Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-21

] 4OWtltQ evening W. WetO NEARING Gne
Nal Pals, that great lava bed which
stretches for 10 miles along the plain. The
lava is piled up in great ridges, cracked
and assured in all directions, broken up
into huge blocks, which here and there are
upheaved 40 and 90 feet above the plain,
with grass and small trees growing in the
intersticos. Most OF the bed is quite i'm
! pasEable for horses, but / remember ono
pass, OF which had takea advantage on d
former occasion. Skirting tho lava bed to
tho right we eams 70 the high piled up
| blocks whish Know indicated Gne where
Ibouts Of the pass.
At length we reached the place where
the path led over the lava. Leaving San
toS 10 watch II the Indians were following
u.s. 1 rode up the pass. My limbs wero
rather erHnped after our long gallop, and
had taken my right foot from the stir
rup and had crossed my leg over the horn
Of the saddle and was leading the mule
with my left hand. The path was 80 mar
row that the mule had to follow In the
footsteps Of the horse. In my right hand
was my repeating rife, at that time nov
city, resting across my right knee. had
nearly gained the highest part Of the pass
and waS advancing between two walls Of
lava when my horse suddenly threw up
its head, and looking down found myself
looking right into the muELls of rifle. 1
inGtinctively drew back tightening the
rein and causing the horse to reAr. At the
same moment Shot was fired, and the
horse fell with bullet through his head
Almost at the same instant several other
Ehots WOCe fred, and fell with the horse,
wounded in the left shoulder and right
thigh. Az / fell threw up my right hand
With the rife and received an arrow In the
arm, which left this scar.
The mule was Juggling at the rope Is I
lay TtDStohOd out with my left leg under
the dead horse and my left arm stretched
beyond my head By the backing Of the
mule, the lariat being still held In my
hand and partly twisted round my wrist.
At this moment an Indian appeared Just
before me. can see that man still. Bv.
cry feature Is stamped on my memory.
thought my last hour had come as he step
pod toward me clutching his knife. rails
cd my wounded arm, hOlding the rife like
. pistol, and fred point blank at the In
dian, who dropped dead on the spot.
Then the mule gave scream and reared
up, dragging me from under the horse,
wFenched himself loose and galloped down
the pAss Ny idea At the time was that an
Indian had attempted 70 get at me from
behind, but finding the mule in the way
had thrust his lance into it. Ny surmiBe
was probably correct, as the mule eventu-
ally arrived ut the fort with O lance wound
In its flank.
Ny repeating rife evidently discomfort
Cd the Indians, and, although 1 fired sew
SFh moro shots into the bushes, 1 never
caught sight OF them again. They fired
once or twice, and now and then an arrow
fell near me, but they were careful never
70 expose themselves.
1t was now quite dark, and managed
to drag myself into q corner among some
high blocks of lava and sat, leaning
against them. with my rife across my
knees, expecting every moment to be at
lacked I extracted the arrow, and the
blood began to pour over my hand. Get
ting out my knife, ripped up my sleeve.
I felt the blood coming in jerks and
knowing by that that an artery must be
I improviscd a tourniquet by
tying a knot on my handkerchief, and
with my unwounded hand and my teeth
bRndAged the arm and stopped tho bleed
ing. 1 began to feel rather done up and
was leaning back against the rock when
I heard light rustling over my head
On looking up could SEQ between me
and the sky the bushy head Of a soap plant
being thrust over the edge Of the rock.
This WAS evidently ruse on the part Of
the Indians to sec If 1 were on the alert.
1 instantly fred upward, and the soap
plant disappeared. dared not go to
sleep, and 1 felt comparatively happy. 1 |
distinctly Of repeating poetry |
TO myself, and rather appropriately Burns
poem, Man Was Made To Mourn" kept |
running through my head. Ny sense Of
hearing seemed to DO intensified, and I |
could hear the slightest rustic Of leaf,
which often took for the stealthy tread |
Of foe.
About o'clock, as near as I could |
Judge, heard what at onco recognised |
as tho sound Of metal striking a sro00- Il
was very faint and seemed a long WN0
of, but felt sure that is was caused By |
the iron shoe Of horse. And If SO Il was |
the horse OF a white man, as
the Indians almost never shoe their horses.
listened intently for repetition Of the |
sound, and shortly aftcrward heard an
other sound, which knew by experience
to be caused by tho rush Of a number of
horses over an arroyo, and then all was
client again. waited for some time and
then heard family the unmistakable
tramp Of horses galloping. The sound
gradually became moro distinct and then
ceased. Soon 1 heard voices
md recognized those Of Santos and the
lieutenant Of my troop. At last heard
the order to advance. cried out:
Look outI There are Indians all
around"
my God!" heard the lieutenant say,
'he is still alive"
Just then / heard rustling all around
ne, caused by the Indians making of, and
70 my intense relief saw the lieutenant
md a number Of dismounted troopers
DominG toward no. As could not sit on
! horse on account Of my wounds, as soon
rs it was daylight they constructed horse
litter and conveyed me 10 the fort, where
lay for something like three months.
was told that Santos, hearing the shots
when assembled the pass and no answer
ng call from me, concluded that was
killed or prisoner and rode off to the
'ort, returning with help just in time for
ny rOscue.-Exchange.