The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-23

MON TANA JIM'S SCAR.
Souvenir OF a Chance Meeting
With Horse Thieves In the
Yellowstone
AN Approved Method Which Was
Failure in This One
Instance.
Lively SkiruaIsh with lots OF Bullets In
In It-Important Part Taken BY
ROarinE Harry.

Colonel Jim Struthers, alias Montanl
jim, yswned few times, and In the proc
ess OF pulling himself together, combe,
his hair with his fingers thus lifting 4
from his brow and exposing a long ant
lurid scar which started on the right tenn
pie and Travelled backward till Il got los
In hair.
"Hello. oolonell Come out Of this and
tell me how you got this scar, said tn,
prospectOr for facts.
This scarf Oh, yes, recollect. Well,
got that mark from being too game
was living on a ranch near pease Bottom
Mon, and after the regular fall windup
three OF the boys Catfish Johnnie, Roar
ing Harry aud Nellowstono Joe, proposed
that we take a trip through the Yellow
stone park.
After long and delightful trip we came
within the shadow Of the Yellowstone
mountains and camped. It was a delight
full spot On one side ran the tracks Of
the Northern Pacific, and every few hours
trains rushed by. On the other side lit
tie stream babbled and sparkled. Ii was
about noon when we halted.
"After dinner we sat near the railroad
waiting to see the overland express dash
by, when from the brush down the track
three men came out. They strolled along
IN the direction Of our camp. We were a
good many miles from a station, and il
was an unusually suspicious circumstance
10 see these fellows tramping along the
ties. They were bad visaged, 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 cat 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 Gained in any way by
the calculating glances which the party
bestowed on our armament and stOcs
That afternoon it was decided that we
should picket our horses and stand watch
by turns throughout the night Il is
very common practice with expert horse
thieves TO simply swoop down and STAN
pede the stock Of an outfit in true Indian
fashion, but this programme viii never
work whore the stock is picketed. In a
case Of this kind the dcpredators simply
sneak around the camp like coyotes and
cut the ropes
"ln our outfit we had one very wild
horse he was a. wild as a mountain goat.
10 4
al him. The only restraining influence
which be acknowledged was that excrcis-
ed by another horse. The wild horse was
70 absolutely stuck on his four footed
friend that he would eat and drink with
him and never seem satisfied without be-
ing in his company. True. be would fly
on at tangent, but be would come 20 his
mate, wagging his tail behind him We
picketed all the horses excepting this one
1t was between . and O'Clock when
Roaring Harry, whose turn il was to stand
guard, entered the prairie schooner aud
turned "a an out quietly with the remark
that something was mp. The wild horse
bad rEn up alongside his gentle friend
AID was putting and snorting in a perfect
fever Of fright
"We reasoned that the thieves had ap-
preached the camp and run on the untam-
ed animal They would conclude from
this that the stock was al large and would
most likely attempt TO stampede H. With
this theory IN mind, We took positions
along the trail which the thieves would
follow should they swoop down Ny perch
was under an overhanging bowlder. where
] could not be seen for the gloom, aud
from where by the faint light Of the stars
! could see pretty clearly all that went on
on one side Of the wagon Ii was snow /
ing and blowing and otherwise unpleas- /
ant. We had been on guard this way for .
perhaps an hour. Everything was dead
still but for the howl or cry Of some wild .
beast in the timber We thought TINT We .
heard something which sounded like houfs .
away up the trail Nearer they came. and .
more distinctly they sounded as tbey
struck the frozen ground. from which the
snow had been blown away. Then the
sound ceased. The party Of horsemen had
halted We knew what was about to- come.
and every msu took frmer bold 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 81 the pines their outlines could +
be- seen. Bang bang! Whizzt Click. click
Bang, bang Two horses dropped ana one
rider biz the dust. as they say in the novel
and his steud pressed by Others Of the
party rode by ia hurry One ~ the horses
dropped directly opposite my station Nv
identity his rider wa. fuli Of life and hope.
for be arose on bis knees. and knew in-
stincfyely hat his gun was going % his
shoulder when my tru-ty rifle flashed out
ms blaze Of nay gan was the signal which
loNted me 20 hin. iie replied as oufck