Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-09-08
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

IL - -A0AAA w AL-AA- w. ~ - ~ -
| "A RISKY STORY OF A WESTERN MIS-
~, ADVENTURE At NIGHT.
A Ludicrous Adventure Of Party Hunt
ing Indians in Southwestern Mexico.
The Bravery Of Leader Brought Rid
icule Upon Himself
"Halt! What's thatT said our leader
In sharp whisper.
1t was clear moonlight night in the
extreme southwest of Mexico.
was visiting a friend who conducted
large ranch and hacienda there.
Alocal revolt bad just been quelled in
the neighborhood and aspirit of lawless-
ness stin pervaded the atmosphere. Only
the night before my friend had been.
fred upon and one of his storehouses
robbed by band Of Indians some fifteen
or twenty strong. Early in the morning
| four Of us, under the leadership. of our;
host, had set out upon the track of the
robbers. . -
We were well mounted, and resting
1 only few hours at room had followed
hard after them till nearly midnight. If
we met them in a fair field we could
drive them into quarters like COWS to
pen, but we had no mind to run into o
trap in the dark with five against fif-
| taan. hanoe cantifn
"Halt! What's thati" our leader had
whispered. We had come to the edge
Of q dense woods, and across an open
space, upon the brow of a low sand hill,
clearly outlined in the moonlight against
the sky, we had discovered q dozen or
more half naked fellows, with their
arms extended in every direction, en-
gagged in some sort of weird, fantastic
dance.
We could not see their legs, for the
tops of the trees beyond the hill rose
waist high, making black background,
but their arms moved slowly to and fro
and we could easily imagine their legs
keeping company.
"Those are the thieves!" our host NUT
tered. t"I know them, even at night.
You fellows just come to the edge of the
wood, where they can see you without
knowing how many there are of you,
and I'll have them down here in no
time" fri
He rode out alone to the foot Of the
hill.
It required no little courage, and we
watched him with proportionate admira-
ton.
The figures did not cease their dance
or notice him. Suddenly, with his rifle
at his shoulder, he called to them: 81
have you therel If one of you moves
I'll shoot him deadp, Ga -.,,.
The wind had been blowing through
the trees, so that we could not have
heard their response. but fortnnatelEat'
! y Sat moment !: caa3ei, .lst "a d.
! silence Zshica sostled dc"r Vsta tae
| iorest in srch ? momentar3 !ui' We
4 :, 3itei :0c Ebe -as,l!
-ss:isi;=9j;;sll asss. f:ss
i.ss., ;..liuse~-fn F 80 si1ltU >-.1t:csi
4..a,-t:sTr -, IL
! ..yone ao5z ila.e 'ls:1a, snort our
(. best. "Co,ns grist.v, TOO, 1c- &c tirst
| ..la;. y b. ul4ts say trouble 4.5pS dead."
! nmvcvuid near SOUND, as Of hurried
consultation Of some sort, going on upon
the hill for moment, but the wind
sprung up again before we could dis
tnguish single voice, and to our utter
ast6nishment the fellows actually began
their solemn dance again.
"Come down or I'll shoot!' roared our
host, but they kept on dancing and he
did shoot
Then there was commotion enough.
Avid cry, followed by cloud Of dust,
rose from the brow of the hill.
"Firep yelled our host, yand we re-
sponded with we'll aimed volley, while
be whipped out his heavy revolver and
gave them another peppering.
There was q. perfect bedlam Of screams
from the hill, and the dust hid every
thing from view. They were either COM
ing down upon Us, in an unexpected
horde or running for their lives.
d For us twas either fly or follow. We
WAITED irresolutely for the word Of our
1eeder, when the dust settled and there
stood the Indians, silently going on with
their fantastic dance as though we were
hundred miles away.
With fierce ejaculation our host put
spurs to his horse and dashed up the
hill. We followed, without command,
to find him upon the summit, sitting Oh
the ground beneath line Of gaunt and
ghostlike prickly pears-the ungainly
cactus Of Mexico.
They extended along the brow Of the
hill, their naked, skeleton branches
spreading out in every unaccountable
way and swsying solemnly in the b-eeze.
Among the roots multitude of bur-
rows In the dry dust showed where the
sandbirds had been lying, half buried,
and quietly sleeping; and it was their
noisy yelp we heard when they were
frightened away by our hosts duel with
the cactus.-Louisville Courier-Journa
Russian Discipline.
During the review of the army recruits
In Wilma the general in command, turn
ing to one Of the new soldiers, asked
hin, NTNhaf Ia military disciplineH