Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-10
would never have ventured upon an at

| uluIuS- pIdCtS, Wilt at tut SAINT llIle lueN
rapidly spread themselves out so as to
! comp etely enclrcle the knoll or peak at
whose top l was. paid no attention to
/ this Tor few minutes, busying myself
! with arranging the loose rocks so as TO
form more complete shelter. This was
! easily accomplished. and I Law down be-
hind my barricade, feeling for the time
/ quite secure. Inow examined the wound
/ | had received at the first fire, and found
! it was a mere scratch. but my clothing
was completely riddled
! Meanwhile the Apaches were keeping
\ up a desultory fire at my little fortress in
! the vain hope that stray bullet or arrow
/ might find an entrance. But now thought
/ l might as we'll show my teeth a little, so
4 l began carefully to select, from spots
/ fired from, the most probable portion Of
4 the body concealed in them, and every
/ few minutes would send a ball on an eX-
! plOring expedition, and with such good
/ effect that they soon ceased firing at me
+ altogether and turned their attention to
/ my flock, which had remained trembling
/ in their first position all this time 4
! part were detailed for this purpose, while
! the rest watched me, and / soon saw their
/ arrows piercing the helpless animals IN
/ til they had killed all they could possibly
4 carry of, when they ceased.
/ mad hoped that when this operation
was completed they would depart, but
/ was very much disappointed to see that
+ they had no such intention. They knew
as well as / that no alarm would be given
until l failed to bring the flock in at
! night, and then the succor would not
start out until the next morning, and
! they appeared determined to have my
scalp to revenge the braves I had sent to
the happy hunting grounds They would
not risk an assault in the daytime, and
so they We're waiting for the night in
order to creep upon me under cover of
its darkness. 1t was about three o'clock
in the afternoon when [ was attacked,
and from that time until dark no further
shots were fired by either the Indians or
myself. They had doubtless good rea-
sons for not firing, and | had no desire to
waste a single ball of the stock of ammu-
milton | had already drawn heavily upon
unless / was certain of my shot. | had,
at the beginning Of the fray, some forty
rounds III my caTtridge-boX, and eighteen
shots in my rifle, beside my reyOlvers to
fall back upon; and | felt confident of
the result, unless they should provoke
my fire until my supply was exhausted
and at their mercy. So | resolved to
make it an even exchange of an Indian
for ball, or else hold my fire.
The eveningwo slowly and anxiously
away, and the night promised to be as
black as ink. 1t clouded up as soon as
the sun set, and in the distance could be
heard the muttered roll of a threatening
thunderstorm. Darkness came on very
quickly, and with it | knew would come
the last desperate attempt of the Indians
to effect my destruction. But when it
came to skulking in the dark | was as
much at home as they, and | felt conf
dent OF giving them the slip.
As soon, then, as it was dark enough to
conceal my movements, [ slid cautiously
over my breastwOrk, and in a perfectly
prone position commenced crawling in a
direction directly opposite from the set
Element, hoping that that side would be
less guarded. | had almost reached the
cover, and was among some loose bowl
ders, when l suddenly detected q dark
object crawling directly toward me- /
instantly reversed my position, and
moved little to one side hoping that if
he saw me he would take me for one of
his own party. 1t turned out as I antici-
pated. Just opposite me he observed
me, but as | was apparently cautiously
crawling IN the same direction he was
thrown off his guard. He crawled slowly
on for few PAGES, but for the
best of reasons [ did not make
as good time as he; but all at
once he seemed to have his
suspicious aroused, and, turning, adj
dressed me in a sharp, Querulous wills
per. My answer was to send a ball
crushing through his skull, and then to
dart into the cover With another horri-
BILE yell the whole band arose, some of
the nearest firing in the direction [ took
while all joined in an eager pursuit. |
gained the top of another ridge far in
advance of them all, but stumbling over
a loose stone l fell, almost stunned, for
ward. Instead of touching smooth
rock, as l expected, [ found myself
damned into tissure which entirely adj
mitted my body, while the stone l haG
liberated by my stumble went rolling
heavily off down the side of the noun
tain, among the bushes. My pursuers
eagerly followed the noise it made, think
ing it to be my retreating form, and were
thus completely thrown off the track.
! When they were at a safe distance !
cautiously emerged, and before they dis
covered their error, if indeed they did at
/ all, Twas safe under cover, and silently
| bhiA CttNtIIIS my va WV IlNl l1IC NtillN y
where | soon arrived, bloody and almost
exhausted by the long strain upon my
! nerves, but, strange to say, only trit1ingly
injured. l was greeted like one from
the dead, and my bullet-riddled clothes
removed and my wounds dressed.
! | now learned that my assistant had
been undoubtedly attacked as well as
! myself, for he and his flock were miss
ing also. My employer expressed the
conviction that he was killed, as he was
too FUSED" to the Indians to be careful
And so it proved; for, upon going out
out next morning to secure the remain
der Of the fOcks, we came upon his body
riddled with arrows and with his head
beaten to Jelly between two large
stones. He had been completely sur
prised, apparently, and killed without
making the least resistance. | assisted
in giving him a Christian burial, and then
informed my employer that | did not
think strengthening my strong suit. He
was profuse in his protestations of re-
greet at the determination, because, he
said, | was the only herdsman he had
ever had who did not get foolishly
FUSED" to Sthe Indians and allow him
/ self to be kiiled.-San Francisco Sunday
| Chronicle.
WHEN the train from the West rolled
! up to the Perry street depot yesterday,
/ one of the wheel-sounders discovered
/ bulky object among the bars and timbeTs
/ of the forward truck of the pOsta., ld1
/ At first he could not tell what it was, but
/ he poked it with a stick, when it bent
/ sideways and in a moment human form
/ came creeping from behind the wheels.
! He was so completely covered with dust