Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-02-07
TIE COWBOYS LAST RIDE
AN INCIDENT OF LIFE IN THE WILD
DAYS OF THE GREAT WEST.

JEFF Dason Saved the DEMONSTRATING
Bare Back and Almost Naked Through
the Ranks of Murderous Apaches and
Bringing His Herd Safe to the Ranch.
If in those days any of the buys had
been asked TO pick out the coolest and
bravest member of our wild, woolly
gang, almost any one would have been
selected before jeff Dason. Gentle
smooth voiced. freckle faced and red
headed, our horse wrangler was chiefly
remarkable for his love of the caballada
(horse heroD over which he had charge.
Every morning sunrise saw jeff swing
To his saddle and drive the band to Cajou
canyon, and sunset saw them rolling the
dust back to the big corrals. 1t was only
five miles to Caiou, but the Apaches had
raidcd the ranch itself, and Jeff's posi-
ton was no sinecure. So it was that
one glorious August morning, just as
the sun came blinking lazily up over
the great eastern plains, jeff and the
band started for the grazing ground.
In among the mesquites a few daunt-
less songsters were protesting against
another day Of Arizona sun, and the
earl was trying to smile in spite of the
fact that another fourteen hours of sti-
fling. gasping hea twas at hand. Across
the broad, white. alkali fiat swung the
band, raising great lazy clouds of the
pungent dust, and finally rounded the
canyon point out of sight. 1t was cool in
Cajou, for the cedar-crowned rock walls
were untouched by the sun kiss yet, and
the fragrant breath of restful night
still fingered lovingly over the green
grass carpet and along the redrock walls.
The forenoon passed like other fore
moons with jeff, the horses drank. graz
ed or lay down, while their watcher
played mumbletypeg, or gamblcd with
four pebbles against an imaginary OPP
ponent for fabulous sums, or dozed with
his hand on his horses picket rope.
About . o'clock Jeff discovered so1Ae
pinion trees on top of the canyon walls,
and tying old "Bonapart" to mesquite
proceeded to investigate the condition of
the nuts. it WAS hard climb, but after
he had reached the top and found the
p'nions would be sticky for month to
come, he lly down to gaze on the long,
ASNNi 81 ~ VII VI !'l.tlIl DClON'
APACHES on THE TRAIL.
Perhaps he lay thus fifteen or twenty
minutes, when he saw something that
brought him to his feet. wide awake
Off to the southwest, about two miles
away from the mouth of Caiou, came
five mounted Apaches, riding slowly
toward him. With beating heart Jeff
watched them until the point hid them
from view, saw them come in sight
again at the broad mouth of the canyon,
watched them as they stopped and ex-
amined his horses tracks, and noted two
dismount and start up the rocky point
afoot and the others start across to take
station at the mouth and turn the horses
when they came down away from the
ranch Then he started down the bluff,
slipping, sliding, jumping and clinging,
until he reached the meadow below,
bruised and painting, but resolute. To
escape without his ponies was not to be
thought Of The Apaches stationed be-
low will finish the stampede that the
two creeping up will attempt. But they
shouldn't have his beauties, his pets,
just then.
Had he not broken many of them, and
did he not know the faults and virtues OF
every woody scamp among them, and
was there one in the lot that should be
ridden, beaten, starved or saddle CALLED
by those red devils? No! No, Better
death twice over than that they be thus
abused, With quivering lip and sobbing
breath he draws old "Bony" close to the
wall and with trembling hand loosens
the cinchas, throws the saddle into a rift
OF the canyon wall, and stripping off al
clothing save drawers, shirt and stock
ings, hurls them after the saddle. Slip
ping the bride on "Bony" and throwing
a double blanket over his sharp back, he
slides six or eight cartridges from his
belt, catches up the revolver and stand.
waiting Presently Broncho Duke raise:
his head from the grass and shifts the all
suspciously, then with wild snort anC
nervous stamp of his forefoot he is of
down the canyon with the band close fol
lowing
THE RACE FOR THE RANCH.
Right behind them are JEFF and Bony
part, the old war horse, with nose higl
in the air, chatting under the close rein
Has he not won many close race, an,
why should his young rider strip and rid
with only a blanket unless he meant t
show these young upstart colts that OLE
Bony was chief still So they race dow
the canyon, splashing through the seeI
age pools, rafting over the pebbly drifts
swishing through the sage ana mcsquit
bottoms, and whrl from the canyon
mouth like bounding powders. a start
ling yell from the waiting Apaches, an
jeff tightens his grip and digs his bar
heels in Bony's TANKS as the watcher
sweep out toward the band. The horse
snort and shy, but the old racer is stretch
ing his long legs on the opposite side an
Jeifs pistol is hurting "a stream of fir
that holds them steady. They race thu
perhaps seventy-five yards, but old Bon
crowds them so close that, bewilderin
and confused. they break and sweep b.