Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-07-11
DlSCOUNTING FICTION.

Doctors Midnight Ride in The Mountains of Ar
-BIindfoided and on Horseback West
ern SURGEON is Taken to See an Unknown Pa
tent.
TFrom the albuquerque IN. NJ Journal
Some time ago the little railroad town
Of Williams, Arizona, was the scene of
quite q strange adventure, at least so
far as one of its prominent citizens was
concerned. Williams is on the line of
the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, at the
foot OF Bill Williams Mountain. The
one street of the village runs parallel
with the railroad track, and the only
buildings anywhere to be seen are di-
rectly facing the north, and, therefore,
the railroad. The buildings are all
frame and for the most part one-story,
they having been built with the idea
that some day the town might move,
and then the buildings could be torn
down and transported with little cost.
Nearly directly opposite the depot
and about midway IN the bullt-up por-
ton of the street is a low board office,
upon the door of which this legend Is
enscrolIed: cdr Bishops Office" En-
tering, the VISITORS met by the amiable,
pIeasant-spol1en DR.. Bishop. and imme-
diatelY given one of the two chairs III the
room, with the comment to "make
yourself at home" Bottles of all kinds
occupy the shelves on one side Of the
room, while files of the leading papers,
the Journal among the rest, hung along
the opposite side, denote the doctor as
the wide-awake man of the town. There
are two rooms TO the Office, or rather
one room. a portion of which is divided
off by s. low wooden partition fer a
sleeping apartment. 1t was III portion
Of that office that the strange adventure
of that November night began, and it
was in this room that the whole history
of that night was related by the doctor
to the writer of this article.
s'About the middle of last November, +"
began DR.. Bishop, ''on very dark and
chilly night, after reading until quite
late. I turned down the light, and was
soon wrapped in slumber. 1t must have
been II O'Clock when / was awakened by
a knock at my front Office door. The
knock was not loud one, and was not
repeated, so thinking that / might have
been mistaken I again laid down tosleep.
No sooner had [ closed my eyes than a
second knock caue-this time at the
back door, close by my bed. I could
not be mistaken, and so asked what was
wanted. The answer came that man
had been badly hurt, and required my
presence at once. After lighting a can
die the door was opened, and in stepped
two gentlemen, both well dressed and
both Indicating by their faces that their
education had been IN no wise neglected.
In fact they were eastern-bOrn and east
ern-bred.
The spokesman, who was the tallest
Of the two, and who, by the way, was a
splendid type of manhood, urged upon
me the necessity of being somewhat in a
hurry about making my preparations.
'For," said he, ''you must go with us,
and we have a long ride to take before
morning" The doctor demurred at 60
ing at all, and said that it was certainly
a very strange proceeding to ask man
80 years of age to go out on such a
night, and especially with two men of
whom he knew nothing whatever.
SIT don't make particle of difference
VINO we are, what we are, or where we
are from, !" remarked the tall stranger
''You have got to go with us, and the
quicker you make up your mind to do
so the pleasanter it will be for all con-
cerned.
Glow was the man hurt?" inquired
the doctor.
HE was shot, was the answer.
Arguments based on the age and health
of physicians were of no avail, and so it
came that hurried preparations were
made, and in a shorter time than 1t takes
to tell it, the party, including DR..
Bishop, were out in the cool, damp air
of the night. 1t took but few mo-
ments for the strangers to find tkeir
horses, and to point out splendid, big
chestnut, whose every motion and form
proved him to be thoroughbred, as the
animal upon which our friend, the doc
tor, was to make the unknown journey.
''That is your horse, doctor" said the
traRgers.
..'Re is a good one, and as sure-footed
az any animal in Arizona. You need
never be afraid of him for moment,
he's as gentle as a kitten"
Into the saddle went the now
thoroughly mystified man of medicine,
and the two strangers mounted two
horses nearly, if not quite, the equals of
the chestnut stallion. The party had
hardly gotten clear of the few midnight
lamps at Williams when halt was
called. and our M. ID. was informed that
it would be necessary to blindfold him,
as his companions had 40 idea of allow
ing him the faintest conception of the
direction in which the trio were travel
ing.
The doctor, of course, objected to this
kind of treatment, but he was quickly
voted down and compelled TO submit
himself to the inevitable. A sack, which
one of the party carried, was quickly
drawn over his head and then they were
again ready TO advance.
Imagine, If you can, the feelings of