The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-07-28
The Determined Warfare Mad, BY Col Pah,
and Its Happy Result

tiful %, ,ooo-acre ranch is out toward
the Rio Grande, near Laredo, has
Eh the Peter TIL, Hermit of the;
Exams for years. He has believed
that he held divine commission to
kill Apache Indians Col. Pelton
cana to Texas. in 1874, a common
soldier. By talent and courage 'he
rose to the rank of COL, and finally,
in 1856, commanded Ft. Macrae.
That year be fell inlove with 2 Asauti-
full Spanj' girl at Abequin, N. M.
The admiration Of the young couple
was mutual, and parental objections
only intensified the affections of the
lovers. Finally: after two years of
entreaty and devotion Col. Pelton
won the consent of the parents Of the
beautiful Spanish girl and they were
married.
One day when the1ove of the SOL
dier and tis lovely wife was at its Sc.
verest, the two, accompanied by the
young wife's mother and twenty SOL
diers, rode out to the hot springs, six
miles from the fort, to take a bath.
While in the bath, which is near the
Rio Grande. an Indians arrow passed
over their heads. Then shower of
arrows fell around them, and band
of wild Apache Indians rushed down
upon them, whooping and yelling like
band of demons. Several of the
soldiers fell dead, pierced with. poison.
ed arrows, and the beautiful bride and
her mother dropped into the water,
pierced by the cruel weapons of the
Apsches. With his wife dying before
his eyes, Col. Pelton leaped up the
bank. grasped his rife and killed the
leader of the savage fiends. But the
Apaches were too much fof the Colo
mel. Pierced with two poisoned ar
rows, he swan into the river and hid
under an oyerhaEging rock. After
the savages had left, the Colonel
swan the river and made his way
back to #. Macrae. Here his wounds
were dressed and he finally recovered,
but only to live blasted life-with-
out love, without hope-with vision
of his beautiful wife, pierced with
poisoned arrows, dying, perpetually
before his eyes.
After the death of his wife change
came to Col. Pelton. He seemed to
think that he had a sacred mission
from heaven to avenge his young
wlfe's death. He secured the most
unerring rifles, surrounded himself
with brave companions, and conse-
Grated himself to the work of revenge.
He was always anxious to lead any and
all expeditions against the Apaches.
Whenever any of the other Indians
were at war with the Apaches, Col.
Pelton would soon be at the head of
the former. One day he would be at
the head of his own soldiers and the
next day he would be at the head of a
band of Mexicans. He dehed Indian
arrows and courted death. Once
with a band of the widest desperadoes
he penetrated 100 miles into the
Apache country. The Apaches never
dreamed that anything but an entire
regiment would dare to follow them
to their home in the mountains. So
when Colonel Peiton swooped down
into their camp with ten trusty fol-
lowers, firing their Henry rifles at the
rate of 20 times minute, the Apaches
fed in CONSERVATION, leaving their
women and children behind. 1t was
then that there darted out Of lodge
white woman.
"Spare the women! !" she cried and
then she tainted to the ground.
| When the Colonel jumped from his
saddle to lift up the woman he found
she was blind.
"How came you here woman With
these Apaches?" he sked.