Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-10-27
TOM GARDINER.
Some Adventures. Dangerous and Other
 wise. of an old scout.

Owm. NJ. Edwardy in Philadelphia Tines)
 Old Tom Gardner is one of the most original characters to be found anywhere iuthe Western country, He has tine ' ranch in the foothills Of the Santa Rita about forty miles south of { Tucson. Arizona, and he was the first white man who settled in that remote part of the country. He came originally from one of the Southern States ana reached Texas REsy back In 1S3 39. After v wanderinR around through that State and the Territory 10 the north he went 10 the Rocky Mountains, where for many years he was frien and companion of the noted pioneer, James F. Beckwith. Finally be driited into Arizona and has renamed there ever since
 The old man does not know his ex ct age, but his experience runs back 60 far that he must be even older than he looks. He can neither read nor write, but be IS well informed On sll current topics, and is sharp and shTeWd m sny kind of trade. He Is tall, heavily-built man, with long iron-grGy hair and grlzzled beard. His whole appearance betokens a robust constitution. and people ID the mountains gay that, not 5Ithst'EdIpg hIs age. in @ rough and tumble fight, be can whip sny man for miles around.
 Old Tom, as everybody calls him, is | jovial companion, and he loves to tell ot the days when there was not raliroad | within hundred miles. and the country | was full of "lniuns." He tells many an- l ectodss of early days. and some oi his ad- | ventures have been TeTy thrilling, while others were amusing. On one occasion he was hunting ID the rocky mountains with his partner Beckwith, when the two stopped st a little stream to quench their thirst. They leaned their rifles against rock and then lounged around taking rest, They suspected no danger and laid down on a grBesy bank some distance from
 their guns. Presently slight noise
 was heard and cn looking towards their | guns they were startled to see an lm-
 mense oiaamon bear standing close 10 the rock aga 1st which they were lean
 ing"
 "Whor be come from" Tom Gardiner always says in telling the story, Il never | could tell, Ut 'pesrsd 10 ne he TIE
 light out'n the ground"
 As the men could not get to their guus | without passing tbe bear they took to the nearest tree and waited patiently for he bear to go away. For whole day | nd night bruir showed no disposition to leHye. but kept the men ln their awk-
 yard position. Finally the situation
 became unbe aEsbie, sLd Tom remarked 70 his companion:
 Paint no u-e in talkin. that bear's
 come here 10 stay, and we'll have to 2ls down sud fight Elm."
 | So the two men jumped to the ground
 at the same time, and drawing tnelr
 knives. waited for the bear to attack
 them. They had only E moments time.
 for he brute rushed upon them and a desdiy encounter began, Gardner en- gagged She besr, keeping him ct bay wlt6 his kniis whiie Beckwith made run for
 the guns.
 Hs reached them none too soon. Tor before he could Ire hls companion had
 been felled Co the earth by a terrible
 blow from the bears paw, Beckwith
 was sn UT, rring shot, and when his rifle cracked the bear tumoled over with 6
 bullet through the brain.
 Gardinet's shoulder was badly lscers- ted by the blow he had received and Il was a long time before he completely recovered. He still carries the scars
 mRdr by the bears claws, and when be 5 shows them or tells the story of the fight be always planes Beckwith and himself , for being sucn "tsrnRl fools" Us to get D away from their guns.
 In the days when Gardner first weu' ! into the Santa Rita Mountains there ] ge-s few AmeTlcacs anywhere m tht 9 | Southwest and hf time was spent El @ | most entirely among Maxicsns and D friendly Indians. t!e has always beer b on friendly terms with the PapBgCs, and
 | on th 1T hunting trips they find a ad
 | welcome at his ranch; but the cruel RD1 e blOod-thirsty Ap6ches have RlwLys beer e bis bitter enemies. He has fought then . whenever occasion offered and has tesI in many skirmish while guiding settler. ard wagon trains across the plains ana
 through mountain detiles.
 H9 passed through the bloody raids O !, | Victorio. Leo, COchIse and Geronimo and in the COchise war came very neH '- losing his life. The Indians had beel e skulkiug around in the mount lus BnS Z had drlven off some of his stocE, bu this was such common occurrence thu C he paid no attention Co It, and m fact
 Indian ralis had become so frequen '- that he had grown indifferent to dange He wanted to go to Tucson for som supplies, SO he hItched up e team O rt mules to light wagon and with no Oh % accompanying him but Mexican vRC ls quero, uho worked on the ranch, be SC @ out for town. Before leaving home h'
 told the Mexican to place double-bGi ,- reled shot gun ID the bottom of the w6 o gop, but he did not examine the gun bir D. self as he had carefully loaded ], tb, l night before.
 IT He had hardly proceeded ten nile
 from the ranch when he saw two 4 O.. ches in war paint coming down The roa : directly in front of hIm. The Alexica saw them, too, and without ssYIrg i. word, be jumped out of ibe wagon an
 started in R dead run towards the rBUct Y Gardner called for him to come bsCh but ha only q1ickened bIs speed. with
 out stopping 10 even look bask. Ins'sB 7. of stopping and getting down to il .t ;- the Indians, Gardner kept straight O 5 hls way, for, ss he sfterw6rcs explained ', Thar waru'i but two Iriurs in th {, bunch. and l wouldn't run fiom 70 iv " Apschcs I ever seed.
 The Indians approached tO within fii , " yards without his attempting to sio !. them. He then reiued pp his te.-1 " reached down into,the wagon for his gu : and quickly aiming st the foremost Apu ' che. pulled the trigger. Ihe hsmme :; only mede a sharp click sgsIust the pip ''t pie, however, and the gun WIS rot di- a charged. The other barrel Tes t-is, '. with the zane result, and then the 0l, .' man saw. to his astonIshment and dis ,s may. that be Tss tryIng 10 fire Hn enpt. - gun.
 e The Indians were quick so take iu ti situation, and riding rapidly up to th
 wagon, each one sent bullet througl r. the old mans bresst. He fell from hi IT sea. and the Apaches, thinking be wss i; dead. paid DO further attention 10 him IS but uuhitched the team and drove th r. animals off After several hours Gard d ner revived. and in spite Of two terfi5lt e wounds in bis right breast, managed tt
 make hls way bsck to the ranch,
 He was laid up ID bed for long time !, but agaln hIs splendid constitution pul d ed him through and to-day DO one could D tell by his looks or actions that he hsi s eveT undergone such a terrible exDe g rience. He lesraed after hia recovery Q thst the gun wt'ch the Mexican had
 plG ced in the wagon had been fired of