The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-24
SrIs tsa st!i5ts!IanB.
A NnHRtTrACk.


school, and my fast friend always. On
Joint and very modest capital had beel
invested IN league of land, bought for.al
old song on account OF its defective It'll
lit was claimed, with some thousands be
sides, by the Pampa Indians, who mad
entry upon it-gsve notice TO quit b,
brandishing lanees at us-and levied dis
tress upon our horses, and upon us too, IL
the most European and legal manneT;) ais
IN few sheep, having the lathy appear
ance, and almost the speed of greyhounds
and lastly in the materials for our house
of which, as we had ourselves been the
architects, builders, and clerks ofthe work
we were not little proud, II was built o
sun-baked bricks, and consisted of one
tolerabIy large room, with fiat roof an6
parapet. accessible from the inside by
means of ladder. Around it, at about
thirty yards distance, we had dug deeI
dry ditch, crossed by q drawbridge, and
intended as protection against surprise
by our enterprising neighbors the Indians
The latter dusky gentlemen had hitherto
behaved themselves very much as such
and had confined their throat-cutting pro
pensities to certain stray sheep, instead o.
gratifying them at the expense of the own.
ers. But ugly tales were Still told of theil
doinps round about us-of white men Ia
ken whilst riding in sight of home, and
tortured: of cattle driven of, and sheep
speared in very wantonness of mischief
which were not reassuring, and which
caused us to keep a particularly sharp look
out, especially when, as now, the Indian
moon their favorite time of attack gave
light enough to point the way to plunder,
but not to guide the aim of the defenders.
Dick Merton, changed indeed since the
dsys when his word was law among a Sc
lect circle of Pail Mali dandies, lounged up
to where was standing. His costume was
simplein the extreme, and consisted mere
" of sufficiently aged pair of leather un-
mentionables, and red flannel shirt-the
Whole being surmounted and relieved by a
very long black beard, anda very shOrtbut
eqnalIy black pipe; but through rough at
tire and surroundings, the indefnable Je
ne sais oaoi of gentility was as clearly re-
copnizable as when he was sowing his rath-
er extensive crop of wild oats, upon home
soil. and before that memorable Derby
which induced him, after settling with
duns of every description, from fashion
able tradesman to honorable" welchers,
TO embark himself and the leayings of his
property, and dwell among sheep and say
ages. until he could return with fresh grist
to carry ON the civilized mill
ssCan YOU see anything stirring In the
camp?" said he as he came up. Those
horses are making confounded row IN the
corral, l saw johnson the Yankee this
morning. and he said that Indians had
crossed the river; and ne guessed we'd bet
fer keen our wits well lied. that the dusky
varNin didn't look in when we warn ready
for visitors.
Now. horses were our surest safeguards
against surprise. Dogs we had too, but
thew reused us up so frequently by barking
at nothing more formidable than stray
deer or fox. that-reminded of the gentle
man whose amusement 1t was to cry
asWolf P'-we lost all faith in them; but
our little, half-wild Pampa horses had a
truer instinct, and their warnings, given
by stamping upon the ground, were not to
be disregarded with safety.
81 can make out some objects moving
about half mile to the southwark, said
1. after long look out ON the plains.
ssThey are mounted men, by JOVeF ex-
claimed my companion; 'tand riding bard
this way too.-Stand here with your rifle,
Alfred, while slip cartridges into the 9TH
ers. At that pace they will be here direct
iy" M.
had reached nav side again, two ''Guaeh
os. |" their usually swarthy faces liyid with
fear, sprung FROM their horses. which, GOV.
cred with blood, sweat, and foam, showed
how sharp had been the ride, ana rushed
over the drawbridge. They told US, as
soon as terror would allow them that three
hundred Indians. were in hot pursuit, and
would soon be on the spot and besought
us, for the love of the Virgin, to give them
shelter, as to ride out again Into the camp
upon their foundered horses would be cel-
tain death
Dick, rather to my surprise, for L did
not then know what distinguished liars
the natives as rule are. calmly lit his
pipe, and then ordered our visitors. in a
somewhat doubtful Spanish ldlom, tc
ssmake themselves scarce.
ssUnless," he said politely, ''you can tel
a plain tale, senores, without lies, odnl0s.
(be of, oand alios" God be with you.)
Upon this We learned. after much cross.
questioning, that they had been to buy
horses l.sTo steal them, more likely" IN
teriected Dick at the station of a rich
Suaniard, Don Ramon Garcia, who lived
about four leagues from us; and that when
they reached the top of gentle rise in the
Ground, and had view of tie house, they
had seen. to their horror and dismay, 6
large. body of the dreaded Indians, who
were attacking they heard shets--Dor
Ramon's estdaaciG
"Whereupon, said the Spokesman, with
teeth chattering, ''we rode hard to you
abode. well knowing that the brave Eng
ishmen would not deliver us up, but lei
us mount your fleetest horses, senores. and
ride for life Soon they will be here. and
who can withstand the fierce brdUOSP
s.If this be true" said Dick, turning t.
me-osand believe 1t is, for these coward
ly scoundrels' Iac,s are proof that they
have seen sOnefhinQ-the sooner we prepare
to FIGHT the better. OF course, they weF'
not attacking Ramon's place; he has for
strong enough 70 resist thousand Of them
and pleutv of men and arms as well Mos
Hkelv. they made dash to carry off any
one who might be strolling at distance
from the house, or to drive off the horses
and it's equally likely tnat we shall have
them here soon, where there's better chanc'
for night attack La any event, We mus
be prepared for them. Naturally, we can
run away, and leave all we have IN the worlC
to be destroyed, as these valiant gentlemen
propose.
NV chum's calmness infused confdenc,
into me. and though dreadfully nervous
for il was my first fight, and kind of IN
ternal fiuttering sensation warned me that
like Viola, l ''lacked something OF man
Il set about our preparations with goo
show of self-possession-
The natives both the late arrivals an
our own two men, who had often boaste'
of what they meant TO do and had alread,
done in he way of fighting Indians s-wer
quite useless They hesought us pite0us
" to fee, and so hampered us that Dick
patienee 6 saporated, and having lavishe'
a series Of hearty kicks among them, b
CONSIGNED them forcibly TO neither an
more suItry regions, kindly Offering horse
for that or any other journey they NIGH
wish TO make. They dare not, however
ride away even from the coming danger
and presently, TO our great relief ana de
light, We saw them scramble through tn
ditch, and into our solitary field OF maize
where, as We learned afterwards, they la.
concealed, with their faces buried III tb
ground, ike ostriches, until the storm
should blow over.
Our preparations were very simple
box of cartridges was opened (for we wer
provided with those inestimable peace an,
fife preseryers, breech-loading rides) an,
placed ready to hand, together with bot
fIe of whisky and jar of water; the doc
and window, our weakest points, were sc
cured as strongly as possible; and then
sheltering our bodies behind the parapel
Il md 81