The herald., 1894-08-05

| passabIe Tor horses, but L remember one
| pass, of which had taken advantage on O
former occasion. Slrirting the lava bed tc
! the right, we came to the high piled UP
blocks which knew indicated the where
| hbouts of the pass.
| At length we reached the place where
tho path led over t:,e lava Leaving San
tos to watch If the Indians were following
us, rode up the pass. My limbs were
rather cramped after our long gallop, and
h,d taken my right foot from the stir.
rup and had crossed my leg over tho horn
Of the saddle and was Leading tho mule
with my left hand The path was SO mar
row that the mule had to follow in tht
footsteps of the horve, In my right hand
was my repeating rifle, 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
it's head, and looking down found myself
looking right Into the muzsle of rifle. ]
instinctlveiy drew back, tightening the
rein and causing the horse to rear. At the
Same moment a shot was fred, and the
horse fell with bullet through his head
Almost at the same instant several Other
shots were fired, and fell with the horse
wounded in the left shoulder and righ,
thigh. AS fell threw UP my right hand
with the riile and received an arrow in the
arm, which left this scar.
The mule was tugging al the rope as
lay stretched out with my left leg under
the dead hoyse and my left arm stretched
beyond my head by the backing Of the
mule, the leriat being still held in my
hand and partly twisted round my wrist.
At this moment an Indian appeared Just
before mo. 1 can see that man STILL Ey-
cry feature is stamped on my memory. l
thought my last hour had come as he step
ped toward me clutching his knife. rails
ed my wounded arm, holding the rifle like
pistol and fred point blank at the In
dian, who dropped dead on the spot
Then the mule gave a scream and reared
up, dragging mo from under the horse
wrenched himself loose and galloped down
the pass. My idea at the time was that an
Indian had attempted to get at me from
behind, but finding the mule in the way
had thrust his lance into 1t. My surmise
was probably correct, as the mule eventu-
ally arrived at the fort with lance wound
in it's flank.
My repeating rife evidently disconcert-
ed the Indians, and, although / fired sew
eral more shots into the bushes, l never
caught sight of them again. They fred
onoo or twice, and now and then an arrow
fell near me, but they were careful never
to expose themselves.
1t was now quite dark, and I managed
TO drag myself into u corner among some
high blocks OF lava, and sat, leaning
against them, with my rife across my
knees, expecting every moment to be at
tackled. I extracted the arrow, and the
blood began to pour over my hand. Get
ting cut my knife, ripped up my sleeve.
I felt the blood coming In jerks and
knowing by that that an artery must be
wounded L improvised tourniquet by
tying a knot on my handkerchief, and
with my unwoundcd hand and my teeth
bandaged the arm and stopped the bleed
ing. I began TO feel rather done up and
was leaning back against tho rock when
heard light r1lstiing over my head.
On looking up could sec between me
and the sky tho bushy head Of q soap plant
being thrusS over tho edge Of the rock.
This was evidently ruse on tM part Of
the Indians to see if I were ON the alert.
1 instantly fred upward, and the soap
plant disappeared. I dared not 60 to
sleep, and felt comparatively happy. I
remembered distinctly of repeating poetry
poem, ''Man Was Made To Mourn" kept
running through my head. My sense Of
hearing seemed to be intensified, and I
could hear the slightest rustic of leaf,
which often took for the stealthy tread
Of foe.
About 8 o'clock, as near as I could
Judge, heord what OF once recognized
as the sound Of metal striking stone Tt
was very faint and seemed a long way
of, but I felt sure that III was caused by
the iron shoe Of horse And IL so it was
probably the horse of white man, as
the Indians almost never shoe their horses.
listened intently for repetition of the
sound, and ahortly afterward heard an
other sound, which 1 knew by experience
to be caused by the rush of a number Of
horses over an arroya, end then all was
silent again. I waited for some time, and
then I heard family the unmistaksble
tramp of horses galloping Tho sound
gradually became more distinct and then
suddenly ceased. Soon / heard voices
and recognized those Of Santos and tho
lieutenant OF my troop. At last heard
the order to advance. cried out:
'Iook outl There are Indians all
around"
my Godl" I heard the lieutenant say,
she is still alive
just then heard rustling all around
me, caused by the Indians making off, and
to my intense relief saw the lieutenant
and number of dismounted troopers
coming toward mo. AS could not sit on
horso on account Of my wounds, as soon
as it was daylight they constructed horse
litter and conveyed me to the fort, where
L lay for something like three months. I
WAS told that Santos, hearing the shots
when assembled the pass and no answer
ing call from me, concluded that was
killed or a prisoner and rode off to tho
fort, returning with help just in time for
my MISUNDERSTANDING.