The Republican., 1889-05-25
A FEARFUL ORDEAL.

pDserved a seemingly aged gentle.
man, whose hair was gray and whose
eheeks were shriveled. A pallor as
Lot death was on his face, and fire.
Anentlv the muscles of his features
wOuld twitch convulsively. His
name was Richard j. Allen. and he
registered himself as hailing from
TOroito, Canada.
Fife years ago Richard Allen, or
Dick Allen. as he was familiarly
kr0Hn by his associates, owned, or
i5S lest claimed and occupied. d stock
Yrange of considerable area in south
ern Arizona, the Mexican boundary
line being distant but few miles.
He owned large number of beef
cattle apd was considered we'll to do.
Among the rough population of
the border Allen was power. He
was most generously gifted by
nature, having a well knit, athletic
frame, and mind we'll stored with
knowledge. But it was Aliens nerve
which secured for him recognition
and affluence amid the cactus fiecked
plains of Arizona and New Mexico
nerve which knew no f1inching,
even in the face of death. The
greasers and Indians soon learned to
dread the tall stockman. for in more
than one encounter they had come
off badly Worsted, and more than one
unmarked grave on the Mexican
frontier bears silent witness to Aliens
unerring aim, for he never hesitated
to kill when he thought himself JUS
tfied. Very little is considered jus.
titication among the class with which
Allen was associated. So greatly was
he feared and respected by his wild
companions and neighbors that moth
ing bearing his brand was ever mo-
Tested, and the most daring of the
cowboys and outlaws seldom temp
ted death by a too prolonged argu-
ment with him.
AS an ILLUSTRATION of his iron nerve.
it may be related that at one time in
1884 he was given warning to keep
away from a certain small settle
ment, some ten miles from his ranch.
he having incurred the displeasure of
u gaUg of notorious eutthroats there.
Allen smiled grizzly as he read the
warning, then strapped on his re-
v0lyer and set forth for the hostile
hamlet. He tied his horse in the
rear of saloon and started to enter,
when a pistol shot was heard and a
bullet Whistled over his head. Allen
turned. Not more than twenty feet
away stood "Dan," a half breed In
dian, with a revolver in his hand.
AS Allen turned three more balls
passed in close proximity to his head.
He knew the Indian had one shot
left. With scornful smile he said,
Fire again, you =, and fire
lower"
The Indian did so, and the next in
stant his spirit had left the arid plains
of Arizona forever. Then Allen
strobe into the saloon, where at least
a dozen of his enemies were gather
ed, and demanded to know who sent
him the warning. No one answered,
and after roundIy cursing the gang
for their coWardice, he left and went
home. For two months he battled
hard with death, for the last bullet
fired by the Indian had lodged in his
right breast, almost piercing the lung.
1t was some three months after this
occurrence that Allen met with a
mishap that hurled him from the
heights of sturdy manhood to an
existence but little removed from
death. 1t was in the summer of 1885.
All day long Allen had been hard at
work branding lot of yearling
steers, at point some twenty miles
from his dugout, and at night he was
completely worn out. 1t was Weari-
some gallop from the branding place
to his cheerless habitation, for the air
was sultry and the baked ground
gave forth an intense heat.
1t was nearly IL o'clock when the
stock man reached his destination,
and glad was he when his pony was
safely stabbed for the night and he at
liberty to retire. He was about to
creep into bed when his quick ear de-
tected slight noise in the direction
of his stable, and he knew at once
that prowlers were about. Selling
his revolver, he started for the stable
on his hands and knees. for he inten-
ded to kill and not to alarm, having
no garment on other than his under
shirt. The noise at the stable con-
tinued, and Allen moved rapidly to.
ward the sound. So intent was he
on investigating the noise that he
failed to notice where his path led
him, and suddenly, without warm
ing, he felt something beneath him
piVn woU ond ho u,oc nroOi nitrto m