Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-08-18
THE COLONEL'S SCAR.
SOUVENIR or A CHANCE MEETING
IN THE YELLOWSTONE.

Successfully This Tfme-A Lively Skfr-
mssh with Lots Of Bullets In It--rnper-
tsnt Part Taken BY Roaring Harry.
Colonel Jim struthers, alias Montana
Jim, yawned few times, and in the proc
sss Of pulling himself together. combed
his hair with his fingers. thus lifting IL
from his brow and exposing long and
lurid scar which started on the right tenn
pie and travelled backward till II got lost
In hair.
"HeIio, COLONEL Come out of this. and
tell me how you got this scar. said the
prospector for facts.
"This scarf Oh, yes, recoliect. Well,
got that mark from being too game. 1
was living ON ranch near Pease Bottom.
Mon, and after the regular fall windnp
three OF the boys, Catfish johnnie, Roar
ing Harry and Yellowstone Joe. proposed
that we take trip through the Yellow
stone park.
After long and delightful trip we came
within the shadow Of the Yellowstone
mountains and camped. II WIS 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 spnrkled. 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
good many miles from q station, and II
was an unusually suspicious circumstances
to see these fellows tramping along the
ties. They were bad visaged, and their
general appearance did not impress us very
favorahly. AS they got within about 100
yards Of us they haliooed 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 II 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.
'sThey told us that their camp was down
the track In q ravine about mile distant
and said that they would be glad to have
| ms take dinner with them on the morrow.
We promised to dose. However. there was
some sneaking suspicion down In the sub.
cellar of our minds that something was
crooked about the whole business. Thiz
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 VIZ
should picket our horres and stand watch
by turns throughout the night. Il In 9
Il very common practice with expert horss
thieves 90 simply swoop down and STAN
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
sneak around tho camp like coyotes ane
cut the ropes.
"In our outfit we had one very wild
horse. He was M wild M mountain goat
He would run II you d point your nngel
nc him. The only restraining influences
which he acknowledged was that exercis
ed by another horse. The wild horse wa,
50 absolutely stuck on his four foote's
friend that be would eat and drink with
him and never seem satisfied without be
Ing In his company. True. he would a,
of ut tangent. but he would come TO BIZ
mate. wagging his tail behind him. W,
. picketed all the horses excepting this one
Ii was between l2 and o'clock wheI
Roaring Harry, whose turn IL was to stans
guard, entered the prairie schooner ans
turned US all out quietly with the remarl
that something was mp, The wild hors,
had .rn mp alongside his gentle frient
and was putting and snorting In q perfec
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 at large and woul,
most likely attempt to stampede IL. Will
this theory, In mind, we took position
along the trail which the thieves woul'
follow should they swoop down. My percl
was under an overhanging bowlder, wher
l could not be seen for the gloom. an,
from where by the faint light OF the star
could see pretty clearly all that went OF
. on one side of the wagon. II was snow
|, ing and blowing and otherwise unpleas
ant. We had been ON guard this way 70
perhaps an hour. Everything was dea'
still but for the howl or cry Of some vii,
beast in the timber. We thought that w
heard something which sounded like hoof
away up the trail. Nearer they came, an,
more distinctly they sounded as the.
struck the frozen ground, from which tn
snow had been blown away. Then III
sound ceased. The party Of horsemen ha'
halted. We knew what was about TO come
and every man took a firmer hold ON hi
winchester and took good care that tn
hammer was mp. Then there was shar
chatter and rush. Down the trail tn
thieves were dnshing full tilt.
"As the squadron emerged from tn
shadow Of the pines their outlines coul
be seen. Bang. bang whizzi Click, click
Bang, bangi Two horses dropped and on
rider biz the dust, as they say In the novel
and his steed pressed by. Others Of th
party rode by In hurry One of the horse
dropped directly opposite my station. Ev
identity his rider was full OF life and hops
for he arose on bis knees. and ! knew In
stinctiyely that his gun WAS going TO hi
shoulder, when my trusty ride flashed out
The blaze Of my gun was the signal whic
, located me to him. He replied a. quic
as thought. There was binding fash I
my face; felt Whit OF cold wind; soms
! thing warm streamed over me; ! kne,
that was falling, and then all was BLANK
THE next day opened my eyes an
/ Haw strange people about me. tried I
think, but couldn't. Things gradual
! grew less strange. As soon as had tho
, oushly regained consciousness the boy
explained what was wrong and told m
| that had had close call. Then the
! pointed 10 three grrwsome objects range
J side BY side on the edge Of the trail, Wit
their CHASTITY features concealed by blair
kets. This scar Is where that horse thief
bullet ripped open my scalp and plowe
long farrow down my skull. "--Wasi
, ington Star.
einQla match raouires from ana two