The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-06-22

Colonel Albert c.. Pelton, whose beauti-
ful twenty thousand acre rancho 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 q
divine commission to kill Apache Indians.
Colonel Pelton came to Texas in 1914, q
common soldier. By talent and courage
he rose to the rank of Colonel, and finally,
in 1927, commanded Fort Macrae. That
year he fell in love with a beautiful Span
ish girl at Abequin, New Mexico. Her pa
rents were wealthy and would not consent
to their daughters going away from all her
friends to live in a garrison. The admira-
ton of the young couple was mutual, and
parental objections only intensified the af-
lection of the lovers. The nature of the
Spanish girl is such that once in love she
never changes. Finally, after two years of
entreaty and devotion, Colonel Pelton won
the consent of the parents of the beauti-
full Spanish girl, and they were married.
Then commenced n honeymoon sue as
only lovers shut up in a beautiful flower
environed fort can have. The lovely char
acter of the beautiful bride won the hearts
of all the soldiers of the fort, and she reign
ed a queen among these rough frontiers
men. One day, when the love of the SOL
der and his lovely wife was at its severest,
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
q bath. While in the bath, which is near
the Rio Grande, an Indians arrow passed
over their heads. Then q shower of ar
rows fell around them, and n band of wild
Apache Indians rushed Town upon them,
whooping and yelling like o band of de-
mons. Several of the soldiers fell dead,
pierced with poisoned arrows. This fright
ened the rest, who fed. Another shower
of arrows, and the beautiful bride and her
mother fell in the water, pierced by the
cruel weapons of the Apache. With his
wife dying before his eys, 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 over
hanging rock. After the savages had left,
the Colonel swan the river and made his
way back to Fort k1acrae. Here his wounds
were dressed, and he finally recovered, but
only to live a blasted life-without love,
without hope-with q vision of his beaCt;.
full wife, pierced with poisoned arrows, dy-
ing perpetually before his eyes.
After the death of his wife a change
came to Colonel Pelton. He seemed TO
think that he had a sacred mission from
Heaven to avenge his young wife's death.
liz btCuItu VIC IhO5b uuCIIIlB IliGb, sur
rounded himself with brave companions,
and consecrated himself to the work of re-
yenge. He was always anxious to lead any
and all expeditions against the Apaches.
Whenever any of the other Indians were
at war with the Apaches, Colonel 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 a band of Mexicans. Moth
ing gave him pleasure but the sight of dead
Apaches. He defied Indian arrows and
courted death. Once, with a band of the
widest ~desperadoes, he penetrated a hum
dred 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 Colonel Pelton swooped down into
their camp with ten trusty followers, firing
their Henry rifles Mt the rate of twenty
times a minute, the Apaches fled in con-
stcrnation, leaving their women and chill
dren behind. 1t was then that there dart
ed out of a lodge a white woman.
Spare the women!" she cried, and then
she tainted to the ground.
When the Colonel jumped from his sad
die to lift up the woman he found 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 relations in Texas? n
asked the Colonel.
"No, My father olives in AIbequin. My
husband, Colonel Pelton, and my mother
were killed by the Indians"
Great God, Bella ! Is is you-my wife ?'
"Oh, Albert, 1 knew you would Gomez
exclaimed the poor wife blindly reaching
her hands to clasp her husband.
OF curse there was joy in the old rancho
when Colonel Pelton gos back with his
wife. The Apaches had carried the wound
ed woman away with them. The poison
caused Inflammation, which finally de-
stroyed her eyesight.
When 1 saw the Colonel he was reading
n newspaper to his blind wife, while in her
hand she held q bouquet of fragrant cape
j~essamines, which he had gathered for her.
1t was a picture of absolute happiness
Cor. of Chicago Tribune.