Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-09-22
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would ride like the wind on sunny days,
trusty heart to nestle close to when the
stormclouds obscured the midnight moon.
From out the old Russian and Spanish
histories of the settlement and the tales OF
| woGdrous worlds beyond the broad seas
told her at the knee of a father whose
| raemory she worshiped more than her
| patron saint-her glowing Imagination
lfhad created an ideal lover who would
some day seek her. Would he ever find
| her there-there, among those human
| brutes, those debased Indians, the strain
of whose dark blood in her veins she alb
forred?
Time was telling upon her mother, whose
| intellect never equaled the girls. The in
dolence of the Spanish and Indian blood
asserted it's authority with the parent, who
| thought mostly of her comfort, her grow
| ing ailments and her church. The girl
had no other companions than her horses
| and her dogs, and when she took her gun
| in hand, their pleasure was simply fran
| tic. Daily, when weather permitted, she
rode forth to the chase, the great Russian
settlers and hounds bounding along by her
| side, wild with excitement, but obedient to
| her every glance.
At last the day came when brave Pancha
|
morning she found the trail of horse and
man, and tracked it through deep canyon
| that led to the sea- The unshod feet of
the animal proved him mustang, but the
shapely footprints of the mans boots
| showed him to be one of the numerous
young Americans then pouring into the
| country by tens of thousands, attracted by
the discovery of gold. Why was he walk
| ing? His animal was either packed with
the tools and provisions of miner, or he
was hunter, his horse bearing the game
he had shot. Allowing the dogs to scent
| the trail Pancha rode ON at a quickened
pace, her curiosity excited by the fresh
tracks. In few moments the two hounds
paused, and, bayng their most dismal
note, dashed on ahead 1t was a signal
that the chase was near, and speaking to
her horse the girl kept close behind the
dogs.
At a turn in the trail a hundred yards
beyond, they almost leaped upon the pros
trate form of a man lying at full length
upon the ground just at the edge of II cas-
cade of Russian river and directly opposite
the towering cliff of Squaw Rock. Down
in the rocky river bottom among the mas
sive powders, lay his still struggling horse.
The animal and man had slipped upon the
oass of slain deer dashed to it, had turned,
and with the uneven foothold prevented
the fallen horse from rising. From deep
cut in the mans head the blood was still
trickling. He was insensible, and pale as
death itself
To spring from her horse, tear open the
mans vest, and place her hand upon his
heart was but the act of a moment with
Pancha. He had only swooned, and before
the girl could return with water from the
river, he recovered and opened his eyes.
Still dazed and stupid from the brain con-
cussion he was unable to speak or recog-
nize the condition he was in.
Upon attempting, with her help, to rise
she found one of his ankles was broken
Inducing him to lie down again, she de,
scended the rough river bank, where she
quickly freed his horse so that it could
rise. Finding the animal uninjured, she
replaced the saddle, and leaving the game
led the beast up the bank to his masters
side. Then, after binding his head with a
strip of underclothing, she treated the
broken bone with wet leaves and bark as
a splint to steady it, cutting strips from
his saddle blanket to tie the appliance Sc
curely on.
Meanwhile the injured American lay
For fully an hour she sat by his side bath
ing the wounds with water. Then gradu-
ally the light of intelligence returned, and
he weakly asked where he was and what
the matter might be.
She babe him drink some water, and
soothingly said she was going to take hGm
where he would be cared for, as he had
been hurt by fall.
Slowly all came back to him, as he rec
ognized his own horse tied near; and then,
again turning his wondering eyes upon the
girls face, he asked her who she was and
whittier she wished to take him. She told
him that she was poor Indian girl, and
could offer him only the hospitality of the
hut where she lived with her mother
The sun was well nigh at meridian be-
fore the man had recovered strength
enough to get upon his horse, even with
the girls aid. Swinging his gun to the
horn of his Spanish saddle-for he was still
too weak to hold the heavy ri1e-the girl
sprang upon her pony and led the way
through the dense underground of cotton.
wood and willow.
The sun was sinking in the wide western
ocean, when, in the twilight, Panchs
guided the wounded stranger to he.
mothers hut. It's interior was divided by
a canvas curtain, and in the outer division
he was speedily made as comfortable as the
painful nature of his wounds would admit
Her softest robes and furs were his couch
and with deft hands she bathed the injuries
with cold spring water Soon the Indian
bone setter she had sent for arrived and
adjusted the bone, which was broken Just
above the ankle.
That night the wounded man became
delirious from the injury to his head Fol
} two weeks, raving in "a brain fever, his
youth and strength struggled for the life
that grim death sought to wrest away. HI
was totally unconscious of the ever vigilant
girl, who, even for few hours of necessar,
: rest, reluctantly yielded to her mother tn,
place of watcher by his side.
At last the fever crisis was past tn,
, struggle was over, and the weak and weary
sufferer lay still, but conscious. His re
; covery was now matter of time and car,
only. He would have expressed his graft
; tude, but Pancha smilingly placed he,
hand against his lips and babe him not t.
talk.
: The invalid was a tall, well built ant
} well appearing American of about twenty
six years. His features were regular, ant
, in their entire repose and extreme pallo
: resembled Greek face chiseled in whit,
7 marble. Great gray eyes, short, brown