Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-06-25
A Southwestern Romance.

Col. Albert c. Pelton, whose beauti-
full 20,000-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,
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 Il 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.
sihed 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. Pcton won the consent of the
parents of the beautiful Spanish girl,
and they were married. Then COM
menced 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 a.qneen among these rough
frontersmen. One day, when the love
of the soldier and his lovely wife was at
its sweetest the two, accompanied by the
young wife's mother and twenty soldiers,
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 Indians arrow passed over their
heads Then a 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 overhanging
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 a blasted life--wthout love,
without hope-with vision of his beau
tiful wife, pierced with poisoned arrows,
dying, perpetnally before his eyes.
After the death Of his wife change
came to Colonel Pelton. He seemed to
think that he had sacred mission from
Heaven to avenge his young wife IS
death. He secured the most unerring
rifles, surrounded himself with brave
companions, and consecrated himself
to the work of revenge. He was al
ways anxious to lead any and all expe-
ditions 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 n band of Mexicans.
Nothing gave him pleasure but the sight
of dead Apaches. He deiied Indian ar
rows and courted death. Once, with a
band of the widest desperadoes, he pen
etrated 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 mountains. So, when Col. Pei
ton swooped down into their camp
with ten trusty followers, firing theil
Henry rifles at the rate of twenty times
a minute, the Apaches fled in conster
nation, leaving their women and chill
dren behind. 1t was then that ther'
darted out of a lodge white woman.
"Spare the women!n she cried, anC
then she tainted to the ground.
When the Colonel jumped from hi
saddle to lift up the woman, he founC
she was blind.
How came you here, woman, witt
these - Apaches?" he asked
81 was wounded and captured" sh
said, "ten years ago. Take, oh, take m
back again!"
"Have you any relatives in TexasP
asked the Colonel.
"No. My father lives in Adjourn
My husband, Col. Pelton, and my moth
err were killed by the Indians
"Great God, Bella! is it you-m
wife?n
90, Albert, knewyou would come!
exclaimed the poor wife, blindly reach
ing her hands to clasp her husband.
OF course there was Joy in the oil
ranch when Col. Pclton got back wit
his wife. The Apaches had carried tn
wounded woman away with them. Th
poisoned arrows caused inflammation
which finally destroyed her eyesight
When saw the Colonel he was reaC
ing newspaper to his blind wife, Will
in her hand she held bouquet of frs
grant Cape jessamines which he ha
gathered for her. 1t was a picture {
absolute happiness. - Eli Perkins, in III
Chicago Tribune.