The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-07-19

tethered hard by, aud waking with q
start, opened my eyes to encounter the
| fierce eyes glaring upon me from q hid
eous painted face, bending over mine,
and 50 close O. well nigh to touch IL. 1
| felt an Indians hot breath upon my
cheek, - he stopped over me, while Of
hlo purpose there could be- little doubt,
| f9rI h9l could - by the dim light Of
the, dying Watoh6Ss, ~ yas 6pahly
basneesed With Valpoint, Ard solo
hand held ; Gllf1ex1le, k1ij{q, y " ]
| slartsd and ersspsd Tia b1ft 81 tkS -
volvr lying beneath my head, The In
| Hlap's other hand clutChed ma ~ the
4rlels while Again my steod neighed
ehrlA1y, and as I propPed myseIf on
one knee j could see that Sunbeam
was plunging and rearing violently,
while two dark forms were gliding
about the spot where the horBe WAS
fastened, apparently Intent on unfas-
tening the long lariat by which he was
battered to the ground.
There are confused recollections Of
which memory Ia never able after
wards wholly to ounravel the tangled
thread. i remainder q brief, sharp
struggle, during which twice received
q slight Craze from the knife that the
Apache carried, and then my right
wrist was freed from the hand that
graspcd 1t, and the sharp crack OF the
pistol, a. three shots were SUCCESSFULLY
hred, broke the stiffness. Then almost
immediately heard the thnd OF gall
Looping hOOfs upon tho crisp turf OF the
prairie, and saw two mounted men,
whose fiuttering blankets and plumed
heads proclaimed their nationality,
ride off into the darkness. At my feet
lay my first assailant. His hand, when
I lifted 1t. fell back to the earth, and
his grim features bedaubed with
streaksvof yellow, white and black,
We're fast stiffening In death. The two
eagle's feathers fastened by silver
brooch to bis long black hair denoted
that he had been q chief or principal
warrior, while the paint and tattoofng
proved him to belong to the tribe OF
the Apaohes. 80 .-.,i5.a ..sir..
My great source of anxiety now was
lest the two braves who had escaped
should have comrades within reach,
and i at once decided that to press on
was my wisestpOlieys TWAS now the
Il
dawn, but saddling Sunbeam whom 1
found fretted and agitated, after his
recent interview with the red robbers,
/ resumed my journey. Up to this
time / had spared my horse, but now,
heavy as was the sicIkly heat, and long
as were the hours to be spent in trav-
ersing the brown. desolste plain, with
out grass or water, I urged Sunbeam
on, the shining peaks of the Mimbres
becoming more and more distinctly
Visible as we sped on our way. Poor
Sunbeam allowed for the first signxof
distress when we halted beside q
stream; the brackish waters Of which
seemed to burn thirsty lips that crayed
for them: but we were now, as COM
puted, within three hours, Of the
River Gila, beyond which was safety.
The sterile, stony desert which
spread itself before me when, on, the
next morning my jaded steed and i
again set forth upon the track, was al
most bare Of yerdure. The long drOuth
and the heat of the scorching sun had
withered every, green blade, while
pools and creeks which ought to have
been fullOf sweet pure water were now
mere belts of shingle, or hollows paved
with dried clay. j shared the last
drops Of the precious fluid i carried in
my canteen, and the last of the
parched corn with Sunbeam, and my
good horse seemed as though he We're
grateful for and understood the kind
ness, for he rubbed his velvet muzzle
caressingly against my hands as i
stroked his neck, no longer sleek and
smooth as satin; for fatigue and priva-
tl0nIt had-s roughened his coat and
dimnled the fire of his eye. Suddenly
as stood beside him, I looked back,
and saw what made, for the moment,
my very heart cease to beat, as If an
icy topch had frozen the blood i'm my
veir& Nv 4 Est,N
spears nti.plumed heads and wild
forms, whose shields and scarlet
blankets or buffalo robes were dis
tincty to be. seen, were crowded to-
gethef atthe top Of o rising ground,
Coming on over the prairie at the easy,
swinging ga3lop which q Inustang can
keep upfor half.a day. A I set my
foot in the stirrup and leaped into the
saddle the Indians, silent till then, set
up their fearful war-whoop, and with
yells and fearful gestures dashed on
their steeds and took up the pursuit
with fury that sufficiently indicated
what would be my fate should I be
overtaken. Then began desperate
confiict-a race for life or death. Sun
beam answered calamity to my call,
and for the first four or Ave miles 1
saw little. of the enemy, but on they
gaip ground. Had IL been on the first
dayof the journey Icould have laugh
ed at my pursuefs, but now the super
iority OF my noble horse was neutral
lied by the comparative freshness of
the shaggy steeds on which the
Apaches were mounted. I groaned as
i felt Sunbeam flag beneath me,
though / urged him on with voice and
hand.
Miles upon miles of rolling prairie
were traversed, my horse keeping the
lead, and speeding on with courage
unabated, but staggering as he went,
bearing heavily on the bit AZ we de-
scended the frequent slopes. The In
dams saw their advantage, and pressed
on, making every effort to come up
with me-. One arrow slightly wound !
ed my horse I'm the neck o second |
brushed my cheek, making me feel as
though q hot iron. had been drawn
across IL. bear the thin, blue scar to-
this day. But maddened with excite
ment spurred Sunbeam on, shook off
the pursuers for while, and present.
ly, cleaning before me, were the wa
tiers Of q swiftly flowing river, which
could be no other than the ella; while |
beyond It rose the stockaded walls of
. lonely building-Fort Webster doubt
less. ..- Oh, 1915 iHT ia
ION, Sunbeam, on! One more eff
fort, brave horse-one more, and we
Rre safe ~ 4l
I patted my steed's reeking neck as
Moderated the words, and with .
faint, friendly neigh, the gallant horse |
to my appeal, and still reel
cd onward. The river, bordered by |
tall trees and cane-brakes, was very |
near; could hear Its rush and ripple,
when Sunhaar,n deAd heat afurt1h{ad |