The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-04-20
THE C0L0NEL'S SCAR.
SOUVENIR or a CHANCE MEETING
IN The YELLOWSTONE.

Horse Thief Methods witch Didn't work
successfully This nme-A Lively skir.
mish with Lots Of bullets In It-unpor-
tsnt Part Taken by Roaring Harry
Colonel Jim stuthers. alias Moutasa
. Jim, yawuDd few times. aud iu the proc
I ess of pulling himself together, ccn bed
bis hair with his fingers. thus no ng il
/ from his brow and exposing "a lorx and
/ lurid scar which started on Che riRhi tenn
I pie and Travelled backward tin it e.. lost
I ina hair.
Hello, colonel Come out Of thi, and
| tell me how You got this scar, said the
/ pruspector for facts
"This scarf oh, yes, rccollect. Well,
/ | got that mark from being too game.
I was living on "a ranch near pcase 30 tom,
| Mon, and after the regular fan vildup
/ three Of the boys, Catfish johnnie toar-
| ing Harry and Yellowstone Joe. pro, o.ed
that we take trip through the Yellow
| stone park
"Aftor a long and delightful trip We erme
within the shadow of the Yellow tone
mountains and camped. It was de- ght-
ful spot On ono side ran the trac - Of
the Northern Pacific, and every few hours
trains rushed by. On the other side lit
tie stream habbled and sparkled. 1t was
about noon when we halted
"After dinner we sat near the raj road
waiting to see the overland express dash
by, when from the brush down tho -ack
three men came out. They strolled l'ong
In the direction Of our camp. We W re
good many miles from a station, a it
was an unusually suspicious circumsi Ance
to see these fellows trampiug along the
ties. They were bad yisaged and their
general appearance did not impress us very
favorably. As they got within about 100
yards Of Us they hallooed In familiar wild
west style and approached us civilly
enough. The spokesman said that one OF
their horses had either strayed or had been
| stolen, and he wanted to know If we had
seen any horse answering the description
which he gave. OF course we had not and
invited the strangers to eat dinner with
us,
"They told us that their camp was down
the track in "A ravine about "A mile distant
and said that they would be glad to have
us take dinner with them on the morrow
We promised TO do so. However. there was
some sneaking suspicion down in the sub
cellar of our minds that something was
crooked about the whole business. This
suspicion was not calmed in any way by
the calculating glances which the party
bestowed on our armament and stock.
That afternoon IL was decided that we
should picket our horses and stand watch
10y turns throughout the night. 1t is
very common practice with expert horse
thieves to simply swoop down and stam-
pede the stock of an outfit in true Indian
fashion, but this programme will never
work where the stock is picketed. In
case Of this kind the depredators simply
a
cut the ropes
sin our outfit we had one very wild
horse. He was as wild as mountain goat.
He would run If you'd point your finger
at him. The only restraining influence
which he acknowledged was that exercis.
ed by another horse. The wild horse was
so absolutely stuck on his four footed
friend that he would eat and drink with
him and never seem satisfied without he
ing in his company. True, he would fy
off at n tangent, but he would come TO ais
mate wagRing his tail behind him. We
picketed all the horses excepting this oIe
1t was between l2 and 9 o'clock w. en-
Roaring Harry, whose turn IL was TO nd
guard, entered the prairie schooner and
turned us all out quietly with the remark
that something was up. The wild hc SO
had run up alongside his gentle fri,a al
fever of fright.
"We reasoned that the thieves had ap-
preached the camp and Bun ON the unta a.
ed animal They would conclude from
this that the stock was at large and would
most likely attempt-to stampede It. With
this theory in mind, we took positions
along the trail which the thieves woi III
follow should they swoop down. My per IA
was under an overhanging bowlder, VIII re
could not be seen for the gloom, ID
from where by the faint light of the star,
| could see pretty clearly all that went IN
on one side Of the wagon II was snow
ing and blowing and otherwise unplet =
ant. We had been on guard this way for
perhaps an hour Everything was desd
still but for the howl or cry OF some wild
beast in the timber We thought that we
heard something which sounded like hoe Is
away up the trail. Nearer they came, a.d
more distinctly they sounded as "a
struck the frozen ground. from which tho
snow had been blown away. Then tle
sound ceased. The party of horsemen had
halted. We knew what was about to come
and every man took firmer hold on his
winchester and took good care that the
hammer was up. Then there was a sharp
clatter and rush. Down the trail the
thieves were dashing full tilt
"As the squadron emerged from the
shadow OF the pines their outlines could
be seen. Bang, bang Whizz Click, click
Bang, .bangl Two horses dropped and one
rider bit the dust as they say in the novel,
and his steed pressed by. Others OF the
party rode by In a hurry. One OF the horses
dropped directly opposite my station. Ev-
identity his rider was full Of life and hope,
for he arose ON his knees, and knew in
stinctively that his gun was going 10 his
shoulder, when my trusty rifle flashed out
The blaze Of my gun was the signal which
located me TO him. He replied as quick
as thought. There was a binding flash in
my face; felt Whit OF cold wind; some
thing warm streamed over me: | knew
that was falling, and then all was blank
1.-THE next day / opened my eyes and
saw strange people about me. tried 10
think but couldn't. Things gradually
grew less strange. As soon as had thor
oughly regained consciousness the boys
explained what was wrong and told me
that / had had "A close call. Then they
pointed 20 three grewsome objects ranged
side by side on the edge OF the trail, with
their ghastly features concealed by blan-
kets. This scar is where that horse thief's
bullet ripped open my scalp and plowed
a long furrow down my skull. Wash
iDgton Star,
His Contract.