make the most gracious Ming Li happy, but I seem to have failed, and you, Chang Lee, to have succeeded. Unfortunately she is married to me. It is my earnest desire that she have whatever her heart wishes, yet I love her too much to give her up. Therefore, after full consideration of the circumstances, I have decided the only solution of this distressing problem is that one of us should die. Very deliberately Ah Foon moved out of the cloud of blood-coloured mist. His eyes clung to the lily face. of Ming Li, one hand at his side while the other slid inside his blouse. Ming Li screamed softly as the jeweled dagger gleamed in Foon's hand, then wildly threw herself upon Chang Lee, who stood imperturbable in the corner of the doorway. "I am very sorry this is necessary," murmured Ah Foon as he sighed, "very." Then, quickly, he plunged the knife into his heart. For a moment he gasped, then staggering ever so slightly, he went on very faintly. "I have just made a prayer-a prayer to the God of Filial Faithfulness, who allows, that come what may between man and wife in this world, in future lives they shall be reunited the closer as steel is the truer for the furnace . . future lives" he whispered, then with a terrible suddenness crumpled to the floor with a smile on his lips. a smile so happy that somehow it sent a chill to the heart of the wide-eyed Ming Li, so that she shivered in the arms of her lover. Then abruptly, Chang Lee felt the hand that clung to his growing cold. At the same time he saw Ming Li's face gone white little beads of sweat stood out on her forehead like a circlet of rice grains. The nameless fear that had gripped Ming Li a moment before was transmitted to his soul. "Little flower. . ." he whispered, White blossom . which is it? . . . surely there is nothing now to fear. . ." Ming Li tried to speak, but a numbness clutched at her tongue . a deadly dullness was creeping over her body. She sighed, and her eyelids dropped heavily, then suddenly she wilted in Chang Lee's arms. A moment later he laid her on the floor, quite dead. For Ah Foon who always planned everything very carefully, had nicely calculated the combination of poisons served in Ming Li's tea that evening to act in such time that their spirits might depart together to be reunited the closer in future lives. All Outdoor Sports Ideal Summer Climate will bring you Happy Days filled with Life and Energy at THE AMBASSADOR LOS ANGELES A Resort Hotel in the Heart of a Great City 27-acre Park. Open Air Plunge. Splendid Golf Course. The Rates Are Moderate Write for Chef's Booklet of California Recipes and Information. THE ALEXANDRIA is Los Angeles' leading and Out West Magazine Consolidated Overland Monthly Established by Bret Harte in 1868 Mrs. Frona Eunice Wait Colburn is well known to Californians and throughout the West. She early achieved success as a writer and newspaper woman-the first woman to enter the newspaper ranks in San Francisco. She is prominent as an author, lecturer and clubworker. Her recent book, "The Kinship of Mount Lassen" sets forth in graphic fashion the attractions of the entire Lassen region. The series of articles by Mrs. Colburn on famous women published in the OVERLAND MONTHLY has attracted wide comment and is to be followed by an equally interesting series on famous men. Our readers will appreciate the opportunity of having before them in its entirety the eulogy on President Harding delivered by James D. Phelan, former United States Senator, given at the Memorial Services held at the Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, on August 10. It is especially fortunate that Senator Phelan was available for this service as he was associated with President Harding as a fellow senator during the six years that the later served the State of Ohio in the Senate of the United States. This eulogy on Mr. Harding by one who knew him intimately well reflects the character and greatness as well as the simplicity of our former president. It will be read by people throughout the nation. The OVERLAND MONTHLY is the oldest magazine published west of the Rocky Mountains. Founded by Francis Bret Harte, in 1868, the first issue made its appearance in July of that year. The magazine celebrated its 55th Birthday the July just passed. Few periodicals in the country have had a founding so significant or a history so brilliant. As one writer puts it: "The history of California is the history of the Overland." 