The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-21
STORY OF A SKELETON.
WHAT SOME BLEACHING BONES
AMONG TIE 80 NrAINS MEANT.

From the SG7 Frdnctsco Examiner.
Th-re Is an 4 ha f-sf ace trail amo7g
the rock Canyons Of the Arizona moua-
tains herwe Eagle Creek aud Rio Prieta.
l. IS q loaelg place, with nothing but cactus
and tie elf grass for verdUre. There
seems TO be no life any here amcng the
tumblsd c-ags But pass along the trail,
upset bowlder, throw rock into clump
OF tbs eli grass, you will see something
alive c lied in the dark places are great
diamond backed ratt,emaxes. Disturb
one Of them and the whole dell will hum
with the music IF the cas.anets.
In the bed Of n canyon, just above the
wash line, ara some bones pniished by tina
drift of the river, bleacned By the fierce sun
for yea AS You PASS from the middle #
the heap OF rios comes the warning rattle of
enc Of he dead Y denIZ 9ls Of the glen. The
reula n OF a pa k-sadIie are there aud what
mig 1T once have b ell the PACK. There Is a
fraglne t Of blanket with L. s. on il. Near
nv i the russed steel OF Winchester rife.
Exami I a u yOI will fiud that stall site X
i e last ia tue breecE Is green aud mouIdy
cartridge.
Tina e IS the story.
Some time back when this glen, alive with
rattesnak s. was even IoneiIer a d farther
out OF tie world than il IS now, some pros
pectOr. 6eser;er or hunter clms there driv-
his pack mule.
Fifty miles away from the whitening
bones behind tina; b uifer that JUS from
the elf SC e empty rife shells are scat
tered There are N IRE OF them concealed
by that patch of greenwood, anu still others
among tue rJcls on the hillside.
Did the traveller with the army blanket
know that be was travelling Oh the hidden
trail that only the Apacnss knsw-that
=
north aud turned Ia x sOuth-ths road by
which the San Carlos Indians fou ID their
way Eumoest Il 10 the Mexican Sierra
Aadre, thO3gh the soldiers nese all erouBdi
The story was written ia what was left in
the glen.
The Indians saw the white man cone
around the bend OF the mill far above. The
canyon was a perfect place for ambush
hililg Ia the stillne > IS drowsy work. Tine
sol tary prOspect0r comes on with his rifle
hanging rar les ~ befIrs him. Down ths
trail lie mes, past the grease wood patcl
g. the water hole III the gully. His animals
are hot and tired. He loo5ens the girth aud
leads them 10 the pool
Out of TIE quiet crashing like thunder
clap, comes tie first shot he springs TO
his horse ID his rifle flies to his shoulder.
He knows what has happened, and knows
that less his horse can carry him back
through a sto.m OF BULLETS the way he
came he has passed his last day on earth
But the sudden shot has startled the rise.
A jerk has freed the bride and in an instant
he Is galloping up the hill, the saddle turn
ing under him.
Then it is die game or die coward.
Tie white man jerks 10 lever of his Win
chester. The cartridge catches, a twig has
perhaps got In among the bearings.
Tney SEQ that he cannot shoot-his pistol
went Of with the saddle and now he is
staudi z unarned among tue jecring 10
diaus.
There are no white mans bones by the
skeiet a # tine pack mule Die game OF
die coward! 1t was 10 easy, quick death by
a bullet that the man VINO tel that pacx had
to meet.
Quarter OF mile down the canyon that
tran runs up on TO knoll. Down there
are mes skull is tlere with its face
buried in the soil. Tn Sc little Jumps nlnde
the spine OF tee man who was caught in the
arnb sn.
II y u search close you will fad the rest
Of the mans frame stretch d out there.
WHAT was once rope is there. Its
knot ed back of the skull and the other end
is fast in the oush. II You cared TO cra.ch
among those boz es you " uld fin sDme small
strips If raw hide. He died VITA his hands
fast behind hia.
But what is this lace-like line and deli
cate framework OF slender bone that lies
close 60 the skull?
" hen the Apaches closed in on their vic
tim he fought hard. Blu how long can one
man fight against Scorea
Struggle as he win. he IS soon overcome.
and, with his hands bound so tightly that
the cords cut into them, they forced aim
ahead OF them up the knoll.
lhey ma bush strong enough to held
him, and with his own lash rope they tie him
toit. but TOUR ieet of slack rope is between
him d the state. Even with his hands tied
behiad him he migat he able to free HIM
self, so they forca nim to the ground aud tie
his feet 10 another stake.
Ii they simply meant t. leave him there
{ starve aHd die under the hot * 90 they
would have manned his feet, and maybs his
hands.' There would be no need Of tying
him.
Il shout from one # the Indians nakes
him try to look up. Some of them are COM
lug toward HIN. They have a stict wi h a
httIe moose on the d, and in the moose is
one OF the ratt!esnakes of the rocks. Now
he Knows how they are g. ing 10 Kill him.
Through the skin and muscles OF The snaka
close 70 the ratties they psf Two long. tbln
bueEsai thongs The serpent squirlns with
the pain Oh it, but they IA IL! his ne Il fast ia
the loop. They tie the loose ends of the
thongs around tue snake and Jump becs
The snake is FREE ON he moose, bat bound
fast by he rds through its tail.
Directly Seto 1t is the face of the whit,
man. Ia an Instant the snake is In a ha Z
coil, his ratties going faster and faster.
he PROSTATE man closed his eyes Maybe
he screamed, maybe he tainted, naybe he
Gin Ply waited FIR the feel of the serpent's
fang.
Lake a fash the fiat head Of the snake
shoots out. The cord stood its spring. IL
fails two inc es short of the white face.
Two tiay lqdi drops come against his
face and run dow intO mis- beard. IL is the
xerom fr IN the fangs that failed to reach.
dne Indians roar with laughter.
But they have wasted much time. The
tropIs are after them. They pick their
victim, they tease the snake aud then leave
him.
an the hot afternoon he lies there. the
snakes head playing before his eyes, more
Of the ven N being spa into his face,
Ire sun went down AMI the LIQUIDS covered
the heavens.
Tnes axe had learned that it cannot reach
that face Il lies colied at tie foot OF the
STAKE va c ing. For u while longer IL
strikes " henever the man moves hi, heal
bur after awhile il does not move. bnt lies
IN ITS suilen D..
Oh, lie rain Of holding bis head back
back, until The cords fairly crack HOW
long wos Il before his mi Il gave wnv snd
n.adness released him firm lis deadly ter.
rerz