The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-05-21

all open space from one cluster to an
other Of the mesquite bushes, drew
a bead OH him and fred. He tum-
bled so suddenly that another Apa-
che who was close behind him fell
over him, and as he tried to regain
his feet, a second shot, this time
! from the guide, dropped him also. =
At the same instant a shower of ar
rows passed near us, one Of them
hitting my companion in his sloul
der, making ragged hole in his
coat and merely scratching the skin.
Fortunately for US the Indians
were on foot, and, although they were
expert runners, they dared not make
free use of their speed, lest the fate
that had befallen their two comrades.
might also be theirs. After an hours
rapid ride we reached the abode
house Of a half-breed Mexican, fell
low with a most vilfainous expires
sion of countenance, and, securing
our mules in strong coral and CIV
ing them some feed, we placed our
baggage in the house and prepared
for supper, aided by our host and
his wife, a young and rather pretty
female Of about eighteen years Of
age. Fearing an attack from the
Indians, tile fire was extinguished as
soon as sourehasty meal was eaten,
and we all sat silent in the intense
darkness. Not a sound was heard,
either without or within the house,
except the cruhching Of the food as.
it was eaten by the mules. That
sound soon ceased so suddenly that
lit almost appeared as il we. could
hear it break off into silence. Not
one Of us moved, or appeared to, at
Ieastse I was almost startled into an
exclamation of alarm as i suddenly
felt a hand placed lightly on my
shoulder, as If some one was feeling
,
his way in darkness. 1t was With
drawn as suddenly as it was placed
there, and not knowing but that the
next moment it would be followed
by the keen edge of "a murderous
knife, I noiselessly moved q foot sor
so from the seat had occupied /
had scarcely accomplished this ac,,
|tion when an oath was uttered, and
at the same time some one fell over
1.-the seat / had left. instantly we
were all upon our feet, but main
tanned a breathless silence, each
waiting for some movement of the
Others; for in the intense darkness
nothing could be seen.
The blief moment that this ST.
lence lasted appeared to me like an
hour or more ofti,ne. Then noise
was made by some one making q
misstep in the room, and instantly
it was lightened by the fash of a
pistol, and the shrek of the woman
rose in tone of agony upon the
stiffness Of the night. Following
the report Of the pistol came that Of
another, so suddenly that it almost
appeared to be the same, and a body
fell with a dull thud upon the earth
en- floor of the room. That one
shrek Of the woman was all she ut
tered-it was her last utterance and
she must have died ere it had fully
passed her lips. AS the light of the
FIRST pistol flash was seen, our guide,
who had providentially been facing
the spot where the oath appeared to
proceed from, with his pistol exten,
ded to fire upon the lie ast noise in
that direction, saw the face Of the
half breed and fred at him on the
instant with deadly and accurate
aim. There was a commotion out
side Of the house, and the sound of
running feet was heard gradually
dying away in the distance. Still
we dared not strike light, and did
not move for some time, until we
heard the mules renew their MUNICH
ing sound as they began to eat again.
Then the guide spoke and struck a
light, and the dead bodies of the
half-breed and his wife were lying
where they fell. She had a large
knife in her hand, and it was her
misstep as she Was. returning with
it to whore had been seated that
caused her husband, to fire, as he
supposed, at me, and killed her in.
stead. Evidently she had noticed
the positions each Of US had occu-
pied when the lights were sextin-
guished, and had determined to use
the knife for my destruction; and