Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-04-25

-, nSOo. Inc interior OF an
~ nie-ooA is not an inviting place, but
mad often been inside this one and if
now occurred to me, since there was no
o.ner cuddy, that l might put my pro-
visions IN it to keep them from the ants
ana perhaps rig up wicky for myself
near by.
With this in view l laid down nv
gun Then unstrapping my heavy pack
L lowered 1t into the fre-box. It slid
uoWn upon the mass of old ashes. the
nam upon the bareback. As it was now
out OF my reach got in myself to ar
range my improvised pantry little
more to my liking.
l had been there out of sight for
ABOUT minute when | was startled
ana you can imagine, gentlemen, how
much startled-to hear a gruff How .
apparently close beside the old boiler.
l was SO much taken by surprise
that | popped my head out without
stopping to think, and there saw two
OF those painted Apaches standing within
twenty feet of The old boilerhead. lhev
had picked up my gun and were laugh
ing at my predicament.
VERY likely my astonished and ter
rihed countenance was quite sufficient
10 excite their mirth. They we're sure
they had me caught, and it was plain
that they intended to amuse themselves
at my expense. The fact was that these
TWO Indians had been camping for the
night with a band of stolen horses
among the bushes on the creek a few
steps up the hollow. suppose they had
heard the creaking of the old furance
door and had stolen upon me the mo-
ment they saw me get into the tire-box.
Il knew that they would show me no
mercy, and | had no doubt that my last
hour had come. Yet the situation was
not quite so bad as it appeared, for my
pistol was still in my belt, and as only
my head was out of the dOor-hole, I
could draw the revolver without being
seen.
Il have no doubt that looked fright
ened. Both the savages had guns.
They did not point them at me, however,
but stood and laughed, exclaiming ::
Ho! ho!' and how do, brodder, come
out said one of them, Strengthening his
painted visage at last.
beginning to collect my scattered
wits little, l shook my head, defect
eddy. Then they laughed again, and
the other said: NO tira No shoot !
No hurt, brodder. Brodder come out
"They were very large Indians, and
hideously painted. | was somewhat boy
ish in appearance at that time and very
badly frightened, SO that they enjoyed
my looks of terror exceedingly.
thought they would burst with laughter.
1t was the fun Of the cat with with the
mouse.
81 knew enough Of their cruelty to be
perfectly certain that, if | should at
tempt to scramble out, they would shoot
before my feet touched the ground out
side. My only chance lay in using my
revolver before they discovered that [
had one.
''If had been pusillanimous enough to
drop my pistol inside the fre-box and
creep forth to surrender, | should, if
spared for the time being, have been
saved only for torture and horrible
death a few hours or days later.
"It was my life or theirs, as | knew
from the outset.
81 par1eyed little, trying to summon
all my nerve for quick work when the
moment came for it,
No tira p | said questioningly.
" No tira,' they replied, laughing.
Z" All right replied after appearing
to hesitate little. Lay down gun
Il made signs to them to put their
guns on the ground.
"Still laughing and after exchanging
a word or two in their own language,
one of them laid down his gun, while
the other, retiring a step behind him,
coyertly cooked his own piece.
q 'Buenon Good said, pretending
not to see anything suspicious in this.
Indian now brodder, white man
brodder.'
81 then put my left arm out of the
hole, drew myself up little, and rails
ing my right hand swiftly through the
orifce beside my body, shot the savage
who held the musket before he could
level bis piece.
''With a yell of surprise the foremost
savage caught up his gun; but as he
cooked it fired and brought him to the
ground"
ga cool bit of work, " observed one of
the little party of listeners.
"Well, l don't know about the cool
part" replied the narrator: my &C.
objection is that | was terribly scared. l
felt decidedly thankful that had escaped
the two sayages.
But | did not know how many more
there might be close by. | jumped out
quickly, l assure you, picked up the
loaded guns and then lay behind the
boiler for an hour on the lookout
"But these two were all there were in
the yincinitv. l found their camp and
horses, later in the forenoon and turned
the horses loose-for | knew | could not
get down to the post-road with them.
Although was about the mine for a
week. sitting over those ant-hills, early
80. ,,,,- no mora pacheSD