San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-10

| stood in the corner, with the usual tools here
and there. He said he was going west and
| he wanted a man who knew how to take care
of horses and wasn't afraid Of work. told
him was Just his man and he took me ON
the spot. l asked him if he wanted to start
a machine shop further west, and he smiled
| grimly and said that that was just what he
was going to do. We packed up lot of fix
lures that he had there in some boxes and
there was lot of other boxes already packed,
of the contents of which was ignorant
"Well, we got away with another fellow
who deserted us when we were out on the
plains, and so it was no small work looking
after the horses that carried the things, for
we had three wagons and, when the other
fellow left, only two to drive and take care
Of them. 1t was the usual overland business
Travelling slowly all day and camping out ut
night We kept on the lookout for Indians,
but didn't see any, and we kept on so long
that began to think old Slower was going
clear through to California, but the old man
knew where he was going and he went there
in a bee line. One afternoon when we were
days and days from civilization we came to
bluff close to a small river.
"'Here's our spot, said Slower.
"'Why,' said l, you don't expect to start
machine shop herer
"'You bet do replied Slower.
"Well,' said, 'whero will you get your
custom9 There isn't anybody but Indians
for hundreds Of miles around
"'We'll have lots Of business when we get
ready for it. Besides intend to send you
out to drum up trade if it don't come in by
itself
II began to suspect then that the old man
wasn't just right, but what was l to dot
He kept the firearms and the provisions and
he owned the horses. OF course could have
stolen one of them and got away, perhaps,
when the old man was asleep, but / didn't
care to do that sort of thing. Besides !
knew that the chances were ten to one that
the Indians would have me before got ten
miles OF Although Slower wasn't very So
cia5le, he was heap better'n an Indian.
II took the horses down to water and
when | came back l said to Slower: See
here, there's been some one ahead of you on
this here claim. There was a cabin down
there by tho river that's been burnt down.
YES said Slower. quietly, that was my
cabin
"'Nonseusc.' said, now thoroughly con-
WINGED that he was crazy; you don't expect
re to believe that you were ever out here
,,~forr.'
IF you so to the other side of the bluff
he said, as quietly as ever, you win see four
graves with a rough wooden cross above
lem, if the Indians have not taken it down.
Those are the graves Of my wife and three
children, murdered by the redskins. One
LAY wLeu cane home from hunting m the
foot las found them there and the cabin
burned down
81 wouldn't think you would want to
conc h9".: here said.
II ... back to settle up with the In.
diars'
"'-'' ~? Vail never leave here olive
'Ncv,' expect to-
"'.t:!I! Low about mef
"'Doat eject you will, either. hired
you
"'Cra~t ~';-c,-s.' cried, jumping up.
DO you tnluA hired to get killed for SIG
month";
"'Soldiers do it for about that much said
old Slower, as calmly as if it were an every.
day bargain.
"'Yes, but soldiers know what they are
hiring for. didn't
"'Well, you can give me a months notice
and quit if you want to-
ga months notice Where will we be in
q month if the Indians get on to usp
"'Blamed if know said old Slower.
"Well, next day the old man laid out
system of Notifications and set me at dig
ging. He ran a shallow trench down to the
river and took out of one of the boxes coil
of lead pipe and uncoiled it down the ditch
into the river and fixed up natty little
pump inside the lines, so that if the Indians
did come they could not cut us off from the
water. Then he covered up the trench, and
there we were-aQ right as far as water was
concerned. which is an important thing when
you're fighting redskins. One Of the boxes
was fixed so that it was water tight, and that
we pumped full of water. Then Slower left
me working at the embankments, went down
to the timber belt and got out some logs,
which he snaked up to the top with the six
hor ses, and in the center of the Notifications
he framed his tirnbers together, making q
mighty solid structure, partly sunk into the
ground.
when l had tho earthworks finished
Stovcr had his machine set up, and it YVES the
queerest looking arrangement ever saw. 1t
had ell b>cI E.;.1c j.. kansas City and put
together tlCrc IlgI he had taken it apart
numbered each piece, and it went together
again without Itch There were four rows
OF short rifle barrels, about ten barrels in q
row, and oHc ROY" under the other The muz-
zes Of the barrels were slightly further
apart tlaH the Lutts, so that the battery had
Z sort ci f,.H look. Tho next row under
was t. sa..:' Wy, but the barrels WEI. not
l:.ac:.: -: sch other. l saw that if the
tn; wo;:l. anc0s it would cover quite bit
T.. rr'.tory. ;.:li cover it pretty well at that
- w.o.c a::......' was very clumsy looking.
| b,.s i ;.:...cN O;lte easily on q swivel and