The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-01-26

hundred, but juggling by the sign, no
more than half dozen tackled Bill. l
don't know where the main crowds
located, but it's sure to be near the
narrowest and bushiest part of the
pass"
"Abe," said Tom Granger, you'd
better take command of the party till
this things settled; and I'll be full
private. l want chance to fight with
out being bothered giving orders Be
sides, you know what ought to be done.
and don't"
All of MS seconded Toms request,
and the old soldier finally consented to
the arrangement.
While this talk went on we'd moved
away from the foothills, and on reach
ing alittle creek in the vicinity where
there was not a tree, shrub or rock to
shelter an enemy, we corralled the
wagons, tethered the horses out to
feed and got our own dinners.
Then Johnson said: "Boys, / want
nineteen volunteers besides myself for
this job" Every man of us jumped up
on the instant, and Abe smilingly con-
tinued: 'Well. since you all want to go,
well draw lots, SO as to give every one
an equal chance. III put twenty-nine
numbered tickets in my hat, shake EN-
up, and the fellows that draw the first
nineteen will go with me. The other
ten must stay to guard the camp"
All right. That's fair enough. Go
ahead, Abe" we agreed. And the
little pieces of pasteboard, cut from
an old book cover, were placed in the
hat, each man shutting his eyes, after
wards withdrawing one. Both Tom
Granger and were among the lucky
nineteen, and the disappointed ten
submitted gracefully.
In addition to his muzzle-loading
rifle each one of us carried heavy
Colts revolver mighty costly weap-
on at that tiine-so twenty of us could
| fire, in all, one hundred and forty shots
| without reloading.
Friends" thoughtfully observed our
new captain, ''of course the redskins
have scouts out watching us. They've
marked our change of position and
viii reckon on us staying right here
and sending squad into the pass to
| hunt for our comrade. If we were
fools enough to do that not man
would ever come back. Then they'd
try to wipe ont the rest of us and cap
ture the stock about daybreax to-
morrow morning. If they don't see
us make a move all the warriors am
pushed in this end of the pass will fall
back on the main body before sun
down, and not one of the band will
ever think of being attacked from the
further end of the gorge.
Now, here's my plan: The bank of
this creeks high enough to hide us
completely, and well sneak along its
bed till we get to the timber this side
of the Big Sandy. Then we'll work
our way round the spurs to the west
end. of the pass and take the rear.
It'll be twelve or fifteen-mile tramp,
/ reckon, but nothing else can save
Bill Somers."
do you think we can get there in
time. Abe?" asked.
EASY enough, Dan," he replied.
There's seven hours of daylight left.
The way we're going, though impassa-
BILE for wagons. will likely be not bad
to push through on foot, and we ought
to reach the far end of the pass in four
hours. That'll leave us three to creep
up on the reds. They can't be any
great distance from the west opening,
but well have to crawl like snakes for
the last half mile or So There's sure
to be good cover, though, and if we
get there before sunset we'll save Bill,
even if there's hundred of the muir
dering villains. So, stick hunting
knives in your belts, recap rifles and
pistols; take plenty of grub, and let's
start. I'll pocket flask of brandy in
case it should be wanted"
Shaking hands with our stay-at.
home comrades, who were hardly like.
ly to see all of us again, we entered
the bed of the creek, our movements
being perfectly screened by the high
topped wagons until that purpose was
served by the bank itself.
Sometimes wading in the water,
sometimes skirting its edge, we safely
gained the timber.
Then for three hours we struggled
through an underground so dense that
our progress was necessarily slox "; but
the sun was still high when we arrived
at the end of pass, which fresh trail
of pony tracks at once proved to be the
right one.
Carefully examining the telltals
hoofmarls, Abe said: There's from
fifty to sixty warriors in this band
boys. Our only hope of saving the
guide is in surprise so sudden and
complete that they won't have q
chance to kill him, which, il not too
busy saving themselves, is the frs
thing they'd do on being alarmed.
On either side of the trail and wei
up on the slopes of the pass was {,
heavy growth of trees and bushes
now in full leaf Spreading ourselve,
out, each one wormed his way as if al
depended upon his individual caution