The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-03-09

ing when ! rode up to him. although
he had taken a hand In several Indian
fights and vas rcpnted q brave fel-
low. The danger had come upon him
20 suddenly n 10 oyercomc his nerves.
The horses teeth had not broken the
skin through his thick clothing. and
he did not have q brnise to show. but
such was the sudden shock that he
was o. the sick list for two weeks.
We were within two days ride 81
the Bonita. and had been In camp two
or three days, when one Of the hunters
rode in just before dark with some
game and announced that a herd Of n
least fifteen hundred wild horses were
grazing about three miles east Of us.
This was on the opposite side Of the
Pccos, which just here spread out
over a rocky ledge. and was two
hundred feet wide and about q foot
deep. Below our camp was an old
grove with many dead trees in il. Il
was here we got our wood In all
other directions the ground was open.
w had about twelve tents in camp.
aside from the wagons and ambu-
ianees. The best feeding ground was
west OF the camp. and all the animals
were staked out there Outside Of the
bunch Of animals was a guard Of two
soldiers. and two more were between
the animals and the wagons. There
was no danger apprehended from the
Indians. and the guard was set to
keep prowling wolves out Of camp
and to assist any horse which might
get tangled in his lariat- II had been
a hot day, with thunder heads"
showing in the sky, but when the sun
went down the sky was perfectly clear
and all signs pointed 70 a quiet night.
II was midnight, when the sharpest
fash Of lightning | cyer saw, followed
by such a crash Of thunder as made the
earth groan. tumbled every sleeper in
camp out Of his blankets. l say the
sharpcst flash / wei saw. for | was
awake in time TO see the most Of il II
was so fierce that it seemed to burn
our eyclids. l was hardly on my feet
before there came another. followed BY
another roar. knew it was going 70
rain great guns. and l jumped into my
trousers and boots. and grabbed up
the rest Of my clothes and made for a
wagon only a few feet away. The two
wagons were close 10 each other, but
the forward ends pulled away 50 that
H. --It.I-- - . NJ XXLfin 4h0
space between the off hind wheel
Of one and the nigh hind vince! Of the
other was not over a foot. the space
between the tongues was six or eight.
The sky was black as / rushed out Of
the tent. and all the camp fires had
burned low. 4 flung my clothes into
one Of the wagons. and then hurried
back and got weapons and some Other
articles. and during this time thu
heavens seemed aflamc and the earti
fairly rocked.
Men were shouting. horses neighing
and the din was awful. but As reached
the Wagon the second time there came
a sound to drown all others. 1t was
steady roar like the rush OF grea
waves. and il grew louder all the the
I could not understand it for two o.
three minutes. The noise came from
the west. and l stood upon the Wagon
so that I could overlook the tents. 4
fash Of lightning was followed by
moment u pitch darkness. and theI
came a long. tremulous flash, ~lastin,
three or four seconds. BY its light
caught sight Of the herd Of wild horse
bearing down upon Us in a mad mot
and Just as the lightning ceased the
entered the stream.
The splash Of the waters had tn
sound Of breakers. and though
shouted a warning at tie top q M
voice no one could have hear
D me twenty feet away. Next momen
that terror-stricken herd was in CAM
while the clouds opened and the raj
{ came down in torrents | scramble
back into the wagon and what | sa'
! during the next ten minutes can nevs
! be forgotten The frightened horse
! lcaped over the tents. or ran again.
1 them. fell over guy ropes. bumpe
against the wagons, and made clea
leaps over the ambulances. and all III
q time each one kept up q wild neighin;
a 1 heard our own animals plunging an
rearing and ncighing. but knew thu
a we were helpless to prevent the stan
n pede.
n Az the first Of the herd rot thrOuc