The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-03

guardians OF the well under cover, and
give me a good chance TO unravel the
mystery was well armed, as l al
WAYS was on those occasions.
VI slipped along as cautiously as |
could in the darkness until within
about 80 yards OF the well, when flash
Of lightning revealed the form of a man
standing directly in my path, and not
more than twenty steps from me. He
had heard me meving through the brush
and suspecting | was a scout, made
ready to give me warm reception. l
lodged behind q sapling Just as he
pulled the trigger of his repeating rifle.
He didn't hit me, but felt about as bad
as If he had. Shot after shot followed in
quick succession, some of the bullets
striking the tree behind which / was
standing. By the aid of another flash
of lightning l saw that he was reloading
his piece, and thinking that was a IA
vorable opportunity to escape, broke
for thicket near by. lie did not fol
low me, and l soon placed myself be-
You'd danger. did not return his fire,
for did not wish to spill blood. Scouts
never fought back as long as they had a
chance to escape by running. The
Bradford papers of the next day con
tanned a long and graphic account OF
the affair, describing it as regular
duel,with thunder and lightning accom-.
paniments. They didn't know the name
of the scout, aud do not know it to
this day. OF course failed in my un
dertaking, but | was TOO glad to have
escaped being made food for crows to
care for anything else just then. l got
$50 for the nights work, failure though
it was, but | wouldn't run the same l'sk
again for the best well that ever bt 0ke
sand,
81 had another exciting adventure-at
least it was exciting to ma-a year or
two later, not far from Oil City. As
usual, was trying to probe a mystery
which vas situated not tar from q creek.
| approached the well at night. Seeing
no one, / walked boldly up to the inclO-
sure, and was scribbling down few
notes when a heavy hand was laid upon
my shoulder. Turning around con-
tronted man of huge proportions. He
knew what / was up to. We clinched
each other simultaneously He was
larger and stouter than was, and, seiz.
ing me around the waist, he soon had
me hat on the ground.
"'No shooting, said he. Il won't
hurt.yOu very much. I'll Just heave you
must never come back hero rs q spy or
1t VIII 60 hard with YOU.
"With this he picked me up in spite
OF my resistance. and partly carrying,
partly dragging me TO the creek tossed
nae into the stream which was several
feet deep at that point. | had LETT my
rifle at the well and my pistols were rem
dered useless by the water. so / was
practically deienseless. All could do
was TO scramble out and break for home.
The weather was cold and l nearly iroze
before ! got to fire. / afterward made
up with the watchman and recovered
my gun. / received only SIS for this
jon 1t was dearly-earn6d money.
"You were not always unsuccosairt,
were yOuW <
"No. On several occasions succeedeS
III gaining al the Information l s0ugir
One night l set fire 20 pile OF rubbish
situated short distance IRON 'mys-
terry and in the Excitement that fol.
lowed gained access TO the well, aud
found out enough to lower the market
several points the next day There
were q good many scouts emplOy8d
about that time, and all OF them had
adventures similar TO mine. ! never
heard OF any Of them being killed, but
several were wounded, Sometimes
they would fight back when attacked
and then 1t was very interestiug-to the
spectators, if any were about.
"Ihe pay was very small considering
the dangers encountered, and scouts
quit the business Whenever anything
better offered. Some OF these men be-
came heavy operators aud few OF them
grew rich. One OF tho principal opera.
tors on the PittsbuTg Oil exchsrge Wa
once scout. Oneor two OF the richest
men in OIL City commenced business as
bushwhackers. AS soon 40 I had saved
few hundred dollars l Withdrew and
won't INTO other business. Things are
changed now, and while there "a cou-
siderable scouting, 1t IS not so danger
Gus as formerly nor is it attended With
the same degree Of physical misery"
-lPlttshurg Dispatch.