Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-05-16
After New Mexico's share in the war

decades Of frequent Indian outbreaks
within her broad borders, in most OF
which Colonel Chaves was a prominent
figure. On one occasion his lambing
camp at the Salada was dumped" By
large force of 1a'ding Apaches. The
few shepherds were too badly frightened
to fight much, and all would have beeu
killed but for the coolness of Don Man
uel. Posting each man behind a tree,
with promise that he himself would
shoot the first who dared run-and they
dreaded his matchless aim even more
than they did the Indians-he took his
ten year-old boy by the hand and ran up
the hill few rods as feint. The In
dians, seeing his flight, dashed straight
into the camp without th cir accustomed
preliminary maupuvres to see Of what
stuff their enemies might be made. As
one grabbed up Colonel Chaves's priceless
Navajo blanket from beside the fire he
fell sprawling with an ounce bullet
through his brain. Another snatched
the blanket and Colonel Chaves called to
one of his companions to shoot. But
when he saw the poor fellows hand
trembling so that be could scarce hold
his gun, the Colonel shouted, "Wait
Don't shoot" He hurriedly rammed
another charge into rs old muzzle-
loader, and although by that time the
Indian had got SO far that he fel: him
self safe, the unerring bullet caught him
as he ran and tore his neck nearly in
twain. By that time the shepherds had
recovered their senses and gave the In
dians such gallant resistance that the lat
ter soon withdrew, carrying away some
valuable horses, but no scalps.
Alb, what a rihe-shot the withered,
wiry old man wasI even when knew
him, in his old ags New Mexico has
never had another such marksman as he
was in his prime; and his six-foot muz-
zle-loading rifle of enormous calibre was
never excelled by the finest modern arms
that tried conclusion with it. In all his
long life-in nearly fifty years of which
not six months at time were ever with
out warfare-he never was known to
miss but one shot Aud never did he
have to shoot twice at bear or deer, and
seldom more than once at human foes. l
shall never forget my mingled amuse-
ment and awe at an incident which oc-
CURED when he was seventy-two years
old and suffering fearfully from a cata-
ract in his eye. We were out with his
grandson, Rodolfo Otero-a gallant lad
and fine rife-shot Rodolfo had a fne
Winchester with which he did some ex-
tremely clever shooting. "Try it, grand
pal" he kept urging the worn, old man,
bent and wasted by disease. He had
never trusted our modern magazine guns
but at last yielded to Rodolfo's entreat
les.
"Go, put me a mark on yon cedar, =
he said, pointing to gnarled tree full
100 Yards away. Rodolfo ran over, and
-considerate of his grandfather's age
and ondition-fastened to the tree a
paper some six inches across.
"Va" cried the old man, calling him
back. "What thinkest thou, hijito2
That I am as the moles2 Here, take
thou this bullet and make me mark of
it on that paper
Rodolfo did so. My eyes are none the
worst in the world, but could not even
see that lead mark less than half an inch
in diameter. Colonel Chaves raised the
rifle in his withered hands, looked pain
fully at the flutterlng paper, threw the
rife to his shoulder and tired-all IN the
time in which one might count FIVE.
.HPues." he said, as the smoke cleared
''now it sees itself better, and he free
again, with the same rapidity. An'
when he walked to the mark the bulle
was in the spot Rodolfo had marked, au'
, the second beside it so close that th'
tlattened bits Of lead touched
I Little wonder that such q marksman
as cool in mortal danger as IN sport,
born commander and noble man, wa
the terror OF the savages, aud was love
and is mourned by those be helped to q:
fend-St Louis Rtpajlac.
Where They Found tha Lost Doaaie.
heard good story the other day OF
po..o- uorran's noodle writes n CORE