The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-12-12
GooD-FOR-NoTHING JOE.
THE WONDERFUL RIDE THAT a
HALFBREED MADE.
CHASED and shot by Indians ~ He GAL
lopsd Away for Reinforcsments-
f4S Rode Into Camp Tied Fast
to His Saddle.

nothing in the world can touch an In
dian for riding. He can ride on Q
pony's neck. on his side, on his flank
The can ride under ap0ny, for hav {
seen him do 1t many time. el
"And now that we are on the sub
ject OF riding. I'll tell you about a ride
that half-breed Indian made once.
/ never liked half-breeds before that-
any more than liked Indians.
don't like half-breeds now, but / liked
that crittsr Joe.
This was all down In Arizona
Never been in Arizona. ehp Well. II
was nice country in those days
Your scalp was worth just about ten
cents, par value. A friend OF mine.
Will Savrin. was lieutenant in the
-th. He picked up q half-breed the
meanest looking halfsbrced ! over
saw. The whites Of his eyes showed
every time you spoke to him. l
wouldn't have trusted him II my neck
had been in danger and he could have
saved 1t. Will found some Of the SOL
diers kicking and cutting the half-breed
around camp one day. The Indian
WAS just whining and taking it all.
Will cursed the men off the spot aud
threw two or three OF them over their
heels. He took the half breed, warm
ed him up and gave him something to
eat He couldn't drive the worthless
devil away then. and 80 made a kind
of a man servant OF him. naming him
Joe. but the Indian wasn't worth q
rap for any kind of work.
win was an awfully reckless fell
low.
He didn't believe that the Indian
lived who would fight face to face with
man. He used to say that he would
take ten men and ride through whole
tribe shooting whatever man he
chose. and that not one OF them would
show fight If he could keep them from
closing in behind him
HE got his chance one day. He
was escorting supply train wagon.
you know, across the plains. He had
about twenty infantrymen with him.
A swarm OF Indians came down upon
him. They fred like hail-storm.
He got the wagons rounded up and then
he tried to make the Indians come In
and fight him. Not bit OF 1t would
they have. They hung around like u
swarm Of bees just out OF range. Every
time he got the train In motion down
they came again with whoop. They
were losing mules and Will was raw
ing cursing mad. He couldn't make
them fight him.
$50 there they stayed. That night
the red devils led them terrible
dance but they stuck It out. The
next day was one Of those scorching,
blistering days that you get on the
plains The sun was like flaming
sword. and the wind that came over
the bleached plain cut the skin open.
There was no water to drink. The
mems swollen tongues were hanging
out of their mouths and their carbines
were SO hot they blistered the flesh on
their hands. And all the while Will
was swearing and swearing, and try
ing to get the devils to fight him.
There was no fight in them. They
had sure thing of it waiting.
I'm the afternoon it got SO terrible
that the men could not breathe. They
began to faint under the torturing sun.
Will wanted some one to come out
and ride into camp for cavalry
troop. Joe. was lying In the shade OF
a supply wagon and he got up and led
his pony over. The Indians were
lying off about three miles then wait
ing for night when they could come
in and make things lively again with
showers OF rife balls.
Joe started of to the south on an
easy lope. You could see the Indians
move where they had rested like a
shadow on the plain. Then out came
a circle like the curve OF band OF
blue swallows 1t spread out widen
ing and widening. and circled in
again like closing fan. after Joe.
All the while Joe was Looping over the
white plain to the south. They were
after him now at a hot pace. and Will
gnawed his moustache a. he watched
his half-breed getting smaller and
smaller. He was riding harder now
and the pursuing Indians were be-
tween him and the train. The SOL
diers could see puffs OF white where
the Indians were sending balls after
the half-bresd and then the speck of
q Joe went out OF sight and afterward
the band. only fine cloud OF alkali
dust showing where 1t Hoated over
them.
The redskins chased the half breed
Joe for nine hours. They shot him,
too, but the boy took of sash which
he wore and tied himself to his pony's
neck when he got so weak that he
could hold on no longer. And that's
the way the pony carried the boy into
camp in a dead faint There was no
need to tell them what the trouble
was. 1t was after midnight then. but
In twenty minutes a cavalry troop was
galloping northward. The next fore
noon the men In the train could see
their sabers flashing In the sunlight
miles away. They came over the
plain with the sound OF light .thundery
and the first cries the relief heard
from the train were cheers that came
from burning throats and shriveled
lips for the half breed Joe.
The cavalry brushed the redskins
of the plain and sent them scurrying
In the direction that the sun went
They pulled Joe together and got him
on his feet again, but after he got we'll
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