Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1895-05-10


valley of Death in Arizona. He
brought with him a nugget of gold as
large as baby's hand to bear out his
story; he told how he had barely eluded
the Apaches, after they had killed all
his friends; he swore that the Canyon
de Ore literally shOne with gold; and
the upshot was this prospecting ex-
petition under the leadership of Clay.
Two days before this. Juh's band of
Apaches, out Oh the war-path, had at
tackled Clay's party with an over
whelming force. Burt and three others
had fallen 1T the first fire, and the rest,
fighting desperately, had ut last sue
about a hundred feet long by fifty wide
rising some ten feet from the plain.
Irregular lines of stone walls, jut-
ting from the ground. and hollow pits,
where the roofs of the lower chambers
had fallen in. showed it to be the ruin
OF one of the old "pueblos," once SO
common all through that country. 1t
furnished 4 position impregnable to
the dashes of the undisciplined In
dams, who had at last settled grimly
down 10 starye the defenders out. The
whites had food enough for several
days. but no water. This the Indians
could procure from n little branch of
the Colodado Chiquita, which ran
about five miies away, but the be-
Sieged had no such recourse.
One of their number, Aleck Pike,
wounded in the first days fight, was
already deliriOus from his wounds and
from thirst, and the rest were suffer
ing greatly; for the two days siege
and loss of rest, joined to the burning
sun, which aggravated their thirst, was
telling fearfully upon them.
Sweet prospect, this, for a man with
a wife and two kids waiting for him
in Taos!' said Clay to himself. well,
Sallic. you're a plainSman'S daughter,
and you knew what kind of life mine
was before you married me-and-I
wish you'd been home so that ! could
have kissed you good-by before l
started. But I've been in worse places
than this before now, and saved my
scalp, and please God, 1 may see you
and the kids yet before the redskins
get me-"
He limped over to where the men
We're standing, and spoke aloud.
well. boys, something's got to be
done Those fellows out there seem
to have taken root. We can hold out
couple Of days longer, maybe, but
after that we'll be past praying for.
We've got to do something, and do it
quick. Anybody got anything to pro-
pose?"
only thing l see" said one Of the
men, lis to make a dash and cut our
way through, if we can"
Yes, if we can, but-we can't. Those
fellows out there are too many for us. "
WELL anyhow, I'd rather go under
with bullet through me than stay
here and die, like a trapped ki-yote"
"SO'd |; but there's Alack," pointing
to the sick man; 1--WE can't take him
with Us, and it won't do to leave him
behind"
NO use of the rest of us staying here
to die when it won't do him any good
THAT may be, but we promised to
sticls together, and I'm going to do my
share of it."
Cap" spoke up Collins, show far
are we from Fort Merritt?"
about sixty miles.
"And what way?"
"Due north. as far as 1 can make it.
Why?'
"Well, | was thinking mebbe one of
us might slip through the redskins
yonder, and get to the fort and let the
troops know how we're fixed. Cap'n
Kirby wouldn't ask anything better
than IL chance for a slap at old Juh."
"Hum. yes; but don't think any one
could get through"
''There's no telling where lightning
might strike; and n fellow might as
we'll die there as here"
Clay hesitated. well, what do you
say. men?" he asked, presently.
There aint no show to get through,
said one.
1--WE might as well try it; we cant
do any worse" another protested.
Wed better stick together-we're
showed under anyhow" still another
said.
We'll" said Clay, eff it's our only
chance. will any one here try it,"
Il will.' said Collins and Finch, in
the same breath, both springing tC
their feet.
Il spoke first" growled Collins.
"I'm the lightest weight, Cap" said
| Finch, eagerly.
SSH" said Clay. gravely, "lets see
The moon will be down by nine O'cloci
and that black stallion ought to carry
man to the fort by sun-up. Kirby'l
not wait n minute when he hears
what's up, and the troops ought to get
here by the middle of tomorrow night
anyhow; we can hold out till then,
think. It's our only chance; guess
you'd better try it,"
(which one of u.s." asked Finch.
Collins, l reckon; he spoke first"
"Just ICY luck!' grOwled Finch, an
grily. as he turned away, while Collin:
smiled triumphantly.
One would have thought, from thu
aspect of the two men. that the prize