The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-09-16

~ Laws Will Ills IdIully, came gdllOp1ng
one morning in hot haste to my ranch,
and with him were Ouray, chief of the
San Luis Utes, and 80 mounted warriors
You ask me how Kit Carson and the
chief looked, but as they will both be here
about supper time you can judge of their
appearance for yourself. WE'LL as I was
saying, l never saw such troubled look on
Kits face before, though 1 had seen him
In many hard place.
'Pfeiffer, said Kit to me, there's a
band of 100 Apaches at the headwaters of
the Conejos, and if we don't stop them
right away they'll sneak down the Rio
Grande and clean out everything in their
course, till they buck up against the troops
from Fort Marcy, and we can't get them
out for week
"'I'm for heading them off, said 1, but
it strikes me that our party is a bit small
to lick hundred Apaches. 1 have four
Mexicans working for me who are good
brave men and We'll take them along.
exit shook his head in his quiet way
and said: No; leave the Mexicans back at
the ranch. You know how it is with the
young Apache bucks; they are apt to stray
away from the main body and at such
times are not very tender with helpless wo-
men and children that come across their
course
"Ouray, who spoke Spanish very well,
said: I have sent runners up to La Iona
del Norte, where the tribe is now encamp-
ed, and they will meet me tonight with
100 men, every one of them eager to get at
the Apaches.
"Well, to make long story short, I
kissed my wife and two children, told the
Mexicans, who were good men, what they
must do if the Apaches put in an appear
ance in my absence, and then off we start
ed.
"We met Ouray's warriors, 100 strong,
that night on the Piedra Pintara and rested
till about an hour before day the following
morning, for our horses were pretty we'll
played out.
"There were no better scouts in the
world than Ourays Utes. We had just
eaten hurried breakfast and were sad
ding up when some of them came gallop-
ing into camp to tell us that the Apaches
had taken alarm and were then riding in
hot haste for the Aqua Caliente and the
Rio Grande to the south
II felt my hair stand on end when /
heard this, and being better mounted than
the others refused the counsel of Kit and
Ouray and galloped away to the south, fol-
lowed by ten young braves whose horses
were fresh.
The sun had dropped behind the Sierra
Madre while was yet four miles from
home. The light, directly in front, sent a
chill through my blood, and my heart for
the moment stopped it's beating. / knew
that my home had been attacked and fred.
Although driven to desperation, IA
| miliarity with danger enabled me to retaiR
| my presence of mind. On the bluff
above the river my Indian companions and
myself staked our wearied horses From
this point we could see the burning build
ings and the shadowy forms of the Apaches
as they danced about the fire. while their
shrill, exultant yells went echoing down
the valley.
1.-THE blood that had been so chilled a
short time before now burned in my veins.
felt my eyes were ablaze. l knew it was
madness, for felt my wife and children
were dead, still could not resist the i'm
pulse to rush forward and avenge them
even though 1 died in the attempt.
II did not think the Utes, though I'M
doubtedly brave, would follow me in this
reckless charge, but they did hoped to
surprise the APaches, but found them on
the alert. A shower of bullets and arrows
met us as we leaped into their midst, using
our pistols and then clubbing our rifles.
"a quick glance showed me the dead
body of my wife and the four Mexicans
lying still and mutilated about her, telling
that they had fought to the last in her de
J Tense
lone THINKS like lightning at such
times couiG rot see my children, and
I remember that drew solre comfort from
the fact that they might still be alive. See
ing that nothing was to be gained by fight
J ing the Apaches, who every moment came
in thinkar srrar1rs o InnI1t rs I callnd To thf