Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-11-11

the gulch could not have got away with

the gulch could not have got away with
90 corpses in that short time"
81 don't believe they have, Dick"
replied; "even 10 men (about the num-
Der of the unwounded warriors) could
easily remove the bodies in two hours.
They We're scattered along. you know,
all the way from here to the canyon. If
the reds had been numerous enough to
fight and take care of their dead, too, we
would not be alive to talk Of it. They
got such a surprise on their first attack
that guess they thought we might be
playing possum again and were only
too glad to get away without another
battle. Getting their dead comrades
out of the hands of any enemy is consid-
cred an imperative duty among these
plains Indians. They're superstitious on
this point above all others and will risk
everything rather than leave their killed
and wounded behind"
WELL" said Harding reiectively,
''the devil himself is not quite so black
as he's painted. Even these murderouS
villains possess some virtues, it seems.
But, Will, the horses must be taken to
water at once. They're beginning to
suffer-"
1t was quite true. The poor beasts
had passed 18 hours without drink and
were now showing unmistakable signs
of distress. Whatever the possible dam
ger. an immediate trip must be made to
the river So after hasty breakfast
we divided our force, seven fully armed
men riding off with the horses and the
same number remaining to guard the
wagons.
The watering party had little over a
mile to go and could not be molested by
the small band of savages left in the can
yon unless these had some way of egress
,ther than the mouth of the pass. on
e. erging from which they must be seen
by us. All seemed to be going well, as
we heard no shooting from the direction
of the river, but three-quarters of an
hour passed away. and our men had not
returned Shortly afterward, however,
they hove in sight, riding very slowly
and apparently bearing some kind of
burdens strapped on the backs of the
three led horses.
The coast being clear. we walked out
to meet them, and soon. to our infinite
horror. saw thut their sad freight con-
sisted of the scalped, scorched and mutt
lated bodies of six white men.
In little hollow close to the river
bask, our comrades told us. they had
s's ID the irons of two recently burned
wagons and mixed with them the charred
remains of what few hours before had
doubtless been a party of hopeful emf
grants Whether butchered by the band
which had abducted the women or by
that which had attacked us they could
not tell. Neither could we be sure that
the unfortunate party had contained only
six men. Others there may have been
now prisontrs in the hands Of the mer-
ciless Apaches and reserved 4or helAsh
tortures.
While DIGGING graves in order to give
the pitiful fragments decent burial mono
of us could refrain from shuddering as
we thought of the cruel fate which had
overtalien the hapless travellers, and re-
flecting how easily that fate might have
been our own we bitterly regretted that
we had left a single savage alive.
/ Snarlle Dldke eAdClly NOlCcu Iile Sei-
eral sentiment when he said: II only
hope those hellhounds may pitch into
us again. If they do, not a mothers son
of them shall escape this time"
"And remember. boys" added Dick
Harding, "those innocent women are in
the power Of just such scoundrels."
IFS an awful business" put in Hugh
Elliot. IF Kit Carson fails to rescue
the girls, all the gold in California won't
comfort Secord; no, nor Frank Austin
either"
He won't fall" confidently rejoined
Blake. He'll bring them back ell right
see if he don't. Why, I've read some
where that Kit. single handed, once fol
lowed squad of six Indians for five
days, killed every man of them and saved
a white woman and her baby"
"Yes, Charlie" said Elliot, ''but on
another occasion when he and his party
had wiped out all but one OF band Of
Apaches that one, the instant before he
was himself shot down, cut the throat Of
woman prisoner, whom the villains
had tied and hidden behind a bush be-
fore the whites overlook them"
ito DE CCN1IN'iED.i