The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-09
A Southwestern Romance.


Col. Albert G. Pelton, whose beauti-
full 20,OO0-acre ranch is out toward the
Rio Grande, near Laredo, has been the
Peter the Hermit of the Texans for
years. He has believed that he held
Divine commission to kill Apache In
dians.
Col. Pelton came to Texas in 1874, a
common soldier. By talent and cour-
age he gradually arose to the rank of
Colonel, and finally in 1856 commanded
Fort Macrae. That year he fell in love
with q beautiful Spanish girl at abb
quin, New Mexico. Her parents were
wealthy, and would not consent to their
daughters going away from all her
friends to live in garrison. The adj
miration of the young people was mu-
tual, and parental objections only inten-
sified the affection of the lovers. The
nature of the Spanish girl is such that,
once in love, she never changes. Final
ly, after two years of entreaty and devo-
ton, Col. Pelton won the consent of the
parents of the beautiful Spanish girl,
and they were married. Then COM
nlenced a honeymoon such as only
lovers shut up in a beautiful, flower EN-
vironed fort can have. The lovely char
acter of the beautiful bride won the
hearts of all the soldiers at the fort, and
she reigned queen among these rough
frontiersmen. One day, when the love
of the soldier and his lovely wife was at
its sweetest, the two, accompanied by the
young wife smother and twenty
rode out to the hot springs, six miles
from the fort, to take a bath. While in
Che bath, which is near the Rio Grande,
an Indians arrow passed over their
heads. Then q shower of arrows fell
around them, and band of wild Apache
Indians rushed down upon them, whoop-
ing and yelling like band of demons.
Several OF the soldiers fell dead, pierced
with poisoned arrows; this frightened
the rest, who fled. Another shower of
arrows, and the beautiful bride and her
mother dropped in the water, pierced
by the cruel weapons of the Apaches.
With his wife dying before his eyes,
Colonel Pelton leaped up the bank,
grasped his rifle, and killed the leader
of the savage fiends. But the Apaches
were too much for the Colonel. Pierced
with two poisoned arrows, he swan into
the river and hid under an overhangino
rock. After the savages had left he
swan the river, and made his way back
TO Fort Macrae. Here his wounds were
dressed, and he. finally recovered, but
only to live blasted life-without love,
without hope-with vision of his beau
tiful wife, pierced with poisoned arrows
dying, perpetually before his eyes.
After the death of his wife change
came to Colonel Pelton. He seemed K
think that he had sacred mission from
Heaven to avenge his young wife
death. He secured the most unerrin!
rifles, surrounded himself with Draw
companions, and consecrated himsel
TO the work of revenge. He was al
ways anxious to lead any and all expe
ditions against the Apaches. Wheneye
any of the. other Indians were at wa
with the Apaches, Col. Pelton woul,
soon be at the head of the former. On
day he would he at the head of his owI
soldiers, and the next day he would b
at the head of band of Mexicans
Nothing gave him pleasure but the sigh
of dead Apaches. He defied Indian M
rows and courted death. Once, with
band of the widest desperadoes, he per
etrated hundred miles into the Apach
country. The Apaches never dreame
that anything but an entire regimen
wOald dare to follow them to their cam
in the mountains. So, when Col. Pc