The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-08-17

one that travelled along behind. In
those days the governor was q broker
on Wall street. with money enough
to buy half of this blasted territory.
Coin was rolling into his office vaults
hand-over-fist, and l rolled it out
again at about the same pace, until
along In 1877, when 1t became so
scarce that the governor had to shut
up shop and go to farming for liv-
ing. 1t was soon after that that /
drifted out west and learned to ride
COW ponies in place of bicycles, an
occupation have found it convenient
to follow for about fourteen years
now.
when l started for the Gap day be-
fore yesterday l rode what l thought
was the best little broncho mare in
the, west, and guess you will come
mighty near agreeing with me. Bess
and 1 covered the forty miles between
here and the Gap the first day, taking
it easy like so she'd be fresh on the
return trip.
THE train from the east wasn't due
until the next morning. put Bess in
the stable, then went over to John
sons and bought the customary stacks
OF blues and whites. By two o'clock
! had just about enough left to pay
for refilling the pint flask carried, so
/ quit the crowd and turned in for
what was left of the night. The train
was some three hours late the next
morning and didn't reach the gap I'M
til after eleven. 1t was an hour later
before was ready to leave, and on
account of it being SO late, had not
known that some of the men were
anxious for their money, would have
stayed over day. Then, too, had
heard same rumors of an Indian raid
and, if possible, wanted to get back
to the ranch before they got this far
south. 1t is needless to say that l
succeeded only by q very close mar
gin.
Several things hindered our rapid
progress, and six o'clock last evening
found us only fifteen miles from the
Gap, and twenty-five from the ranch.
hadn't seen sign of redskin at
that time and was beginning to feel
easier on that point.
I'VE hadn't gone two miles more
when poor Bess stumbled, and heard
something break as she went down on
her knees never again to get up. A
leg was broken, and l emptied two
barrels of my gun into her forehead to
put her out of her misery. tell you,
boys, nothing ever hurt me as much as
that did. Bess and had been COM
panions for years. She had carried me
through many tight place, and had
more than once saved my life by out
running the blood-thirsty Apaches, or
a herd of stampeding steers. 1t sounds
sort of weak like to say it, suppose,
but there in the gathering twilight,
with no friends nearer than the Gap
or the camp here, and with probably
dozen or more foes following my trail,
/ sat down beside the dead body of
Bess and shed the first tears l had
known since l was boy.
But crying over dead horsefesh
wouldn't get me out of the hole l was
in. All these little occurrences had
taken time, and it was quite dark
before / again thought of starting for
camp. There was nothing to do but
foot it, and the sooner started, the
sooner / would get through.
II hadn't been tramping fifteen
minutes, when struck an Indian trail
east. You can probably i'm
agine better than can tell You, how
'elt. Alone and afoot, twenty miles
rom the nearest friends and hostile |
Apaches no telling how near. You
would suppose would naturally work |
way from the Indians instead of to-
ward them, but didn't. Some uncon-
impulse made me follow
hem. The trail was fresh, and knew
lot how soon l might strike their
amp and fall into their hands, yet
ouldn't turn back.
II had travelled about three or four
niles when found that machine. The
Ipache's gun and knife had done it's
york, for beside the machine lay the
corpse Of a cyclist. Probably
tourist seeking both health and
leasure by trip through the west on
is wheel. There were evidently two,
{ them, for short distance away
Tas another wheel track running east
nd west. but l didn't follow it. The
minute that / found the dead traveller
he spell that had drawn me toward
i'm seemed broken, and wanted to
ravel in the opposite direction as fast
S could.
The bicycle offered the opportunity {
DR. more rapid travelling, IL / could
de- it. and l believed could. 1t took
Ie some time to get the hang of the
hing, but after many falls and more
ruises and scratches l succeeded.
ut isn't necessary to tell all of the