Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-07-12

erS, lets stick together and light to-
gether through this indian country,
and after we get home we'll fight each
other"
"Au right" said Mack, 'it's agreed.
Northerners is northerners, and south
| erners is southerners, but In1ins is
pizen.'
| So these deadly enemies of the near
future went on toge Their, comrades in
danger. Every man of the three was
equipped with a stout, muzzle-loading
rifle and large Colts revolver.
They set out together on the trail,
and had ad vanced but few miles
from the burned station when they
sighted squad of mounted Indians,
who had just broken camp at a noun
tain spring beside the trail They
were several hundred yards in advance
when they were discovered, and were
just riding out of the depression which
! gave rise to the spring.
On account of his long experience in
the country, Mack had been given the
| leadership by the Tennesseeans He
came to halt and told his companions
| to get off their horses, hoping they
might possibly escape notice; but even
while they were dismounting the In
dams caught sight of them, and, wheel
| ing their ponies about, came back at
n gallop straight down the trail. They
| spread out in a sort of fan shape as
they came and Mack counted twenty
| six.
cit ready for business, boys" said,
| quietly. Behind your horses, re-
volvers handy and rifles across sad
dles!'
The Indians came on at a reckless
pace until within a hundred yards
when Mack, stepping out from behind
his horse, shouted and motioned them
back.
They pulled up suddenly. One of
them slipped from his pony, and, hand
ing the rein and his gun to comrade,
came forward on foot, gorgeous in a
colored blanket a white SLOUGH hat
stuck with ravens feathers and a va
riety of brilliant paints daubed upon
his face and breast.
He was big fellow and walked
with swinging stride.
How! howl" said he, as he halted n
few PAGES distant, and grinned hide
ously through his paints
GLOW do you do?' answered Mack.
What do you want?"
The Indian shook his head in token
that he did not understand English.
"Hablan usteds Espanol?" do. you
speak Spanish?) asked the Indian.
Mack, who had picked up a smatter-
ing of Spanish, answered that he did
In this tongue the Indian asked where
they were going.
Mack answered that they were going
home to the land where the sun rose,
and asked in turn what the chief-for
| Il. i
| wanted.
The Arapahoe told him that if the
white men would surrender their
horses, mules, guns and ammunition
they might keep their blankets and go
on, and he would not let his warriors
modest them.
For reply Mack indicated, partly in
Spanish and partly by gestures, that
the Indians might have the ammuni-
ton through the muzzles of the guns,
and the weapons ana animals after
their owners were dead.
At this the Indian grinned, and tried
to turn the matter off as q joke. He
then asked if Mack and his party were
going to camp at pig Medicine Springs
that night, and upon being, told that
they were, said that his camp was
there, and that he and his braves would
keep the white men company.
But the white men might, he said,
travel in advance, since in this way
they would escape the dust the Indians
horses would make.
| Mack declined this courteous offer,
but told the Indian that he and his
companions would follow. They did
not mind travelling in the dust at all,
especially as there was no dust on the
sun baked plain.
The Arapaho laughed again, mighty
unpleasant" as one of the Tennessee
ans put it, and wheeling about, strobe
back to his men.
After n moments conversation with
them, ne sprang into his saddle, and,
with q reckoning motion to the white
men, headed his cavalcade back upor
the trail.
Macll's companions looked at him in
quiringly.
, "We've got to follow, boys" he tolc
them. There's no use buclzing agir
it. If we turn tail now, we're goners
Our only hope is to go on with ZEN
fearlessly, and camp not far from EN-
tonight, and trust to darkness to ge
away from en-
Without moments hesitation, they
mounted and followed the Arapahoes
who logged along at dog-trot.
| All that afternoon the three white!
) rode close behind the Indians, talking
and laughing with an unconcern which
they did not feel, but which undoubt
edly did much to render the savage
more certain of outwitting and captur
ing or killing the little party at thei
: leisure.
Big Medicine was reached about sun
! down. TIE chief had spoken trul,
/ with regard to his camp, for there wer
twelve or fifteen lodges near TIN
l springs on the lower slope of the hill
: near the base of which the water cam
| to the surface.
AS they rode down to the springs tn
: chief dropped back, and asked Macl
where he would camp. Mack told hin
{ they woulI picket their horses anon,
5 the sage brush on the side of the hill
Y above the spring This seemed to sat
? isfy tie Irdian; he turned away, an
| rode with the others down tn thei