Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-07-17

all right too. Then they knew that
they had been waylaid by Mexicans,
evidently intent on securing the team
and buggy. The condition Of things
looked extremely critical. The best
horse Of the two lay dead at their feet.
The other one was sick and scarcely
able to stand. Night was coming on,
and there they were in a thick belt of
timber, eight miles away from any
sign of American civilization, and liable
to fall from the bullet of their unknown
assailant. Morris was unable to sug
gest anything safe that they should
hurry down to the Mexican plaza.
Mrs Runtlet declared that to go there
would be certain death, as she was
positive that the party who had fired
was hid in that direction. Her escort
knew of no more feasible plan, and
looked at Mrs. Rundlett, who stood at
the side of the dead horse, dazed for
the moment with fright. But recover
ing herself shortly, she showed more
courage than her male companion, and
told him that the only thing they could
do was to get out of the woods and
back to camp as soon as they could.
/" Bat howY Morris asked. The horse
was sick, and it was fully eight miles
back to the camp. She. answered his
dismayed look by announcing her in
tention to get back some way, If she
had to walk. He packed up a few of
the effects they had with them and
started back through the woods. There
was no road or pathway, but kept
steadily on, over felled timber and
bush, through ravines and along the
verge of high cliffs. They walked
along quietly, Mrs. Rundlett grasp1ng
her revolver firmly, each evidently in
tent on thinking whether they would
ever get out alive. To their excited
fancy every tree concealed a hidden
foe, every rock furnished shelter for
some one intent on securing the poor
horse, that could scarcely keep pace
with the untiring walk Of the woman
and her escort. On the whole eight
miles she never stopped once to rest,
but kept steadily along, surprising her
escort by her persistence and nerve.
They reached the camp from which
they had started late in the night, and
related their adventure. The men
the plucky woman who had gone
through such an ordeal without finch
ing, and while she laid down to rest
the others stood watch, thinking that
perhaps their assallant in the woods
might have followed them to the camp.
The next day Mrs. Rundlet was taken
i'll. The reaction had set in, and her
nervous system, unstrung by the ex-
citing events of the night previous,
added to the exposure Of the trip,
brought on physical exhaustion. Dur
ing the day a messenger from Captain
Rundlett's party was passing the camp
with letters to his wife, addressed to
Denver, and to be mailed at Alamosa.
The man related his mission, and added
that Captain Rundlett was camped at a
junction Of the Rio Grande and Chama
rivers on a point known as Black Mesa,
some thirty miles away. Mrs. Rundlett
informed the messenger who she was,
and had the team turn back, saying
she would proceed at once to the camp.
arrived there the same evening, and
found her husband again gone-this
time to Santa Fe for orders. The
camp was composed of Mexicans and
Indians, and members of the engineer
ing party, all busy grading the road for
the stage line The rest of the story is
briefly told. Captain Rundlett returned
the next day, and: after hearing his
wife's story, was equally divided between
Joy at her safety and surprise at the
courage she had shown throughout.
After a. few days at the camp, Mrs.
Rundlett started on her RETURN fur
nished with an escort from the camp.
After short but pleasant visit to Miss
Julia Palmer, at La Veta, she returned
to this city, arriving here a few eve
nings ago. During her absence she
was eight days on the road. It rained
nearly every day and the lady had to
put up in many places with such &C
commodations as are ordinarily only
endured by hardy mountaineers and
men who have "roughed it, for years.
The thrilling event of that night in the
woods was enough to have called for
che courage of very brave man. The
only trace Of it that Mrs. Rundlett
carries is = streak Of gray hair in a
head Of jet black-the change coming
on during the excitement of that--to
her-eventful night. ,f.i