Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-03-31
THE SCOUTS LAST SHOT.

It was ten O'Clock in the morning
The honey-bees are darting over the
prairie in search Of the sweet flowers,
butterflies float on lazy wings, and
birds are singing their sweetest songs.
1t is a scene Of deepest peace. Away
to the right is the Little Bear range
of mountains-to the left of the prai-
rie oceans extend as far as the eye
can reach. Ten miles ahead is a
grove OF cotton woods and spring
behind are thirty half-naked saw
ages on horseback.
Here is a frontier scout as the pivot
on which the scenery swings. On
his way from fort to fort with dis
patches, his trail has been struck by
a war party of Pawnees and they
have hung to it since dark last night,
following it across the levels and over
the swells at slow but never ending
galop. They knew that he was a full
hundred miles from help, and they
knew that his bloody scalp would add
another to their trophies.
''You're rubbed out man," said
the scout, as he looked back at dusk
and saw them coming at slow gal
lop over his trail. They could not
have overtaken him in a dash of two
miles, but in a gallop of fifty they
would tire him out.
At an easy gallop of five miles an
hour the mustang forged ahead
through the long and weary night,
changing his pace only when the rider
got down and ran by his side.
Two miles behind him, riding thir-
ty abreast and covering front of half
a mile, followed the ilnplacahle foe,
gaining little, losing little; but
ever confident.
When the sun came up from his
prairie bed not one was missing.
The scout turned in his saddle and
counted them, looked ahead for
landmarks, and cody said:
"You took the chances, and you
have lost, but you will die game
The mustang was almost blown.
For the last half hour he had labored
heavily, and had almost been held
up by the bits.
"The grove would have been q
better place, but the end would have
been the same," said the scout, as he
drove up and dismounted.
The Indians were two miles away.
In ten minutes they would be within
rife-shot.
"Good-bye, old pard-I must dc
it," said the scout, as he took hole
of the mustangs head and drew his
knife across the equine's throat.
He wanted a breastwork, and here
he had it. Two minutes were time
enough to cut bride and saddle tt
pieces, and then he mounted th'
body of his dead friend and calmly
awaited the approach of the Indians
No shout of triumph was sen
across the prairie as he was brough
to bay. That had been a straDg,
chase. They had suddenly appeared
ON his trail without sound, seeming
to rise out of some fissure in th,
fower-covered prairie. Not onc'
through the long night had the scou
heard from them except as b.
dropped from the saddle and place.
his ear to the ground. But for tn
steady thud, thud, of their horses
feet, he might have almost mad
himself believe that he was being pur
sued by shadows.
''Sixteen bullets in this Winches
ter, and six in the revolver solilo
quized the scout, as the Indians wer
within mile of the spot. Did the
mean to ride him down? Each ride
was bent over his horses neck, AM
each kept the pace he had had 70
hours.
"My scalp is worth the scalp of te
, Indians - said the scout, as he raises
his rifle, shut mebbe can't get owe
six or seven.'
Straight at him rode the line {
thirty redskins until he raised his ri
fle for shot.
Then the band divided right an
left and inclosed him in a circle. Nc
a shout from any tongue. 1t migt
, have been called a still hunt.
The line was out of ride-shot s
first, but it gradually worked nearer
s and at last the report of the scout
y rifle broke the stiffness of the morr
ing.
1'Twenty-nine left!" he said as b
threw out the empty shell
. Not shot came from the 1ndiar
7 in reply. Every warrior threw hin
: self on the opposite side of his hors'
and the hardy ponies followed Il
circle at a steady gallop.
s'Twenty-eight left!'' said Il
scout, as he fred again.
No shout or shot in reply, but tt
circle was growing narrower.
Il "Twenty-seven left!"
Three of the horses in the TIL
we're galloping without riders.
'sTwenty-six left!'
The scout had etired cody and d
Iiberately, shooting every -victi
through the head. His rifle had
longer range than those of the l
dians, but now they were near enous
to open In reply.
y twenty-five left!' he said
n another savage fell into the gra
with a wild scream of rage and pal
Five of the thirty were dead. NJ
yell runs around the circle, and e
cry horse turns his head towards Il
common center and charges t
scout.
Puff! bang! puff! bang! bang
{! Three horses went down, and t.
more riders fell backward from th'
saddles.
ssTwenty-three left!" counted t
scout, IS he dropped the gun a
leveled his revolver.
They were upon him. They sh
at bin, struck at him, and tried
Al ride over him.
= "Puff! bangr'
Five shots struck men or hors'
and when the hammer fell for
- sixth time it sent the last bullet il
the brain of the scout.
Nine Indians were lying de
around the pivot, three more w