The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1881-07-14
A ROMANTIC STORY.

DAN ANTONIO, EAASt July e.
Col. Albert q, PeltOn, whose beauti.
full 10000 acre ranch is out toward
the Rio Grande, near Laredo, has
been the Peter the Hermit of the
Texans for years. He came to Tex
as in 1914, common soldier. BY
talent aud courage he rose to the
rank of Colonel, aud finally, in
1856, commanded Fort Macrae.
That year be fell in love with a
beautiful Spanish girl at Albequin,
New Mexico. The admiration of
the young people was mutual, and
parental objections only intensified
the affection OF the lovers. Finally,
after two years of entreaty and de-
votion, Col. Pelton won the consent
of the parents of the beautiful Span.
ish girl and they were married.
One day 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 a
bath. While in the bath, which is
near the Rio Grande, an Indian arr
row 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 poisoned arrows. This
frightened the rest, who fled Anoth-
err shower of arrows, and the beauti-
full bride and her mother dropped
into the water, pierced by the cruel
weapons of the Apaches With his
wife dying before his eyes, Col. Pei
ton dashed up the banks, grasped
his rifle, and killed the leader of the
savage fends. But the Apaches
were too much for the Colonel -
Pierced with two poisoned arrows,
he swan tho river and hid under
an overbanging rock. After the
savages had left, the Colonel swan
the river and made his way back to
Fort Macrae. Here his wounds were
dressed, and be finally recovered,
but only to live blasted life-with-
out love, without hope-with Wis
ion of his beautiful wife, pierced
with poisoned arrows, lying perpet
ually before his eyes.
After loss of his wife a change
came over Col. Pelton. He seemed
to think that he had sacred mission
from heaven to aveDge her death.
He secured the most unerring rifles,
himself with brave COM
panions. and consecrated himself to
the work of revenge. He was al
ways anxious to lead any and all ex'
petitions 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 band of Mexicans. He
detied Indian arrows and courted
death. Once, with a band Of the
widest desperadoes, he penetrated a
hundred miles into the Apache coun>
try. The Apsches never dreamed
that anything but an entire regiment
would dare to follow them to their
camp in the mountains. SO when
Col. Pelton oooped down into their
camp with ten trusty followers, their |
Henry rifles at the rate OF twenty |
lines a minute, the Apaches fed in
CONSERVATION, leaving their women
and children behind. 1t was then
hat there darted out Of lodge a
white woman.
"Sparo the women ~ she cried,
md then she tainted and fell to the
ground.
When the Colonel jumped from
he saddle to lift up the woman he
found she was blind.
How came you here, woman, with
.hese Apaches ? he asked.
Il was wounded and captured,
che said, ten yssrs years ago. Take
Oh, take ne back again!'
Have you any relatives in Tex
as = asked the Colonel.
No, Ny father lives 10 Albe>
qoin. Ny husband, Col. Pelton,
and my mother were killed by the
Indians
Great God, Bella is it you-my
wife 2
ooh, Albert! knew you would
come exclaimed the poor wife,
blindly reaching her hands to clasp
her husband.
When saw the Colonel he was
reading a newspaper to bis blind
wife, while in her hand she held a
bouquet Of fragsnt jessamines which
he had gathered.
1t. was sbrewd device of the