The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-29
THE SHEEP.HERDER'S STORY.

SOMETIMES | think men are born with
q kind of mental loadstonc in their brains
which makes each individual seek out his
own particular destiny without his hav-
ing u great deal to do with the matter
himself lie thinks he is engineering his
craft in the most independent manner
possible, when in reality he may be
likcncd to II toy swan in the hands of
Fate, bobbing hithcr and thithcr us his
mistress presents the positive or negative
end Of her magic rod My own particu-
lar loatlStonc always jmpellcd me to the
frontier; and 1t alone, l am very sure,
was the cause of my being found away of
in the wilds Of Arizona in the summer OF
lMi-. | had fought everything on the
Plains, from u daredevil COmanchc
there was no red deviltry on the face of
when landed at Prescott, dead broke,
after IN extended tramp through South
crn Colorado and New Mexico, was
perfectly willing to take IL little job of
strengthening in order to get Il stake for
the next spin around. 1t did not ruttlc
my cquanimity in the least when my en-
ploycr informed me that his ranch was
but IL short distance from the somewhat
noted Hell Canon and Devils Ccdars-
fact, the most exposed of some dozen lit
tic ranches which formed the settlement
of Pheno Valley. Lie saw that this in
formation produced no visible effect upon
me, and SO he incidentally remarked that
his last hcrdcr had Just been killed by
the Indians, but chccrfully assured me
that he had lasted for two months, which
was something unusual for Il herdcr
" for" said he, "thcy all become used to
the Indians, and careless, by three or
four weeks, and get picked off when
there is no need OF it,
assured him that I had no desire to
become familiar with my socially in
clncd ncighbors at all, and that did
not doubt but that three months would
still find me Il vigllant pastor of his
flock. lie was evidently relieved at this,
and gave me his best wishes for my sue
cess, as he said it was such bore to be
running to Prescott 50 often in search OF
new shepherd!
Well, pretty soon we arrived at his
ranch, and =! was duly presented to few
other laborcrs as the "ncw herdcr." They
received me in much the same manner as
they would have greeted missionary on
his way to tribe of cannibals among
whom cholera was prevailing. They
haStcncd to cheer me up by imparting
the intelligence that shcep-herding was
by far the most dangerous employment
IN that dcath-stricken country; for the
hcrdcr himself afforded the Apachcs fine
sport to hunt down, while the sheep they
could secure from his flock offered an
additional inlucement in the way of
furnishing the most toOthsomc repast
they knew, except mule meat - the latter
article OF food appearing to fill the same
void in the gastric region of these dainty
epicures that a yellow-lcggcd pullet does
in the yearning bowels of an itinerant
pedagogue.
soon began to feel as though was
chief mourner at my own funeral, and,
but for the name of the thing, would have
mcandercd back to town and left my en-
ployer in the lurch. 1t was shcaring
time, and the flock was divided the un-
shcared being under the supervision of
an assistant, while was assigned to the
sheared, which, in the course of two
weeks clipping, was expected to comprise
the whole flock, and the transient hand
would then be discharged.
That evening put my repeating rifle
trusty Henry-and my rcvolvers and
knife in the best possible condition, and
in the morning, with Il canteen for water
and small lunch, sailed out to spend
the day among the knobs and hills about
three miles from the settlement, where
the grass grew thickly enough to afford
pasturage for my flock, and where they
would be out of the way of the unfcnced
fields. 1t was us dangerous locality
for a solitary man to "stand off"
rowing bands of Indians in as
could we'll be fixed up. The whole coun-
try in that part of Arizona seems to be
composed of mountain tops, from which
the valleys have been omitted in the
hurry OF completing the job. Between the
hills, at the bottom of where the valleys
ought TO DC, are vacant spaces Of varia-
bic sizes, with an occasional bare peak,
but usually these grassy spots are
1rlngcd with an underground thick
enough to conceal q man at few PAGES,
while here and there stunted cedar, or
juniper, rises above the tangle Of few
feet, and comprises all the timber to bc
found for mics. Great powders form
pronliscuously over the sides. So, you
see, it was comparatively easy matter
for an Apache to creep upon you at his
leisure, and wait for a favorable oppor-
tunity to stick an arrow through your ribs
Only one thing was in my favor, and
that was the irregularity Of this under
growth. It had spots where it was al
most impossible to crawl without being
discovered by an acute eye, and which
rendered it very difficult to pass from
point to point, while making an attack
or retreat, without exposing the person
50 It was, as soon learned, the habit OF
the Indians to select a spot which they