Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-26
4 WILD RIDE.


 up to one of the new forts on the upper Brazos-I believe tFoy called it Fort Belknap or some such name. The sojers was a precious set of grccnhorns-new recruits, I should think
 Well, these fellows were under the command of white skinned, girlish looking young chap, fresh from West Point. But young and green as he was the lieutenant was q gentleman and at heart as good fellow as ever lived The party was mounted on such nags as the quartermaStcr could purchase for them i'll hurry, for though they were | infantry the journey before them was too long to bc undertaken afoot over tho grassy prairie.
 scarcely any of the men had ever before thrown leg over hoCskin. but the lieutenant knew something about rid | ing. 1 believe he said he had been learned it where he learned sojerinS, and after few days could sit his saddle and bear the fatigue as well as any old | Texan.
 ''I'd been down to San Antonio about three weeks. and when the quartermaS ter engaged me to pilot the sojers Strawberry had had the quiet range of the prairie all that time, and when we took the trail he was in prime order.
 ''The more got acquainted with the lieutenant the better liked him. But the fellows he had along with him were of no account, and l knew if the Co- manches or Kiowas should cross our trail they couldn't be depended on.
 we jOurncycd with the Brazos on our left and i'll q northwest direction till. after about a week or so, we reached the hCadwaterS of the Leon riv er, and aS we'd discovered no signs of Indians l was glad to think we'd have no occasion to try the spunk of our grCcnhoruS i'll fight.
 We had reached the foot of the Black Hills. where the country is badly cut up with deep harrancas, crossing each other i'll every direction. and hay ing had hard days travel I proposed an early camp. While looking for suit able spot l discovered fresh horse tracks and knew that large party of Indians wcr, i'll the vicinity. I informed the lieutenant of my discovery and advised him to Sy,CrCtr his men as soon as pOssi- blc, for as vet I was convinced our ap- prOach had not been detected
 
 word Indians they set up such hur- rah that you'd a thought them the bravcSt chaps ill the world. and it was not long before I knew that the Indians had discovered Us. for We could hear them calling tn each other ill the bottom uf one of the deep gullicS, and presently a score or two showed their heads above the edge of tho bank, and letting fly a voll,v lodged out of sight again. Il was for getting out of the prairie a< soon as possible and reaching spot among the rocks at the commencement of the rising ground. where We could rcC,ivv them at a better advantage, but the hcutuuant was sn greedy for q fight that hr wouldn't listen to me a moment and gave orders for his men to diSmOunt and form in regular line and await the attack.
 But scarcely had some of them obrvcd the order than We heard yell, and the next moment the prairie was | covered with d host of mounted Kio- was that came pouring out of n bar rauca and charged right down upon us. The sojerS who had not obcycd the or | der. trusting more to their horses heels than to their rifles. put spurs to their broken down na-S and attempted to cs- | cape But they might as well have es- saved to fiy from the swift tornado as l to C,t beyond the reach of those wild riders A part nf the whooping savages ! made q dash for the Cuwardlv fools and soon had their scalps, while the rest, ranging past us with a headlong gallop and lying over upon the farther side of the fiery little mustangs, sent vOllCy into our ranks And now. taking my advi,.a. the lieutenant ordered his fellows to rcmuunt and i'll close order make all effort tn gain th, r0rkS. But two of the men wcr,. past mounting. and We had tO | leave them
 We had atH'ut half a mile tn 20 tu get among the nearest rocks but to do so We had to run the gantlct of the In dian>. who kept up hot discharge which made desperate work in our lit tie ranks. We Spurred through the say lgcS. who attempted to cut in ahead of Us, anI with our sabcrs and revOlvers kept the track clear till We had reached the rockS.
 Having gained the spot, however, We fUaud tO our Cha-rin that our situa- tivn w:l> but little improved, for the r,Cklg>> and unii>ciplinCd men ill their caG' rncSS To escape had thrown away their muskets and were now, with the exception of their sabcrs, entirely un, armed But the lieutenant and myself. besides our rcvolvers, had each a heavy deer gun
 ''In the meantime our pack mule: had fallen into the hands of the say, ages
 II rCckOncd We were within about 2C miles or so of the fort and proposed tC the lieutenant that while he set his pool devils to work gathering up the loose rocks and making a barTicadc would endcavor tO dash through the Indian: and after reaching the post return n rapidly as possible with a sufficient force to relieve him
 .As this seemed to be the only feasi blc plan, the lieutenant approved of it and waiting only for the cover of tn approaching night I was prepared t make the desperate attempt. tight cIctI Strawberry's saddle girth and dur ing the short twilight led him carefull, under cover of the scattered rocks an mesquite bushes to smooth ground. am after had turned the projecting pOin of fR;h rocks mounted, and with an en ' CouraginG hint from my heel gave hir the rein
 But cautious as had been the vii o Indians had been watching all my mo tions. and scarcely had emerged upo
 level ground than, filling the air wit derisivc yells. a score or two of tn }. painted rascals, mounted on their fleet est mustangs gave chase.
 Yet I knew gallant little Strawberr could outrun any Indian nag ever Ina a trial with, and without pushing hiI