The Opelousas courier., 1893-09-09

w SoA4eL al VA 1ClOt1 cl'
manner of men unconscious of danger
Night came on with q cloudIess sky
By the light Of q full moon object
would be quite Distinctly seen, while
strong wind blowing from the west, i
e., directly from the enemy's position
to ours, effectually drowned the noise
Of any movements we might make.
After supper Carson gathered III
around him and said in his peculiarly
soft low voice: ''Near the south end OF
this little range there is, as your
guide knows, a deep, ragged ravine
winding around to the west and finally
running out on the open plain quite
close to the trail.
"Geronimo'smen won't make a move
while this wind is blowing to carry Q
sound TO us. but they know that it
will die away just before daybreak.
They propose then to steal through
the pass, form up on this side, make a
rush and take you by surprise if they
could do that, not a man of you would
escape.
"Now, I propose about midnight,
when the horses will all be in the cor
raj, to take twenty men, ride straight
down the east side to the ravine, pass
on the trail in their rear. Here the
real trouble will begin, as we shall
then have to sneak, down wind, over a
mile of open ground.
"Under ordinary circumstances at.
tempting to surprise a band of Indians
in this way would be childish, but
these fellows are gorged with stolen
food, are intent only upon wiping out
this party, will never dream of being
attacked from the west. and if they
watch at all it will be only for a
short time and in this direction.
"But remember, men, whether we
rescue q live woman or q mutilated
corpse depends entirely upon the
exactness with which you who are left
in camp follow instructions.
eff our surprise is perfect the reds
will all rush forward to meet our
attack. They will not, must not have
time to thinD of their prisoner, else
they'll murder her at once.
"One hour after we leave here ten
of you must silently saddle and mount
your horses. The instant you hear
u first volley dash like lightning
through the pass. A
to the rocks on the left of He pass as
you go out. Two ofyou, appointed be-
forehand, must snatch her up and fly
back, while the other eight ARin in the
fight. 1t won't last ten minutes, for
there's not a band of Indians on the
plains that will stand that long when
unexpectedly attacked at night on both
sides at once. And now," concluded
the intrepid and experienced Carson, |
"we may rest for a few hours in ahso-
lutte security"
At midnight Carson and his selected
party left so s~tealthily that some OF Us
who were doing did not notice their |
departure.
Precisely at /, Lount having
previously let us draw lots to determine
who should accompany him, directed
the mount. Both young Alec Fraser
and myself were of this number. The
whole ten of us, silent as statues, sat
motionless for some time il our
saddles.
We were armed with percussion lock
muzzle leaders. Each man carried,
besides his belt knife, a heavy Colts
revolver.
At last. when nearly a half hour had
gone by, the old guide whispered:
"All goes well, boys. Ii the redskins
have no dogs along, Carson'll surprise
He had hardly spoken when out upon
the night air rang a volley OF rife
shots, and simultaneously from the
Indian camp rose a pandemonium OF
yells and shrieks.
"Ride, men ! rider cried Lount.
The corral kee pers whirled one of the
eneamping wagons aside, and we few
into the pass five abreast.
AS we Numbered headlong over it,
200 yards of length Lount hurriedly
"You two, Prescott and Ad.
ANS, seize the prisoner. You Others
me, and, boys, don't throw 9
away |"
The next instant we flashed GU,
upon the Apaches' camping ground
md Immediately caught sight of the
She was sitting with her
Jack to us, bound to a spear shaft
Iriven into the earth. Never drawing
elm we dashed past her, leaving Pres
oft and Adam ). We spurred on where
fight was rag ing a hundred yards to
he west.
The savages, ready to fly when a
core of warriors failed to rise after
he rife volley, had now correctly es-
mated the number of their a~ssailants
nd were rallying. Most were on foot,
nut some had scrambled to their ponies
bareback. Just as we came out upon
hem / saw two mounted braves charge
uriously down with leveled lsnees on
Before either came within
triking distance the unerring marks
nan had fred twice, lightning like,
nd both fell.
They never noted our approach, and
Vhen we fired upon their rear the
Whole body br oke and fed. f;
Then C~arsorl's voice, no longer soft :
low, but ringing out trumpet :
oned, rose above the din: "Reload
our guns and pistols! Follow upl" /,
We eight men had aimed only at .
he six ponies in the melee and we had
'rought them down, SO that among the 8
ush of flying savages there was rot f
q o;noIo ,ao,~4oJ I