The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-02
4 Texans Revenge .

wi. AIUcll -. Cltoii, "iooS uSouttua W.
OOO.acre ranch is out toward the Rio Grande,
near Laredo, has been the Peter the Hermit 0!
the Texans tor years He has believed that he
held Divine commission to kill Apache
Indians. Col. PeltOn came TO Texas in 1874,
common soldier. by talent and courage he
gradually arose to the rank of colonel, and
finally in 1856, commanded Fort Macrae.
That wear he fell in love with beautiful Span
ish girl at Abequin, New Mexico. Her par
ents were wealthy and would not consent to
their daughters going away from all her
friends to live In garrison. The admiration OF
the young people was mutual, and parental
objections only intensified the affection of the
lovers The nature of the Spanish girl is such
that once in love she never changes. Finally,
after two wears of entreaty and devotion, Col.
Pelon won the consent of the parents of the
beautiful Spanish girl and they were married
Then commenced a honeymoon such as only
lovers shut up in beautiful, flower-envlroned
fort can have. The lovely character of the
beautiful BRIDE won the hearts Of all the SOL
dlers 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 severest, the two accompanied
by the young wlfe's mother and twenty SOL
dlers, rode out to the hot springs, six miles
| from the fort, to take bath. While IN the
bath, which Is near the Rio Grande, an In
aians arrow passed over their heads. Then a
shower of arrows fell around them, and a band
OF wild Apache Indians rushed down upon
Them whooping and yelling like band of
demons. Several of the soldiers fell dead,
pierced with poisoned arrows. This fright
enen the rest, who fled. Another shower of
arrows, and the beautiful bride and her moth
er dropped IN the water, pierced by the cruel
weapons OF the Apaches. With his wife dying
before his eyes, Col. 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 pol.
soned arrows, he swan into the river and hid
under an overhanglng rock. After the sava.
ges had left the colonel swan the river and
made his way hack to Macrae. Here his
wounds were dressed, and he finally recovered,
but only to live blasted life-without love,
without hope-with a 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 ayenge
his young wife's death. He secured the most
unerrlng rifles, surrounded himself with brave
companions and conseCrated himself to the
work of revenge. lie was always anxious to
lead any and all expeditions against the
Apaches. Whenever any of the other Indians
were at war with the Apachcs, Col Pelton
would soon be at the head Of the former. One
day he would be at the head Of his own SOL
diers, and the next day he would be at the
head of band of Mexcans. Nothing gave
him pleasure but the sight of dead Apaches.
! He defed Indian arrows and courted death
Once, with a band of the widest desperauoes
he penetrated a hundred miles into the Apache
country. The Apaches never dreamed that
anything but an entire regiment would dare
to follow them to their camp IN the noun
tains. SO when Col, Peton swooped down
into their camp with ten trusty followers fir
ing their Henry rifles at the rate of twenty
times minute, the Apaches fled in consterna-
ton, leaving their women and children be.
hind. 1t was then that there dartcd out of a
lodge white woman
IS pare the women !" she cried, and then she
tainted to the ground.
When the colonel jumped from his saddle
to lit up the women he found that she was
blind.
"How came you here, woman, with these
damned Apaches?' he asked,
81 was wounded and captured" she said,
"ten years ago. Take, oh, take me back
again"
Have you any relatives in Texas" asked
the colonel
NO My father lives in Abequin. My
husband Col. Pelton, and my mother were
killed by the Indians"
Great God, Bella Is that you-my wife,
ooh, Albert, knew you would comet" ex.
claimed the poor wife, blindly reaching her
hands to clasp her husband.
Ofcourse there was joy in the old ranch
when Col. Pelton got back with his wife. The
Apachcs had carried the wounded women
away with them. The poisoned arrow caused
inflammation, which finally destroyed her eye.
sight.
i When | saw the Colonel he was reading a
newspaper to his blind wife, while In her hand
she held bouquet of fragrant cape jessa.
mines, which he lad gathered for her. twas
picture of absolute happiness.-San an
tonic Correspondence Chicago Tribune.