Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-04-18
Before had chance to speak again, he


"Where's highest water?"
l told him where the tank was, and
with the assurance that he would be
right back he rode away. That i was
completely confounded at the strange
visit and nonplussed with the traveller
feebly expresses my sensations at the
time. After the unknown traveller had
returned from water, he unsaddled and
staked out his horse, and | heard him
gathering up twigs of the mesquite,
Divining his Intentions | asked:
"What are you going TO do now?"
"Build little fire, partner, and have
a bite to eat; haven't had nuthin' since
mornin'."
"Well, il you are an escaped lunatic,
and desire to commit suicide, am not
Do you want to bring hundred or more
Apaches down here within the next
hour, and have us both killed? This i;
my camp, and you shall not build fire
here tonight. You can wait until morn.
ing to eat; if not, go some place else and
make your fire, far enough away so that
l will not be compelled to suffer for your
stupidity and - nonsense" said /
losing all patience.
"Well, partner" the midnight horse
man replied, in an injured and disap-
pointed tone, but free from all offence
81 don't like to be unsociable, and won't
do nuthin' when you says no, and l can
wait till mornin' for my coffee and ba.
con- Man, don't danger myself or no.
body. A little fire in that wash there
couldn't be seen ten yards by Injun oil
nobody else, and when l tells you there's
no Injuns higher to us than five miles,
know what l is talking about. was
born in western Missoury, twenty-nine
years ago, when the lnjuns was tryin' to
burn our cabin, and my good mother
leastwise, | never seen her-died two
hours after | came to the world. Do you
think that's for nuthin'? Do you think a
good woman gives up her life for boy
who grows to be man, and give uI
whites to the Injuns? No, stree. hates
EN-, and wish | could kill every one OF
EN-, for the whole lot of 'em, ten million
times over, is not so good as my mother,
| can feel 'em if they is nigh, and | have
had one of 'em for every hair that was
in her head-leastwise, if she was like
other women. Travel with me, pard,
and there is no danger to nobody. Use
a friend to every man as had white
mother, and an enemy to all lnjuns.
Good night to you'll"
Iawoke first in the morning, made a
fire, and was getting coffee ready when
II, q foil and
slender, with a round, good natured
face, black eyes, hair and mustache, and
appeared several years younger than the
age he gave the previous night. His
countenance was frank and open, and
his actions simple and modest. He gave
the name of Dick Harbert; was going to
Santa Fe-a very dangerous trip at that
So, after our breakfast, we saddled uF
and started off together,
learned little of my strangely met
companion during our ride that day. He
was good rider, excellently mounted
and well armed, and the only physical
popularity noted was that he was de-
cidedly lefthanded. His right arm and
hand may as well have been of wood for
the uses made of them, yet they were
apparently sound and uninjured.
became more and more mystified
with the man. He rode along,
so far as | could see, without Civ
ng the slightest attention to his sur
roundings, but his peculiar confidence
was expressed and illustrated whenever
he detected me inspecting the country
with especial care, by some remark, as;
There's no Injuns here; never you
mind, partner, I'll tell when they is
around"
We had a good hard wagon road for
the greater part of the days travel, and,
as water was plentiful, made good time.
We entered Peoples Valley toward even
ing, and intended to make the old sta
ton, a few miles further up, for the
night. Harbert was riding slightly ahead
of me, when | noticed him drop switch
which he carried in his right hand, and
extend that arm in front of him. A mo-
| ment or two afterward he turned to me
and said. with smile which thought
unsuited to the situation, "There's In
juns about here"
l could not see the slightest thing to
| justify the assertion, and we rode on for
about fifteen minutes before Harbert
drew up his horse and said:
"Yes, they is to the north of u.s. and
not MORN half mile ahead of us. They
think they'll s'prise us, but they won't
do nuthin' of the kind. How's your
guns, partner?'
| took careful look at my weapons,
while Harbert examined his pistols,
handling them with his left hand, but
| did not take his rifle out of the holster.
My curiosity had by this time overcome
all other considerations, and | could not
refrain from asking my companion how
he knew that Indians were in that vicin-
ity.
Know? Why, allus knows. Didn't
tell you before? feel 'em. Listen"
With this, he held his right hand close
to my ear, and my astonishment was
complete. His fingers, which were
slightly trembling, as l first supposed
through fear or excitement, gave forth
a very faint yet distinct metallic sound,
| i / IL. IL