The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-09

and couldn't fight or protect himself, and
we never knew it till next morning,
when we found his body about half eaten
up 200 yards from the campfire. This left
us with only one saddle animal, and from
that on we took turns riding. 1t was an
awful tiresome road through those miles
of timber, but we kept a-goin every day
and only camped ut night. Turkey was
rs thick as chickens in barnyard, and
now and then we jumped n bear. Deer
hunt. We had only one idee, and that
was to catch up with that freighter if
we had to follow him to Texas.
IA week later, near the head of Black
river, we was jumped by Apaches and
lost another burro. How vast? Well,
1t was like this: The sun was about two
hours high when the trail went down
into deep, sandy canyon winding around
between big powders of white granite
that had rolled off the cliffs above. Some
of EN- was moren IS feet high. was
afoot; Bill rode just ahead of me, and the
two pack burros wuz peggin along in
single file ahead of him. The canyon wild
ened out by degrees into broad, sandy
wash. with mesquite trees and brush on
tho cast side, while the trail Rugged the
west side close to the big powders. All
at once-spat! spat! spatl come three
bullets, flattenin themselves on tho
powders close to us. The three shots
were fired at us from across the CANYON,
and we could see the smoke curtin up
from IL big bunch of brush over there.
AS jumped forward to help Bill drive
tl,n f1n,l-n,-c 1>ol,
rocks another volley came, and this time
the saddle burro fell dead. Before they
could fire again Bill had picked himself
up. and we had our two pack animals
safe behind the rocks.
I'VE found peep holes where we could
look between the powders and get a good
view across the canyon without being
seen. 1t was beautiful place, and we
could have stood off 20 Injuns as easy as
3, for they could not get behind us. and
our belts were full of cartridges. We
knew we had the best of it, or anyway
an even thing, for the bunch of brush
where they were hid stood by itself, and
they could not leave it without getting
shot from both of our winchesters. They
would have to run about 80 feet further
to the right or eft to reach another
bush, and behind them was n perpen-
dicular cliff. Their cover was less than
100 yards from us, and their only chance
to get away was to wait until dark; but
VIC were also i'll the same fix.
Il tell you, stranger, we watched
pretty close for those red devils to show
themselves. We was mad about our
dead donkey, and we was mad at bein
stopped when we was in hurry. Bill
| covered the right side of their bush
with his gun, and | took the left. Our
rifles was cooked and ready to speak,
and just about that time no Injun had
any business to get in front of them, for
we was both good shots and didn't cal
culate to waste any cartridges. For
near half an hour we watched, and then
we saw somethin move on the sand at
the right edge of the bush. 1t was the
top Of an Injun's head. He was lyin
fiat on the ground, behind cover, and
shown out his head to get better view
of our position. The next minute a
head was showed out the same way on
the other side of the bush. 'Readyv
says Bill. 'Nowv and our rifles rang
ont together.
''The heads staid there, but we knew
rifle ball had crashed through each of
them. The moment we shot the third
red darted out on the north side and
made rush for new cover only 10
yards away He almos' reached it-one
more spring and he was safe-but Bill
caught him OH the fly. Crack! went his
rifle, and Mr.. Injun fell in heap. never
maxim kick.
I'VE waited awhile before we moved.
to make sure they wasn't playin possum,
but it was getting dark fast, so we
slipped up careful from bush to bush.
We had to make sure work of the KILN,
cos it wouldn't do to have one of EN-
| get away and bring the whole tribe
down ON us. Well. they was dead
enough to suit anybody, the last one
killed being hardly more than boy.
He was the son of chief. us we knew
by his wearin white eagle feathers in his
hair. He had an improved army rifle,
and so did the other two.
Weren't it Il pity, stranger. that three
Of Uncle Sans pets. out for IL little fun.
should a got done up that way? They
| didn't have nothin we wanted, so we left
em to the buZZards an coyotes and start
ed down the canyon drivin our burros
ahead We Travelled all night. for fear
some prowlin Injun should find the dead
bodies i'll the mornin and take our trail.
"A week later we got to Fort Apache,
tagged out some and pretty near bare
foot. We didn't say nothin about the
KILN, for fear of being arrested, but we
rested up some OH soldier whisky at the
suffers store and bought new shoes. We
wasn't disappointed this time about our
| freighter. He was still on the move. inst