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

Utes tofol1ow me pacK' 60 Jne GIN where
our horses were. But we never reached
the cliff
''We were forced to stand back to back
and fight the bowling mob that hemmed
us in. One by one my companions fell,
and found myself standing alone. 1t was
only for an instant. An arrow pierced my
right breast, and the blow of spear rem
dered me unconscious and sent me to the
earth
We would all have been scalped had it
not been for Kit and Ouray, who had fol-
lowed close behind They did not stop on
the cliff, but charged down on the Apaches
and put them to flight
81 was restored to consciousness some
time during the night and found Kit bend
ing over me. did not need to tell him
about my wife, but asked about the chill
dren.
Zone of them, said Kit, SIS lying be-
side its mother, and dying Apache told
me that your Oldest child, Nina, has been
carried off,
If anything could have given me COM
fort at that awful time, it would have been
the knowledge that my darling Nina was
dead. But Kit told me to cheer up He
had sent messengers to Fort Marcy for
doctor and troops, and he pledged me that
as soon as it was day he, Ouray and 10
picked men would pursue the band that
had carried off my little Nina and either
bring her back in safety or not return
themselves.
ooh, l could fill book telling you
about the awful time that followed 1 did
not care for the wounds, but the heart suf-
fering of those days made me an old man,
though was not yet 80.
''Well, Kit and Ouray, with the IL picked
men, all mounted on the best horses they
could find, struck the Apache trail and fol-
| lowed it up. Before sunset that night they
had crossed the Great Sierra Madre and
had come upon the Apaches, encamped
upon a little canyon that runs into the San
Juan. The red dogs knew that Kit was
after them, and this frightened them more
than thousand troopers. Kit saw my
child crying in the arms of chief, and,
putting spurs to his horse he rode directly
at him and cut his head in two with
blow of short cavalry saber he carried.
Exit was my little girls godfather, and
! when she saw him she ran to him and
kissing him asked him to take her back to
papa and mamma.
There were enough Apaches there to
have gobbled up Kit and all his outfit, but
they ran like dogs, and l am told never
stopped till they got beyond the Colorado
Chiquito in Arizona.
"That's ALL / need not tell you that
got well, SO far as the wounds are concern
ed, but my little Nina never recovered
| from the shock. She is buried over there
at Taos. Let us drink, comrade, to the
memory of all the saints. Three of them
are mine, and they are looking for me. !"
| AS boy l had read so much of Kit Car
sons splendid exploits that l pictured him
as a powerful man, considerably over 8
feet in height, with long black hair and
beard and piercing black eyes, and habi-
tually dressed in the picturesque costume
| of hunter.
1t was after dark, and we had just fin
ished supper in the officers mess at Fort
Garland, when Pfeiffer, at whose right
hand 1 was sitting, bent forward and
whispered:
"See Kit and Ouray have just come
in."
1 looked toward the door, over which
lamp swung, and saw man about feet
6 inches in height, dressed in the common
blouse and gray shirt OF private soldier.
/ AS ne advanced III d luOhC5O Nay AAO ~
moved his black SLOUGH hat, and l saw that
his eyes were blue, his scant hair as fair
as that of a child, and his mustache de-
cidedly yellow The shoulders were broad
and the chest deep. AS l shook hands
with General Carson the old ideal van
ished, but the low, gentle voices the firm
mouth and the quiet bearing told me
was in the presence of no ordinary man.
The other man was Ouray, Kit Carson's
companion in his rescue of little Nina.
Before this l had seen many Indians
and Supposed that all the fine looking, ro-
mantle ones were confined to the pages of
Coeper's rornances, but this was an excep-
ton to the rule.
Ouray stood 6 feet in height, straight as
a pine. Hi face looked like that of
bronzed Roman warrior and his pictur-
esoue and ample costume would have de-
lighted the soul of an artist,
Years have passed since heard this story
and hid this meeting with these remark
able men. The story give for the first
fine to the public. Meanwhile history and
fame have taken charge of my heroes
ALFRED K. CALHOUN.