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

| their friends who had met similar fates
on Arizona's broad plains. They could
imagine lone horseman wandering
about among the sand hills and sage
brush of the desert seeking lost
trail, or they could imagine crippled
! horse, whose rider. to put it out of it's
misery, had had to shoot it. And then
a picture of the rider, attempting to
make camp across the sun-parched
desert on foot, would pass before their
mental vision. And so the long night
! hours wore away, with nothing more
alarming than these reveries to dis
turb them.
1t was not until an hour after sun
rise that anything was seen Of either
Jack or the Indians, and then both
came together.
Far away to the north mere black
speck appeared moving over and
around. and in and out among the
hills of sand, gradually growing
larger and larger. Close behind this
object was cloud of dust out of which
came band of horsemen.
"Apaches!'
The exclamation explained It. Ger
tainly trained eyes could never mis-
take them even at that great distance.
Clearly the first object was not
horseman, 1t was too near the ground
for that; neither could it be man
afoot for the progress was much more
rapid than could be made by man
running. The distance between the
two objects did not materially lessen.
The latter were undoubtedly Indians,
but whether the former was Jack or
not, they could not make out. If it
was, he was most certainly riding a
strange mount instead of his Bess, the
swiftest and pluckiest little horse in
the carroll.
Nearer and nearer they came.
There was evidently trouble ahead for
them all. The men at the camp were
prepared to sell their lives dearly II
escape was impossible.
But aid was nearer than they
thought. In the ravine, half mile to
the west, a troop Of blue-coated cavalry
was forming.
Forward guide center march,
The captains voice rang out as clear
as If ordering his men to dress
parade instead of an encounter with
the terrors of the southwestern plains.
"Gallop-Marchl Charged"
The line of hardy troopers with
raised sabers came down at right an
giles upon the path of the Indians and
their intended victim.
The red devils saw the trap they |
had fallen into and. with half dozen |
parting shots, they wheeled their po- |
MES and started for the north again.
But it was too late for the troopers
were onto them, and the few who es-
capped in safety to the reservation had
learned lesson they did not soon for
get.
AS for Jack-for it was Jack, |
on pneumatic-tired safety
rs soon as he saw that help had ar
rived; that his long race was over, and
that he had won, rolled over, entirely
exhausted, onto the ground.
We will take Jacks story OF his trip,
rs related to the boys, after he had re-
gived that morning, as an explanation
IF his strange experience.
|
II suppose you're looking at that
affair l rode in on, and wondering
what sort of thing it is, where l
gathered it In, and whether it would
De any good as a COW pony or n ot,"
aid Jack, by way of introduction to
lis story.
We'll. boys, it's quite an experience,
ind, Atkins, if you will kindly favor ,
ne with bracer from that flask of ,
rours to wash down bit of this Ari- {
ona sand, which that devilish thing ,
las lodged in my throat, will relate
t. BY the way, you might dish up a {
,oodly supply of the most wholesome ,
God you have, as have been living 9
on hope for the past few 4
ours. IL
Now I'm ready. Are you? IL so,
ere goes AS beginner, will COM t
hence back few years In this end q
I the world / am known as Jack An
rews, poor devil of COW puncher, I
nth about money enough each month r
0 carry me through one night at po- n
er, il don't play too much loser I
rom the start, and to buy an ocea- b
Ional drink for myself and friends.
y the way, Atkins, another drink Ii
rom that flask of yours wouldn't be v
ad. Thanks. "
But, boys, like yourselves, 1 wasn't Il
ways q COW puncher. Once upon n II
me / wore dude clothes in New York A
ty. and, while didn't ride a thing "
list like that, rode something SINH d
T, and which answered the same pur- b
1se. None of you have been away
ON q civilized community so long Of
it that you can remember one OF X