The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-04
SAVED BY FIRE.


guish him from Others of his class.
He was the same genial, daring, reckless
of danger, good-hearted fellow that they all
are.
But there was one thing which would be
sure to attract the attention of a stranger.
His face and neck seemed to be covered
by one huge scar.
Many would have thought that the entire
surface had been fayed. and that new
skin had taken it's place.
One day asked him the cause or this
strange appearance.
In answer he told me the following
story:
/ shall tell it, as near as can remember.
in his own words:
Give years ago last autumn" he sid,
81 and Joe Shirley were hunting away up
in the Sioux country.
HThere was not white man that we
knew Of within 100 miles of us.
For several weeks we had been at
work, and never expected to see any bet
ter luck than we had.
ssGame was plenty, and the way we made
mp our pile would have made you open
your eyes with wonder.
1--WE had couple of rough, shaggy po-
MES, who for speed and wind were hard to
beat
ssThey were better than they looked, for
If they hadn't been / wouldn't have been
here telling you this story tonight.
SAT last we were pretty well satisfied
with what we had done, and began to think
of turning our faces homeward to go into
winter quarters.
ssThere were signs in the sir and all
about us that the snow would soon be
down.
ssThe trees in the timber were stripped
as bare as your hand, and the grass on the
plains was dead and as dry as tinder
ssWe had to be mighty careful with our
fires, or We should have made one that
should have answered for the Fourth of
July.
ssThe redskins had given us awide BERTH
"We had not seen half dozen In the
whole trip.
81 and Joe often spoke of it, and won
dered what had become of 'em.
ssBe we found out soon full enough for
us.
ssThe first signs we had of EN- was on
the third day after we had set faces toward
the East.
"Three times that day we got glimpse
of party of EN- hanging upon our rear.
ssThey were a good ways of, but we
couldn't help thinking that they meant us
mischief.
ssThere seemed to be at least twelve of
'em, and they were well mounted.
eve knew this by the way they would
again upon us whenever they wished to do
SO.
sfJust at shutdown they rode up nearer
than they had done before during the day,
and Joe said, as we gazed PACK Cd them:
"sThem yarmints are arter us, Abe. /
have felt it all day, and now am sure of it.
They'll give us trouble tonight, as sure as
my name is Joe shirley.
II felt that Joe had hit the nail on the
head, and SO told him:
"sWe must sleep with our eyes open
tonight, Abe, he said, a little after. "Take
it in fair night we needn't be afraid of the
whole of them; but they'll come sneaking
around in the dark and cut our Threats if
they can do it.
81 knew that Joe was right and that if
we wished to save our scalps we had got to
keep sharp lookout.
1--WE rode till about 10 o'clock, and then
we camped for the night.
1--WE went without our supper, for we
didn't care to build fire, as it would show
the redskins where we were.
"Without it we were in hopes that they
Couldn't ma us.
tsJoe declared that he should have the
first watch, and that should lie down and
get Q nap.
Il would rather have done SO myself, for
wasn't q bit sleepy.
ssBut gin up to him and spread down
my blanket and turned in.
tqt was more'n an hour before l could
get to sleep.
ssThe stars kept winkirg above me as
wakeful as I, but at last they seemed to
grow dim, and afore knew it, my eyes
were stuck together and was asleep.
81 don't know how long it was that laid
there, but opened my eyes and came upon
my feet at the same moment.
"Joes voice was ringing in my ears like
Q trumpet:
"swaks up, Abe, if You don't want to be
roasted alive
ssFor a moment didn't hardly know
where ] was.
ssThe stars were all gone, and the sky
above us was black as midnight.
nBut about us, on three sides, like part
Of circle, was a wall of fire.
ssThe first thought that came into my
mind was that it was the day Of Judgment.
ssBut the voice of Joe brought me to my
self in minute.
ssThe cursed redskins mean TO roast us
alive. We have got to run for it or die"
HE was right.
seThey had set fire about us on all sides,
except one, and the flames were coming
down upon as with long strides.
ssThere was no time to be lost, and we
sprang upon our ponies, and bounded away
as fast as we could urge them on.
s'But we hadn't gone more than quar-
L. - oh
right ahead Of us.
ssThe redskins were there to cut us off
fsWe refined in our ponies to consult for
moment as to what was best to be DONE
ssHardly had we done so before shower
Of bullets rained about US like hail.
ssThe varmints were Bound to have our
lives anyway.
1--WE looked round over our shoulders at
the flames that the wind was driving down
upon us.
ssThsro was death before. behind, and all
about us.
ssThere was another shout and another
shower of bullets while We stood there I'M
certain what to do.
ssBut the bullets as yet did no harm.
ssJoe looked at me, and by the light of
the flames ! could see that he was as pale
as DEATH
Our way lies yonder, he said.
ssHe pointed back to the red flames that
were coming down upon US SO fast.
II nodded my head
g sWe must try it. he said. There is
more chance Of escape behind than be-
fore
ssHe threw his blanket over the head Of
his pony and fastened it there.
II did the same by inc, and then we
pointed them toward the flames.
"a minute more we were in the midst