Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-07-31
SAVED BY STRATEGY.

Can you guide me to Mason's rancho"
Yes. senior"
VERY we'll. I shall expect to start
q. sunrise tomorrow"
D. With a low bow the Mexican guide
.rrnel and strolled down the street..
The guide whose services I had en-
o,red was young Mexican not over
s;Tteeu wears ofage. He was slender in
wild I, with hair of q Jet black aud skin
Of deep copper color.
He might easily have passed for
injl-blooded Indian, so dark was his
complexion, yet there was an indication
ofintelHgence in his face and something
NJ sbrewdness in his deep black eyes.
II was lust sunrise, the next morning,
when my youthful guide. Manuel Gar
ca, made his appearance at the hotel
with two horses, bridled and saddled,
ready for our journey.
He was armed with q repeating rifle
and two pistols, while I had only one
pistol-a small thirty two, which I al
Tavs had with me in my travels.
However, seeing that Manuel had
thought it necessary to be we'll armed, I
procured rifle and 100 pounds of car
ridges before leaving the station.
Tie plain over which we We're travel
ing soon began to give place to more
h;lly and broken country, with here and
there narrow canyon that wound its
way through ranges of low hills.
1t was in the afternoon. We had
travelled twenty five miles at least. and
we're making our way across strip of
barren plain, when suddenly Manuel
reigned in his horse and dismounted.
Bending down lie examined the
ground closely for some time; then he
cast hasty glance about us.
Los Apachew he said, making a
GESTURE to the west with his hands.
DO you think there are Apaches in
this vicinity ?" l asked in alarm.
lie nodded his head and pointed to
the ground.
l glanced downward, and could
plainly see the marks of unshod hoofs
IL the sandy soil.
Perhaps we had better turn back. y
suggested. II am not anxious to en-
inter band of hostile savages."
But Manuel assured me that such q
curse of action was not to be thought
o. There might be no danger, after
all; but if there were it could not be
averted by returning. 1t was just as
probable that we might encounter the
Apaches by doing SO as by continuing
on cur course. So, after few mo.
ments spent in considering the matter,
We resumed our journey.
We rode on three or four miles farth.
er, when, in crossing little hill, we
came suddenly in sight of squad Of
perhaps twenty Indians, advancing from
the north, and not more than mile
away.
Turning our horses quickly about,
and keeping under the brow Of the hill,
We galloped to the south, hoping tc
avoid an encounter with them.
A few minutes gallop brought us to 8
stretch of sandy plain; but scarcely had
We reached this, when, glancing back
ward, we saw the whole band of Apa
ches lashing their ponies and coming il
swift pursuit.
The war ponies of the Apaches are
always the best that can be either pur
chased OF stolen in the Territory, and
recognized the fact that, as we were
mounted on animals far inferior to thos.
ridden by the savages, We We're in de
cldedly close place.
We had not ridden mile before
was plainly evident that our pursuer
We're gaining on US rapidly, and mus
soon overtake us.
The sun was still high in the western
horizon, and there was no hope that w
could keep up the race till darkness
would offer us q chance to escape. In
less we could soon gain cover of SOM
klnd we would be forced to stop ant
hght our pursuers on the open plain
and in that case it was not hard to i'm
sslne the outcome.
On, on, we urged our painting horses
with tie yelling sayages driving neare
and nearing to us with every step.
Suddenly Manuel turned his hors
slightly to the left, and pointing acros
the plain, said:
We must get to the house"
Then, for the first time, saw small
building nearly mile ahead of us, AM
toward this we urged our horses at thei
greatest speed.
A few minutes ride brought US to til
house, which proved to be one OF thos
small adobe structures SO common i
New Mexico and Arizona. erected to
inc use OF Mexican sheep herders, bu
long since abandoned.
IN moment we had thrown ourselve
door. >~'@>
!, Come" said Manuel, eve must &c
'Ae horses inside"
quickly we entered the cabin, leadin
our horses after us. A glance shove
Us That we We're in room about foul
t zen feet square, with single hole j
a ;ue Western wall that served as VIII
Wv. The door, which was on the eas1
e e side, was rickety affair, rudel
instructed sp of pine slabs, and no
ono~lng very plainly the signs OF az
:, We had barely time to gain the il
l 1'ue and bar the door with the woode
y. voie with which it was provided, whe
iue Anaches, with wells of savage rage
N"sAed up to within sixty yards OF tn