The Sunday morning news., 1891-11-08

luOIu1uS, DtSoCo WltnOub Gil e44RA Atts
though we several times fancied that we
heard the weird chant OF the far away
death song rise from the enemys camp.
"The sun rose bright and cloudless
and climbed high in the summer sky,
but still no foe appeared; and, as even
with the greatest economy our supply
of water and horse feed would barely
suffice for thirty-six hours more, some
of the younger men urged the captain to
resume the journey. wal. no; not
much! not jest yit,' replied he; 'ef you
'spose the Injuns is gone, jest lead out
string Nv mules ter git bite NV grass
"The boys jumped at this proposal,
and swinging one Of the wagons aside
took the animals out. All began to feed
eagerly, but they had not cropped a
dozen mouthfuls when simultaneously
from pass and coulee once more rode the
vigilant redskins, and the disappointed
beasts were again corralled. Determined
to cut us off from even this resource, the
vengeful Apaches now resumed their
patrol of the plain; but having whole
some dread of our fires, and seeing that
nothing was at present to be gained by
nearer approach, they kept about five
hundred yards away. One particular
Indian, riding piebald mustang, and
seeming from his profusely decorated
person to be great chief, made himself
especially conspicuous by prancing about
the field, animating his braves and ap-
parently giving orders.
"The utmost effective range of our
ordinary hunting rifles was about three
hundred and fifty yards; but it so hap
pened that Seth Morris, the husband of
the woman who had done us so good
service the day before, had brought with
him heavy target rifle, provided with
telescope sights. This cumbrous weapon
had not as yet been once used on the
Journey, but now its owner looked up
the oak case in which it was packed, put
it together, carefully loaded it with eight
drains of powder and a long, conical
ball, and declared that he would try a
shot at the audacious chief Captain
Jim highly approved the idea, and
Morris, lying down beneath wagon and
resting the muzzle of his gun on con-
venient spoke, gave a few turns to the
elevating screw at the rear end of the
telescope and waited until his mark be-
came stationary. Then, taking care
full aim, he fired, while we watched in
breathless interest. The heavy slug in
its flight must of course, describe the
arc of great curve, and 1t seemed to us
such an appreciable time after it left
the muzzle before we could gauge the
result that we had leisure enough to
fear it had missed. But no; ere the half
formed thought found voice the tall
warrior sprang high in his stirrups,
threw up both arms and pitched head
long to the groundi
$50 thunderstruck were the savages by
this, to them, inexplicable catastrophe
that for full half minute they remained
absolutely dumb, but then from all sides
arose appalling cries of frantic rage as
the circling bands swept in from every
part of the field and congregated in o
serried mass around the fallen chief,
whose body they at once bore away to
the shelter Of the coulee. For some little
time after this the plain was quite de-
serted, and when our enemies resumed
the siege they were careful to keep be-
yond the range of even the terrible tar
get rifle. Yet this gave us no relief, as
it was clearly impossible for party to
reach the spring and return without be-
ing intercepted.
"All the second day passed in this
tedious manner, and once again, as night
came down, the pass was duly garri-
soned. The hours of darkness went by,
and no attack was made, but just as the
first gray streaks Of coming day APP
peared in the east the tireless guide, who
had not yet slept a wink, effectually
aroused all hands by quietly saying,
Boys, the cussed reds is a-gatheriD up
agin, an they'll be down on us in two
minits.' None of us, however, had now
the least fear Of homo charge, and, as
a matter OF fact, neither the large body
of Indians coming from the coulee nor
the smaller one from the pass ventured
on this occasion nearer than three hun
dred yards, when, finding that we were
on the alert, they again retired to more
respectful distance. Why, indeed, they
should risk any of their worthless lives
at all, when they might 30 easily starve
us out, was mystery we could not
fathom.
"We had now but quarter rations of
water for twelve hours left, and some of
the men, rendered reckless and savage
by the long constraint and the distress
of the women, advised that we should
break corral and boldly fight our way
through, and SO many others came over
to their way of thinking that the cap
tain was obliged to make decided
stand. .Fellers,' said he, don't let us hev
no foolish talk. We're safer'n church
jest now We kin put in twelve hours
on what water we've got, an twelve
more, sartin, with nary drop, only
what we save fur the wimmin folks, an
eff suthin don't turn up, this time ter
morrer IL be soon huff ter talk Nv a
runnin fight
s'This settled the question of breaking
camp, but we were so sure the Indians
dared not charge on the corral that we
did twice manage to pasture our animals
for an hour or two right in their teeth.
When we first tried it the savages moved
toward us in the old way, but the heavy
rifle again picked off one of the foremost,
and they concluded to patiently bide
! their time.