The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-11-23

"Well, boys, I'm most used up, but
I'll do the best can. You know the
reds had about two miles start of us and
had got clear out of sight when we
mounted. Kit said they'd make straight
for the mountains 80 miles off, and only
for him we couldn't have followed the
trail 10 minutes, for there were lots of
places where we couldn't see track,
but to him the sign was just plain as
q turnpike road.
"Tom Secord-yes, and Austin, too
wanted to go at full speed, but Carson 7
wouldn't hear to it. That won't do he |
said; Just keep up an easy lope, SO as not |
to blow the horses. We're sure to catch |
the reds, Tor two of the ponies will al.
ways be double weighted, and the whole
lot will have to take turns carrying the
women
"All Of MS saw the sense of this rea,
soning, and we kept going on, mile after
mile, steady as clockwork, till near day
break without catching sight of the In
dians. Then we came to little creek
not far this side of the foothills, and
Carson said: Let your horses drink,
boys, Just a swallow OF two at time.
We're getting pretty close to the red
devils now. They've gone up this side
of the creek 30 as to strike the old
Apache trail. It's the only one they
know Of. 1t twists about among the
foothills and then sweeps round in big
circle away up into the mountains.
Well cross the creek right here, and I'll
lead you by short cut through Grizzly
gulch and come out on the trail away
ahead of the Indians. discovered thi.
pass when l was trapping round here 9
few years ago, and I don't believe anoth
er living soul has ever gone through it..
well, after we'd got over the branch
walked our horses for a couple of hun
dred yards to kind of settle the water ir
their stomachs, and then Kit spoke uI
again and says:
"'Now, men, there's two miles of gooc
ground before us. Well cover it at tor
speed, and then there's about mile OF
the worst riding you ever saw, but thatI
bring us right out on the trail, and the
reds must travel more than six miles tc
reach the same spot. Now, rider and
away we went, gradually going faster
and faster till our horses were running
for all they were worth, and in five min.
utes we came to Grizzly gulch.
"Sure enough, it was an awful place
all broken up with big rocks and bowlders
in such way that we couldn't go off o
walk, and it took us full quarter of an
hour to get through, but when we did
come out we found ourselves in thicket
of young cottonwoods and right on the
trail, as Kit had said.
cat this time it was broad daylight,
and by Carson's orders we all got off our
horses and led them away back into the
gulch. Then, speaking very low and
solemnlike. he said: Now, men, listen
to me and do exactly as tell you, or all
our work'll go for nothing. The reds
will be along pretty soon, and there must
be no bungling. There's 10 of them,
sure, but if it wasn't for the women
we'd wipe them all out in two minutes.
Which of you four is the best shotY
Frank Austin is says Wells.
Think you can trust yourself to
shoot buck square through the brain,
Frank, supposing his heads only foot
above that of Helen DouglasT asked
Carson.
"'Yes, if it's only one inch above
says Frank.
livery well, then,' Kit went on; the
two warriors that We're carrying the
woman must fall dead at the first fire, or
they'll kill their prisoners. I'll place all
of you and myself where we can't be
seen, and when the reds come within 20
yards of us I'll cover the one holding
Mrs. Secord, and Frank the one carrying
Miss Douglas. Wells will take the fore
most of the other brutes, Secord the
next and Wilkinson the third, whether
they're before or behind the two we
shoot at. When give low whistle,
we'll all fire together and then charge
with our revolvers, quick as lightning.
There ought to be only five of the devils
left by that time
"For a hundred yards or 80 in front Of
the cottonwood scrub the trail was wide
enough for two men to ride abreast, but
inside the grove itself the path was very
narrow, and the bushes grew so thicl
that it was quite dark. A regiment Of
soldiers could easily hide there and not
one Of them be seen 10 feet off. Carson
didn't put us directly in front of the
trail, but in such positions along the outer
edge of the scrub that we could deliver
half fanking fire.
"We'd been hiding about 10 minutes
not long enough to get nervous, wher
the Indians, just 10 of them, came ir
sight at the far end of the open space
They were coming along on slow can
ter, riding in single file, and we saw tha
the first two warriors-one Of them was
the chief, Lone Wolf, Kit told us after
ward-were carrying the young wome1
in front of them.
''This sight drove us most crazy, and i
was mighty hard to keep still, but WI
all knew that we mrst make sure worl
of it, and we didn't stir finger-not JUS
then.
"On and on came the reds to within 81
yards of the blind path leading into thu
grove. Then they slackened down to {