Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1894-09-21
A WILD RIDE.

uioW oIouhu out CdunP utcS tu"t
was plotting a small party OF Uncl'
Sans men up to one of the new
forts on the upper Brazos-I be
lieve they called it Fore BelknaI
or some such name. The sojer
was precious set Of greenhorns-
new recruits, ! should think.
"Waii, these fellows were under
the command OF a white skinned
girlish looking young chap, fresf
from West Point. But young
and green as he was the lieuten-
ant was a gentleman and at hear
as good a fellow as ever lived.
"The party was mounted on suct
nags as the quartermaster coult
purchase for them In hurry, fol
though they were infantry tht
journey before them was too long
to be undertaken sfoot over the
grassy prairie.
Scarcely any OF the men had
ever before thrown leg over hog
skin, but the lieutenant knew
something aboat riding. l be-
lisvs he said he had been learned
it where he learned sojering, and
after a few days could sit his sad
die and bear the fatigue as well as
any old Texan.
"I'd been down to San Antonio
about three weeks, and when the
quartermaster employed me to pl'
lat the sojers Strawberry had had
the quiet range of the prairie all
that time, and when we took the
trail lie was in prime order.
"The more I got acquainted
with the lieutenant the better |
liked him. But the fellows he had
along With him were of no account
and knew if the Comanches or
Kiowas should cross our trail they
couldn't be depended on.
1--WE journeyed with the Brazos
on our left and In a northwest di-
rection till, after a week or 80. we
reached the head waters Of the Le-
on river, and as we'd discovered no
signs of indians l was glad to
think we'd have no occasion to try
the spunk OF our greenhorns in a
fight.
"We had reached the foot of the
Black Hills, where the country is
badly cut up with deep barrancas'
crossing each other in every direc-
ton, and having had hard days
travel / proposed an early camp.
While looking for suitable spot l
discovered fresh horse tracks and
knew that large party of Indians
were in the vicinity. informed
the lieutenant of my discovery and
advised him to secrete his men as
soon as possible, for as yet l was
convinced our approach had not
been detected.
"But as soon as the men heard
the word Indians they set mp such
a hurrah that you'd "a thought
them the brayest chaps in the
world, and it was not long before
/ knew that the Indians had dis
covered us, for we could hear them
calling to each other in the bottom
of one OF the deep gullies. end
presently a score or two showed
their heads above the edge OF the
bank, and letting fly a volley
lodged down again.
II was for getting ont of the
prairie as soon as possible and
reaching q spot among the rocks
at the commencement of the rising
ground, where we could receive
them at better advantage. but the
lieutenant was 80 greedy for a
fight that be wouldn't listen to
me a moment and gave orders for
his meu to dismount and form in
regular line and await the at
tack.
"But scarcely bad some of them
obeyed the order than We heard q
yell, and the next moment the
prairie was covered with host of
mounted Kiowas that came pour
ing out ola barranca and charged