日日 The Out West Magazine was from its beginning one of the most "Individualistic Magazines ever published in America." It first appeared in 1886 under title "The Land of Sunshine." It later became Out West, under editorship of Charles F. Lummis. No magazine ever began to do for Southern California and the Southwest generally what Out West, published at Los Angeles, accomplished for that territory. The "Olden, Golden Days" of the Pony Express Its Contribution to Western Civilization to be Demonstrated by a Re-enactment of the First Race Made in the Sixties -in a word, the West of sixty-two years ago-will come into its own this Fall. For ten days, between August 31 and September 10, the people of six western states will thrill to the thud of horses' hoofs and of cowboys' yells, while the calendar is turned back to the days of the Pony Express. From St. Joseph, Missouri, on August 31, two teams, one composed of cowboys and the other of United States army riders, will start one of the greatest horse races of all time. Riding in relays of 10 miles for each horse and 75 miles for each rider, these teams will race to San Francisco, over the old Pony Express trail. Each of the states traversed will form a separate contest, which will end at the state line and all teams will start even again in the next state. Thus there will be races through Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. Computation of actual running times will be kept and the team making the lowest running time for the entire race will be the winner. OVERLAND MONTHLY, who was Samuel Clemen's associate, will be honored as well, for Harte, aside from being an author of note, was in 1857 a shotgun messenger on stages running from Del Norte and Trinity counties. This year also marks the diamond jubilee of the discovery of gold in California by James Marshall and that gold enabled the Union to THE ORIGINAL PONY EXPRESS In the history of China there appears to be a record of a dispatch route inaugurated by Genghis Khan, the first of the Mongol conquerers, who overran most of Asia in the thirteenth century A. D. The distance covered was 1800 miles, and dispatches were carried by single couriers, using pony relays. The schedule time was ten days. History says that the riders bound their bodies tightly in narrow strips of cloth, presumably for the purpose of keeping themselves from being shaken to pieces or rubbed severely by the saddle. The last lap, from Sacramento into San Francisco, will end, it is planned, at Tanforan race tracks, outside the limits of the city by the Golden Gate, where a great rodeo, or wild west show will be in progress. Into a scene made lively by bucking bronchos, plunging steers and swishing lariats, the winning rider, wearing either the chaps and sombrero of a cowboy or the khaki uniform of a cavalryman, will speed atop his galloping pony, a fitting finish for a race of more than 2,000 miles. The rodeo will be a three-day affair, with some of the best buckers and most gifted riders between Cheyenne and the Pacific Ocean in contest for trophies. There is a peculiar fitness in reviving the pony express this year, for never have there been more interesting historical connections. In the first place, Nevada is holding a Mark Twain Festival and in this California, as the home for some years of the author to whom it owes no small part of its JAMES W. MARSHALL romantic fame, has joined gladly. Discoverer of Gold in California And Bret Harte, founder of the fight winning battles in the Civil War. In its day the Pony Express service ended at Sacramento, and the mail was taken to San Francisco by boat; but there is adequate historical reason for making the Bay City the terminal of the race. Had it not been for the discovery of gold, there would have been no need for a pony express, nor would Mark Twain have been lured across the plains to tell imperishable tales of gold hunters. San Francisco then drew the adventurous from all the world. In its harbor were scores of ships abandoned by crews that quit the sea to try the mines. An additional historic celebration in California will be the observance of Admission day on September 9, the date when California was admitted to the Union of States. Every state through which passed riders of the original Pony Express is aiding in its revival, for the intrepid messengers of sixty years ago marked a new epoch in the development of frontier civilization. They brought the fastest transportation in western history up to that time, making the distance of 1,980 miles from St. Joseph to Sacramento in eight days. It was on April 3, 1860, at five o'clock in the morning, that Johnny Frey, aged 20, leaped on a black pony at St. Joseph and rode westward. At the same hour, in Sacramento, Harry Roff, another youth, saddled his restless mount and, turning eastward, was off like a shot. Thus started the Pony Express, which operated for sixteen months, at a crucial period in the nation's history, when quick mail service meant the very life of the union. Mark Twain, who tells in "Roughing it," of his trip across the continent in a stage coach, wrote the following description. JOHN A. SUTTER Founder of Sutter Fort |