Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-09-05

N = NuNENr pIFK HAD MOUNTED.
Wild. mad gaIlup To which Tam
OShauter> was but a slow trot.
The air was filed with driving sand.
alSali dust, grass torn up by the roots
with wild fowl and birds even swept
With rcsistIess force by the wings Of
the wiuI-stornL
Past horse and rider. despite their
furious pace. dashed the shadowy
forms Of antelope and clk-of cattle
and wild mustangs
AL ut oucc his flying stecd plunged
downward through the darkness. and
in another instant stood quivering and
painting in ths bed OF a dry water
course
Overhead tho blizzard Numbered
aud roarcd, but here at least was
shelter from tin blast Yet even hero
the very earth was trcEulo,s with the
appalling power of the blizzard. which
nothing but a typhooa in the China
sea can approaeh in intensity.
It was the longest night that he ever
passed, bat the gray. murxy day-dawn
came. and with ia gradual subsjdence
OF the blow - his eyes accustomed
themselves To the dim light. he saw
that a foea of anteIope had taken
refuge not fur distant. and so thorough
y eowed ny the storm that they did
not seem to mind his presence.
But to what avail the thought Of
antelope STEAK for breakfast. Ill.
pistol went OFT. literally. in his saddle
holster. while his haversacz. contain
ing matches, pepper. salt and. alas,
his poeket-compass. had followed his
wide-brimmed sOmbrer~
Leading his pony up ont of the water
course. Dick for the first time began
To- realize his morc-thau-unpIeasaut
position Though the blizzard had
subsidized to an ordinary mountain
blow. the m. and even its dim where
abouts. was hidden under a murIx of
cloud The location of the points OF
the compass were - insolvabIe n prob
lem to him as the difTerentiaI calculus.
Mounting. Dick allowed the pony TO
take his own curse with a vague hope
that Instinct might lead him to water.
And chance or instinct or both turned
the poay's steps toward a distant range
Of bluffs behind which rose what might
or might not be MeLary's range.
Toward nightfall. Dick and the pony
prieked up their ears d. the far away
popping % rifles came family to them.
That the reports were. made BY the
guns OF some hunting party Dick WAS
assured in his own mind He heard
m0re or less concerning occasional
raids made by playfCI Apaches OF
white settlers in the more remote seq
lions. but regarded them a.
tions- Indeed Dick was rather IL
eilned to regard Lo II an abused and
mueh-maligued Individual
- he pressed his pony forward With
what speed h. might in the direction
OF the distant shots. which. however.
had ceased long before he reached a
bet Of cottonwood and willow firing
Ing . stream that flowed dOxn from a
deale in tn ROCKY sleeps which rose.
h~arrter-ike. before the mountain slopes
But-What : this Behind a spur Of
the blu1 an overturned mule wagou
With the eanvass-cOvering cut into
s~lIts'f Four dead mules in the traces
two with threats slit rom ear 10 earl
Ihs ground. torn up and tranpled a. in
a conflict. was strewu with broken
boxes and canned provision tins-wi.n
storcs laid wantOa-y waste. with
And here Dick Prater began to feel
sick and faint Death he had : in
rs usual form like most men. But
death by vioIence-mutilated afss-
such fashion, as only iendish ingenuity
eouli conceive. never-seut a thrill Of
hOrror through the young mas
healthy vigorous frame
One. two. three. four dead whites
lsy stretched. with ghcstly uniformity.
side by side. Three we're presumabIv
Mexieaus-the fourth a g~ray-beardei
guide in a weII-worn hunting suit All
had been scaIped as a matter OF course
III The further atrocities perpetrated