Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-06-23
A VENTURE WITH DEATH.
THE HARD FATE OF BRAVE YOUNG
PROSPECTOR.
By nuekLlY o,SEILL.


In southern Arizona there is a tract
of aud large enough to make an East
ern state Il is known as the Apache
Indian reservation, and It Is there that
the Indians of that tribe are kept under
close military surveillance. Year ago
the surveillance would occasionally
relax, and then there would be an out
break A trail of blood would be
marked out toward Mexico, and the
vultrres would come in crowds, as if
from all over the West, TO enjoy the
banquet prepared for them in the dead,
whose bodies would gIisien when first
killed with snowy wilderness IN the daz-
cling sunlight, 50 that you could see
them dotting the plains from afar off.
while the hot winds from the south that
tanned your face would be heavy with
the smell of human carriOn.
II is not so now, for better watch and
ward is kept by the soldiers. But when
it was so there were four men who went
into this Apache country to prospect
for the mines from which in the old
days the Indians obtained the silver ont
of which they would mold bullets when
they could not ct lead. Many a man
has lost his lIfe searching for these
mines, and many more will doubtless
10 the same before they are discovered.
This, though. will never deter men
from making the effort, 50 long as men
have the right 10 take tier lives in
their hands and wager them against
wealth
OF these four men one was Harry
Barrett. lie was yourg and had as
many young men have. a girl with
whom be was very much in love, and
to whom he was engaged to be married.
II was probably this more than any
thing else that made him so DESTROYS of
growing suddenly rich by finding the
treasure mines Of the Apaches, for
when a young man is truely in loye his
greatest regret is that he does not own
the wealth of the Indies and possess the
power OF the Car TO augment his i'm
portance in the ewes Of the woman in
whom he is so deeply interested This
was so with Harry Barrett, and wnen
old Jetf Bramlett, who had prospected
for these same mines for 20 years or
more, came TO him with his map of the
country in which they were supposed to
exist, Harry was not long in growing
enthusiastic and believing what was
told him, for the prospect of great
wealth is always intoxicating The
map was old. and frayed. and faded.
for many another man had fingered it,
to his sorrow. That counted for
naught. though, with Harry When
the day came for the party TO start out
on their search he was the most light
hearted of all, especially when he Jagged
behind to kiss bis hand to the girl for
whose sake he desired wealth, and who
stood at the door of her fathers house
watching him, while she saw in vision |
the beautiful things that the future had |
in store for them both. The wealth that |
Harry might discover was not necessary |
to make her pictures of the future
bright, If she only could have Harry, |
that was sufticient and when he had |
passed from her sight she turned away, |
humming the song he most liked, while !
thinking OF the pleasures that awaited
his return.
For mouths there had been norumors
of Indian Disturbances There hadbeen |
peace so long on the reservation that
men had ceased to give its dangers a /
thought as men who live in the shad [
ows of volcanoes I've day after day /
unthinking of the hour that will find |
them buried beneath its lava. 10 the |
undertaken nothing is SO commonplace !
rs death, while the headsman in time
secs nothing notable in an execution
save whether or not the AK finds its way
through one neck easier than through
another. And so it is with danger, for
when it is ever present men grow cal
lous to il, no matter how great it may
be. So il was with Harry Barrett and
mis- comrades While the girl who was
awaiting his return might have occaS.
ionally thought of the risks the little
party ran. the men never felt any
anxiety, or if they did, subdued it with
out openly expressing it.
For the first few DAYS they found in
dications of rich silver deposits
indications that were so rich that they
made permanent camp. intending to
examine the lodges that criss- crossed
the country thoroughly. They had seen
no Indians. and expected none. One
day. though, as they sat at dinner.
shot came from out of the pines, and
before the echo had died away it was
followed by 81 score of Others. Old jeff
Bramlett who was to have led them to
untold wealth, dropped the tin plate
from which he was eating on the
ground Not abruptly but so gently
that ii hardly made sound. and as it
fell he apparently made M effort 10
rise TO his feet. only 70 fall face forward
into the fire where still simmered the
uneaton portion of the noon daI meal
The three remaining men spraa2 10
their feel unframed, and rushed to seek
cover behind trees aud powders, pick
ing mp The arms that came nearest to
their hands. As Barrett passed the fire
he drew from it the body Of the old
man. The face was covered with ashes
and blood. while the long hair and open
shirt were smoking from the CONTRACT
with the Goals The limp body ana
relax Jaw told how suddenly death had
come
As the Young man threw the body to
one side from the fire and sank under
the cover of q bowlder, he glanced in
the direction from which the shots had