Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-10-02
IoAPf. JAoK AND BILLY THB KID.

Capt.' Jack Crawford in tho Detroit Free
/ Press
/ / was stationed at Fort Craig, on
the Rio Grande River, and on the 18th
day Of August 1880, received tcle-
lgraphic Instructions from Gen, ed
ward Hatch, commanding the dis
trlct, to proceed at once to the sacre-
mento mountains, scout them thor
oughly and report the presence there
of any hostiles to Gen. George p. Buel,
at Fort Cummings. The dispatch
was received late in the evening, and
at o'clock tae following morning /
was ia the saddle Fording the Rio
Grande set my face eastward across
that dreary desert the Tornado del
MuertO" or Journey 20 Death.
Shortly after noon 1 reached the
Dripping Springs, from which now
write, and halted for a rest and 60
saze nay horse. Wcaried with my
/ lhly-mile ride across the desert,
/ laid down In the shade Of a blackberry
luec and slept for an hour. After
leaving this point l rode UP a sloplug
mountain side, aud while scanning the
hills down the range with my field
glasses was somewhat startled to see
band Of about twenty Indians NOV
ing towards the springs, and less than
a mile away. Hastily entering an adj
jacent gulch, l descended the noun
tain to the trai. leading toward the
Sacramento, and rode rapidly onward.
A few miles from Dripping Springs
entered narrow pass which
leads out OF the San Andreas range to
The level plain beyond, the PERCEPTIONS
walls of the canyon rising forhundreds
Of feet on either side Of the trail. /
was stil pushing rapidly ahead, fear
Ing the Indians might have seen me
and were in pursuit, when a monster
silver6p bear appeared on the trail
but short distance ahead Of me.
Taxing a position in the trail, the saw
age brute stood there looking at me
evidently determined to dispute my
passage through his haunts. ] could
easily have dispatched him with
shot from u,y rife, hat the report Of
my gun would have revealed my loca-
tion to the Indians, and I dared not
fire. My thorougly afrighted horse
was rearing and prauciHg in terror
aud utterly refused to moYe forward
and attempt to pass the savage beast.
nizmounting l threw stones at the
unobilglng animal which SO persistent
ly iupeded my course, but all my ef-
forts to induce him toyacate his posi-
tion resulted in but clicitlng from
him a series OF savage growls and
display of cleaning white teeth.
Realizing that fprthcr delay might
bring about unpleasant results. I
determined 10 force my horse by the
moAstcr if it was in the power of steel
to do so. At every prod OF the spurs
the animal would rear and plunge un-
tn, goaded TO desperation by the cruel
rcwels, he gave a snort Of terror and
painapd spmng forward with terrific
leaps, sweWing aside to pass the
shaggy obstacle. Evidently diylning
his intention, the bear sprang angrlly
in front OF the horse, and ere l !
coald realize what was taking place
'Chier had risen on his hind legs, |
sprung clear over the astonished brute
and sped Ike the wind down the echo
ing canyon.
After riding some distance out on
the level plain slackened my speed, |
knowing if the Indians were in pur-
suit l could see them when they |
emerged from the canyon, and when at |
a distance Of several miles, my glass |
yet failed to reveal their presence, / |
felt satisfied they had not seen me,
and had gone into caml at Dripping |
Springs.
In riding down gulch that evening /
l came upon young man sitting upon
a rock, his horse quietly feeding near
him. Disnounting ! sat down on an
rock, and in the course of
suggested that he was
liable to run against these Indians in
the direction in which he was travel
ing. He replied that he had no fear
Of Indians; that it was certain white
men he most desired to avoid. The
remark struck me as being a some
what queer one, but l paid little at
tention to il until something In the
young fellows looks and actions set
me to thinking. He was heavily arm
ed, carrying two large Colts rovolyers
in scabbards in his belt, while a Win
chester rifle lay across his knees, from
which / observed he never removed
lls hands. The recollection OF certain
printed hand-bills came to me like a
lash, and l said;
81 believe your name is Lcroy?"
"Well, and what if it ls?" he asked.
ut isno MATTER to me-" / replied.
Il am hunting Indians and have no
to transact with Billy the
{id.'n
ttVUf,t .,,, l. 90, .,.... tt.f.r- I No. 4t..4