The Portland daily press., 1890-03-01
ELSIE WERNER oUTDoNE
boston True Flag.1

Early in the summer of 1865 l was
sent from Yuma with dispatches for the
commanding officer at Prescott, Ariz.,
being at that time in the employment of
the government as courier and scout.
All the tribes in the territory were hos
tile, and most of them were on the war
path. decided, therefore, that it would
be less dangerous to cut across the coun-
try than to follow the usual roads or
trails on which travellers were being
daily killed struck out in northeast
course, and followed that direction as
nearly as the configuration of the coun-
try would permit.
On the afternoon of the third day,
shortly before shutdown, I struck the
trail from Woolsey's Aqua Caliente ranch
to Wickenburg, and, following it for two
miles or more, came to some water
tanks. AS 1 was getting into the Indian
country resolved to be very cautious
After preparing and eating my supper
carefully extinguished the small fire,
and scattered the embers and ashes SO as
to leave no trace of it. After having
given my pony good drink at the tank
/ resorted to tactics with which every
scout and mountaineer is familiar. Hav-
ing ridden forward on the trail until /
found rocky ground, where the hoofs of
my pony would make no impression, 1
dismounted and put the muffiers on his
feet. l then turned round and rode
back, and passed the water about half a
mile, where at a point some five or six
hundred yards from the trail found
good galletta grass for the horse and
made camp. l was on the east side of
the trail, and safe from observation
from it or the tanks. AS these maneuvers
were executed after dark felt sure that
they could have been witnessed by no
one. l laid down my blankets and went
to sleep with feeling of absolute Sc
curity.
Some time about the middle of the
night awoke without any apparent rea-
son. Listening attentively, all seemed
quiet. Sinking back to rest, I noticed
that my pony had quit eating. This again
reused me, and soon the perfect silence
was broken by faint sounds of horses
feet in the distance. eff it be Indians"
thought, "my caution has been war
ranted, for they can't find me for some
time at least"
The sound of the hoofs became palmer,
and I was soon able to determine that
single animal made them, and that it was
being hard ridden. Wonder and alarm
took possession of me when, at a point
on the trail directly opposite from which
was sleeping, the gallop broke, and at
much slower pace the horse came in
my direction. reasoned that it could
not be an Apache, for solitary Indian
would select an open place at some ele-
waited point to sleep. 1t followed, then,
that the midnight rider was white and
stranger to the trail, and his approach
wac nothing moro than a cllaiioe. This
reasoning was completely upset when,
in a loud voice, the strange horseman,
now quite near, sang out:
"Hello, strangerl where is your Don't
be tall alarmed; it's all rightp
How the man could possibly know that
l was in that vicinity was something
passing my understanding, but / an
swered his salute, although in lower
and more cautious voice; and when he
came up to me proceeded to inform him,
in language more forcible than polite,
that we were in an Indian country, and
that the people who went riding over it
yelling like Comanches were likely to
lose lock or two of hair; that this
might be trivial matter with him, but
for my part considered my tresses val
liable.
beg pardon; but that's all right, part
ner," he coolly replied; ''there amt no
Injun in five mile of here; that / can
bet. But it's lucky for me you camped
on the right hand side of the trail or l
wouldn't have found you. Where's
your water?"
l handed him my canteen, and as /
was thoroughly vexed at his impudence
as well as nettled at the ease with which
he found me, l inquired, in a manner
not at all intending to disguise my feel
ings:
"How in the deuce did you fin. me,
anyway? Were you hanging around
here watching me make camp, and
waited until this time to make your pres
ence known?"
"No," he answered, in an undisturbed
manner, as he took his lips from the
canteen.
II know you did not trail me. My
horse must have attracted you by some
noise"
"No, partner. did not hear you or
your hose, andI reckon was fifteen or
twenty mile out on the desert, seeing the
time Of night it is, when you spread your
blankets. / didn't trail you, either;
felt you. It's lucky for me you're on the
right hand side of the trail.'
He felt me at distance of Ave or six
hundred yards. The reply convinced me
that had been overtaken by lunatic.
Before had chance to speak again, he
inquired:
"Where's highest water?'
i told him where the tank was, and
with the assurance that he would be
right back he rode away. That I was
completely COMPOUNDED 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 |
sfaked out his horse, and I heard him
gathering up twigs of the MESQUITE.
OWNING his intentions, / asked:
what are you going to do nowr'
Build little fire, partner, and have
bite to eat; haven't had nuthin' since
mornin'."
well, if you are an escaped Iunatic. |
and desire to commit suicide, am not.
Doyou want to bring hundred or more
Apaches down here within the next
hour, and have us both killed? This Is
my camp, and you shall not build a 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
I will not be compelled to suffer for your
stupidity and nonsense" said I, |
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 I can
wait till mornin' for my coffee and ba-
con. Man, don't danger myself or no
body. little fire in that wash there
-~---- DC seen ten yaros by a InJun OF
NOBODY else, and when tells you there's /
no InJuns higher to us than five miles,
sno" what l is talking about. | was
porn In western Missoury, twenty-nine
years ago. when the lnjuns was irwin to
ourn our cabin, and my good mother
.east"ise' never seen her-died two