The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-18

Creek and between these two stations
was a thicket of Quakingsap along Ed
wards creek. several miles wide, where
the only trail was a narrow, winding
path through the brush. This was
fine place for the Indians to secrete
themselves and wait for the express
riders. One day u Mexican rider came
into Cold Springs station with bull
let hole through his body. He told us
he had been shot in the Quakingsap
thicket, but he had held on and the
pony had brought him into the station.
He died shortly afterward. A few
hours later the express from the west
came in and l had to make the ride to
Smith creek through that same thicket.
! tell You l did not lose any time in
making that ride. At the top of his
speed the pony rushed through that
winding trail where we could see only
a few feet ahead of us at any time.
The bride reins lay on the horses
neck and ! held my Sharp's rifle at
full cock ready for any emergency.
When l had passed the place and had
stopped on rising ground to let the
pony breathe l saw. the brush moving
below. l fired several times into the
thicket when all motion ceased. l al
ways believed an Indian was lurking
there, but l did not stop long to make
sure.
Several days afterward I found the
bodies of two soldiers stripped Of every
thing in the shape Of wearing apparel
In that thicket and we supposed they
had been ambushed by the Indians I
was never bothered by Indians during
my service as pony express rider, but
number of the riders We're killed by
them.
Il left the outfitting expedition at
Cold Springs and assisted the station
keeper and his assistant in fitting up
the place. We had to drag down fire
wood from the mountains by hand and
It was slow and fatiguing work. We
did not know just when the first rider
would come along nor from what di-
rection. We kept pony saddled and
bridled and We're ready to make a
change in quick time. We knew when
rider was near at hand, for our
watchword was Pony. pony. pony
cried at the top of the voice. All
through the year this cry was sounded
by the riders when approaching sta
tions or passing emigrant trains along
the way. The first rider was the Mexi-
can who afterward was shot from the
quakingasp thicket. 1t was just at
w
up from below and we rushed to bring
the pony around. All the ponies were
or Mexican stock, wiry and but half
tanned. We always had to blindfOld
them with a piece of leather until the
rider had mounted, and then when he
was ready he would cry up and the
leather blind would be pushed up. AS
soon as the brOncho could see he would
begin to buck and sometimes he would
not settle down for miles. I never rode
a pony during that whole which did
not buck or jump stiff-legged. We
could stand the bucking all right. for
by showing our big Mexican spurs into
the grass surcingle we could hold close
to the pony and were never thrown
But when the pony undertook to jump
up and come down stiff-legged there
was no escape from the awful jar.
Such ponies never lived long.
The life was very hard but lively
enough. When we reached relief sta
tion. If there was no rider at hand, as
was occasionally the case, we had to
go right on until we could find another
rider. ready to take the dispatches
Sometimes it would happen that all the
men at station were off hunting for
their ponies that had been turned out
to Craze. and we could not afford to
wait until they returned. One time /
rode $50 miles and started back over
the same route with only two hours
rest. All we had to eat was bacon and
pancakes. with jack rabbits for extra
food. ] grew so tired of rabbits that
the very sight of them hanging In the
markets today gives me nausea.
Il had narrow escape from death
one evening shortly after dark when,
on rounding turn in the trail, ] saw
the light of campfire ahead l did
not know whether the party was COM
posed OF Indians or emigrants and I
had no time to inquire. Dashing the
spurs into the mustang and crying
Pony. pony. pony! as loud as could
l rushed right through the party as
they clustered on either side of the
road. AS came nearer I saw the men
rushing around In evident fright. AS
rode through the party they saluted me
with firearms and bullets whistled
about me until ] was out Of range
learned upon my return trip that this
party of emigrants had come on our
overland route from a side route end
had not become acquainted with the
pOny-express yell, They thought 1t
was party Of Indians trying to stam-
pede their stock. They apolOgized and
explained the matter. until l had to
let the case pass. though had intend
ed to have 1t out with that crowd for
their stupidity. When the pony ex-
press was abandoned I returned out
of the desert to Carson City and went
to mining for short time, until there
came call for volunteers to defend
the posts against the Indians while the
regulars went to war with the south
was made captain Of a company by
Governor Nye and became commander
Of Fort Churchill post which l used
to ride by when was carrying dis 1
patches"