The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-02-15

and his mistakes and absurd blunders
seemed to promise n fund of inexhausti-
| bic fun for the drivers. Beside the boys
felt strong contempt for the English
man, for 1t was thought he was some
thing of a coward. But there came day
when the lives of dozen men depended
rnon English Tom, and he nobly did his
duty.
The summer had nearly passed away,
no more Indians had been seen, and the
| Superintendent was thinking about put
ting cheaper man in White Buffalo's
place, when one morning the station
keeper at Eagle Springs found Indian
| sigLs near the water. lie dared not fol-
low the trails any distance, but waited
until later in the day when White Buff
falo and English Tom arrived. The
former made careful examination of
the footprints around the spring Then
he saddled a mule, and, without saying
word, rode away. English Tom filed
the barrels with water, and then the men
went into the station and sat in silence
and waited.
The sun sank behind the hills along
the Rio Grande. Soon the "too-hoo,
too.hoo" of owls echoed disnially
through the canyons, as if the birds knew
there was trouble in the air, and the
men in the rude cabin looked at each
other One tried to tell a story and
another essayed song, but the story
fell fiat and the singer lost the key.
/ Then they reapsed into silence. The
station.keeper was the first to speak of
| the thing they were all thinking about.
Il wonder if he will try to pipe 'em.
/ 1t will be risky to come back on the trail, :"
he said. The barrier had been broken,
and they freely discussed the situation.
Would White Buffalo endeavor to fol-
low the Indians in order to ascertain if
they were only passing through the
country, or would he make still-hunt
in case they contemplated an attack on
one of the stations or on a stage .oach?
They were sure there were at least a
dozen Indians in the baud, and perhaps
| there were more.
1t was about midnight when they
heard the feet Of the mule in the rocky
] gulch. White Buffalo stripped the sad
I die from the steaming animal, turned
/ the tired beast into the corral, and came
in. His supper had been kept hot, and
I he sat down to eat with a very serious
face, but without saying a word. Eng
lish Tom was highly excited, and finally
burst out with: II say! You know, hold
/ fellow, caunt you tell hus ha bit habout
the blooming Hindians, you knowl"
mot much to tell, said White Buff
falo. "a here's fifty of them, and twenty
OF them didn't cross the range They're
on foot, and will probably try to get the
stock here or at Van Horn. They may
I e.xyf frr . 81,
bat | don't reckon they'll attack the
stage.
Tue men took turns standing on guard
tnat night, and early the next morning
White Buffalo and English Tom started
for \ an Horn with the water wagon.
The latter drove the four sorry and lazy
mules, and White Buffalo stood up in
the front end of the wagon with his rifle
in his hands. He kept his eyes on every
bush and ro k near the road, and several
times he left the wagon to scout ahead
through some little canyon or gulch.
They mad travelled to point within a
few miles of the station when he laid a
hand on Toms shoulder and pointed to
a range of low hills about TIN ee miles
ahead. In that clear atmosphere OBJ.
jects are visible at a great distance, and
a party of Indians could be read lily seen
descending toward the ,tation.
The boys at Van Horn don't know
there are Indians about, and Pm afraid
they'll be caught off their guard" said
the frontiersman. "Pull up the mules.
They don't see us, and maybe they'll get
behind that butte directly"
Then the men waited and watched the
Indians trail out of sight behind one of
the hills. After that they tried TO get
some speed out OF the mules, but the
load was heavy and the mules old, and
weak, ana lazy. White Buffalo was
about to suggest that they mount two of
the animals and try to reach the station
ahead of the Indians when bang! bang!
dozen rifles spoke from the high
gra,s that lined the gully. White
Buffalo swayed a moment as he stood,
tried to bring his rifle to his shoulder,
but staggered, and then plunged head
first out of the wagon, dragging his rifle
with him. Two of the mules were shot.
The others stood still. English Tom
sprang from the wagon and raised his
companion. A wave seemed to pass
over White Buffalo's face, as a strange
look came into his eyes. He sat up.
AAN Jaw MS w AhAANSlti dNlOSo OilC VI lllG
spokes of the wheel, and as the Indians
sprang out of their ambush he fired
once, twice, thrice-so rapidly that one
could hardly have counted the shots.
Three Indians fell, and the others,
taken by surprise, jumped back into the
gully, English Tom sprang beside the
wheel mule and began stripping of its
harness. Meanwhile White Buffalo was
firing rapidly and the Indians began to
retreat. Tom tried to induce White
Buffalo TO mount the mule, but the lat
ter only said:
"Ride, you blamed idiot ride for your
life and theirs"
The old mule was getting excited, but
English Tom held her Then he bodily
lifted his companion to her back, sprang
on behind himself. and jabbing his heels
into the animals ribs, started on a swing
ing gallop.
1t was no easy task to hold a wounded
and dying man on the mule, bat Tom
did it. They hal approached within
half mile of the station, and Tom could
see several of the men sitting under the
shadow of the cabin aud playing cards
He was about TO yell at the top of his
voice to attract their attention, when
once again the liies of ambushed Indians
spoke from their hiding place He had
been intercepted by the Indians they