The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-19

anu True, anu dIIlliHS lIeLl Will gums
babe them be silent about the matter,
above all to the white man, whom
did not wish to alarm.
The plan of the murdererS was to at
tack the house at the hour of dawn
where the Senior Strickland slept with
four or five servants only, and to put
all within it's walls to death. Accord
ingly, about l o'clock on the night
fixed l despatched my men by twos
and .threes, instructing them to go
round the hills at the back of the
house, and creeping into the garden
to hide themselves there among the
trees till l appeared.
An hour later l followed them my
self without being observed by the
spies of the attacking party, for rain
fell and the night was very dark. AZ
irving in the garden, l collected my
men and placed them in ambush under
a low wall commanding the street, UP
which l knew the murderers must
come, when we waited patiently till
the cocks crew and the dawn began to
break in the east.
Presently we heard a stir in the vii
lage beneath, as of men marching, and
in the gathering light saw the murder
ers creeping stealthily up the street to
the number of fifty or more, for SO
great was their fear of the English
man that they thought it safer to
bring many men to kill him; also each
of the villains desired that his neigh
Dor should be a sharer in the crime.
'Will you not wake up the English
mani? asked the man next to me.
NO" I answered, ''it will be time
enough to wake him when the affair is
settled. Now, let none of you fire till
L give the word"
Now, the brigands- men without
shame-in the street below, after wait
ing a little time for the light to grow
stronger, advanced toward the gate,
looking like a procession Of monks, for
the air was chilly, and each of them
had his serape wrapped about his
head. In their hands they carried RI
fies and drawn machetes.
Within ten PAGES of the gate they
paused for minute to consult, and
heard their leader Mexican, direct
half of them to creep round to the
back of the house, so as to cut off all
escape. Then 1 whistled, which was
the signal agreed upon, at the same
time covering the Mexican with my
rifle Almost before the sound had left
my lips, there followed a report of
twenty guns, and some fifteen or six
teen of the enemy were stretched upon
the ground.
For a moment they wavered, and l
/ thought that the rest of them were
going to fly, but this they dared not
do, for they knew that they had been
seen, therefore they rushed at the wall
with yell, firing as they came. AS
they climbed over it we met them with
pistol shots and machetes, and for a
few minutes the affair was sharp. for
they were desperate and outnumbered
us.
Still, they lost many men in climbing
the wall and forcing the gate, and the
rest of them, with the exception of
fourteen. who fled, and were for the
most part caught afterward, we fin
ished among the flowers and vegeta-
bles of the garden. Just as it was
over, the Englishman, who was a
sound sleeper, appeared, yawning and
dressed in white, holding pistol in his
hand
What is this noise?" he asked. rub
bling his eyes, land why are you peo-
pie fighting in my garden? Go away,
all of you, or shall shoot at YOU"
81 trust that the Senior will pardon
u.s." / said, bowling, "for disturbing
him in his slumber, but this matter
could not be settled without some
noise. May I offer the Senior my
serape? The air is chilly, and he will
catch cold in that dress"
Thank you," he said, putting on the
serape. And now, perhaps, you will
explain why you come to spoil my gar
den by making a battlefield of it?'
Then l told him, and was astonished
to see that as l went on he grew very
angry.
gentlemen for saving my life" he said
at last, though 1 never asked you to
do it. But, all the same, l think ii
shameless that you should have had
this fight in my garden without giving
me the opportunity of sharing in It
Carambal am 1 a little girl that
should be treated in such a way?
That day, when all the trouble was
lover and the place had been made
tidy, the Senior Strickland sent man
to ask if I would do him the pleasure
to dine with him. l accepted, and as
we sat smoking after dinner, having
talked of the fight till we were tired OF
lit he spoke thus to me:
and, believe me, L am grateful, for
do not see why you should have risked
so much for a foreign stranger"
II did it because / like you, senor,'
II answered, ''also because it is very
pheasant to catch the wicked in their
lown tolls. Those who persisted this
morning were villains, every one OF
Them. They came in the hope of plund-
Ter, for such men without shame will
murder human beings for five dollars
a head but they were set on by others
who hate you because you treat YOU
Indian workmen fairly, and also be-
cause they do not wish foreigners here
to compete with them, and they think
that you are but the first bird of the
flock.
Therefore they thought that il
would be good policy to kill you so as
to brighten away the others. However
that danger has gone by, and you need
have no more fear, for they have
learned a lesson which they will moi
forget"
so much the better them" he an,
swered, for l have troubles enough tc
IDEAL with here, without being bothered
to protect my life against such. con
ltemptible vermin. And now, Don 1g,
natio, l hardly like to ask you, and
daresay that you will think the Offer
beneath contempt, but are you willing
to accept an engagement? am sadly
lin need of a Sub-manager here, one
who could control the Indians, and t.
Isuch man l am prepared to pay g
hundred dollars a month, the funds Of
the company l represent will not allow
me to offer more
/ thought for while, and answered
"Senor, the money is not enough t.
tempt me, though it will serve to buy
food, lodging, and cigars, but l accept
your offer for the same reason that
fought your battles this morning, be-
cause 1 like you, and will gladly do my
best to serve you and your interests.
Still, 1 must warn you that, fol
Taught 1 know. 1 may have to leave
lyour service at short notice, for my
thine is not altogether my own. l also
lam the servant of a great company
lsenor, and though now 1 am on leave
as it were, and have been for these
many years, 1 may be required at any
moment"
Thus it was then that l entered the