Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-11-29
4 TRAGEDY OF FRIENDSHIP.

This last little Indian scare reminds
me Of something that happened some
twenty years ago" said the ranchman,
Ticking the ashes from his cigar. /
might call IT, the story Of q modern
Damon and Pythias but for the de-
nouement. which. warn you, is not d
particularly joyful one, still, If you fel-
lows don't mind the tragic, here gees:
About twenty years ago two young
fellows whom wei call Tom and Jack,
started ont to seek their fortunes
ranching in Arizona. The ranch 1eVef
was lust then about at its height.
ENGLAND and Australia as well as our
own east We're sending out IDIOTS III
droves to the west. Young fellows,
many Of them well educated ana OF
good birth and brought up to every
luxury. simply went wild over the
primitive freedom Of that adventurous
life until. with capital exhausted,
downright hard work and privation in
evitable. they came to wish-heaVen
knows how bitterly some OF them
wished it-that they had never eX-
changed the commonplace comforts or
civilization for the intoxicating uncer-
tainfv of frontier life. These Two
youngsters. having a tidy bit oil capital
between them on coming OF age, con-
cludad to invest it in cattle, and ilXed
uD0n Arizona rs the most favorable
snot for their financial experiment.
"Tn surprisingly short time they
had conquered every difficulty and
7,ela q GOOD start. They built them
selves a snug little house, were Joint
owners Of quite q bunch Of cattle, ana
had several boys as helpers. They had
ALWAYS been the closest of chums,
these two born in the same town,
scboolmatas in boyhood, classmates at
the university-yOu never knew TWO
chaps more devoted.
"Tom was a big fellow, blond, with a
ruddy skin, honest blue eyes, ana a
Iaueh-well. I tell you it did a fellow
GOOD lust 10 hear him roar In his nearly
wav when any one got off Joke.
rack was a little fellow, bit deli
cate not really equal to roughing it,.
He usod to complain that Tom did the
biggest share of the work; but Ioln
never would hear q word Of tnat, ana
while they smoked before the rougn
stone fireplace. I'm their one room, OF
EVENINGS. to hear Tom defer to Jacks
Underwent and consult about business
matters was to think Toms little part
ner one Of the biggest and cieVerest
business heads of the age.
"For some time there had been ru-
nors OF an Indian outbreak. Inc
Anachos were getting restless ana al
ready several small bands had stolen
ov-ay from the reservation TO hiding
n1aces in the mountains. There was, OF
course. Il Big scare people ledl ing
homes and property. especially Wnere
there were women and children to be
considered.
"Tom and Jack talked it over and
decided to stick TO the ranch. TO leave
was to lose everything, the hard-Won
result of months Of toll; for, Of course,
if thew deserted, the boys couldn't be
expected to stay. There was a bare
chance of things blowing over. and IN
any case watchfulne.s and systematic
defense might save them, If the worst
did come.
$50 the ranch was prOvisioned for a
eieoe and fortified i'm every way; ada
cent outbuildings. which might through
rearress TO the main building become
dangerous. were romoVed-everythlng,
in short. which could insure safety
when the critical moment arrived was
anticipated and done.
cone day a cowboy from neighhor-
ING rancho came riding in like mad. nat
zone. blood streaming down his lace.
"His tale was "a the worst. his
roncb had been attacked, the house
burned. and every one killed but MIN
self. lie. although closely pursued
had succeeded i'm Guiding the Apacnes'
who We're however. close behind MIN
..Tom-he was naturally the leader
o+ once called in all the boys; doors
end windows were barricaded, last de-
tolls of defense completed. The horses
y-era brought inside to q place already
-ranared for them. so that If need DE
ibere would be means for attempted
aiebt and possible escape. Every man
te5 bie station. some at the loopholes.
eome ct the water casks, IN readiness
- mt ont the fires which would ineFl-
+ab1v be started.
1T was not a long wait In a very
sbort time the ranch was surrounded
nv n large band Of whooping devils
,,bo evidently expected to find the
,,a,,ee as UNPROTECTED as the one they
FoS inst destroyed. for, without mo-
roonf.s pause. they made a Wild rush
toward 10. .,-,-.1
"They were met by a whitening vol
lev from the various loopholes and fell
hack with considerable loss, which, as