, 1897-04-03
AN OLD TEXAS MASSACRE.
One of the Affairs Which Attended the
White Settlement of Texas.

mick growth OF tlnDeT WHICH IFlnSe5
the right bank of the Brazos river one
bright October day in the year 1910, just
as the sun was going down behind the
low hills lying to the westward, and
halted at the foot of a gentle ascent.
They were a hardy looking set Of fell
lows-broad- shouldered, well-muscled
and tanned from long exposure. Their
hair hung down TO the shoulders from
beneath the wide brims Of their felt
hats, and most OF them wore ragged, IN
kempt boards.
The collars OF their shirts were open
showing the brawny necks and hairy
chests. They were armed with short
Mississippi rifles and bowie knives,
which were stuck in leather scabbards
at their belts. The six-shooter, which
is an indispensable. part Of the modern
frontiersman's outfit, was not known in
those days. and the sin%gle-barreled pis-
tolls Of the time were little more than
an incumbrance. They were very little
used by the frontiersmen. Keen-bladed
bowies, which they all knew how TO
handle, and which were as useful In the
peaceful duties about camp as in COM
bat, were used instead.
AS the horses stood paving the
ground a prairie schooner emerged from
the timber. Another followed, and then
prDthor In lhn raor x,oo n oaoOr1 nnnsnr
of horsemen. Several of the latter were
Indians grotesquc.y arrayed, half In
dian fashion and half in the clothes OF
the white man. There about 100
men in the party. counting the wagon
drivers. They, too, were armed. When
the last man rode out into the open they
all gathered about a tall man with a
long beard and keen, gray eyes. who ap-
peared to be the leader.
81 say, Lane" said a bushy-whisker-
ed, stockily built man who had dis
mounted and wa caressing his horses
head, "wher'll we camp?"
There's a place over this RISE" said
the tall man. jerking his thumb in the
direction of the crest of the incline. Its
a gulch. the bed Of a dry creek, pretty
well hidden in the chaparral, There's
plenty OF room for the horses"
The short man walked up to the tall
man, and telling him to lean over, whis-
pered something in his ear. The tall
man dismounted. and the two walked a
short dts,ance awav from the others
who had separated into small sro.,ps
and were telling stories. Thew talked
for a long time in an undertone. and
hen the short man called over one n,
the Indians. There WIS another confer
enc The Indian eesticnlated as he
talked. Some of the men in the erm,n
heard him sav ..Kickapoo.s had Iniuns" "
but they paid no attention to him. There
was nothing to be worried about. Thew
were in the country of the Kickapoos.
and the Kickapoos had always been
friendly to the settlers. Thev had sided
with them against the Mextcans and
their Comanche and Arapahoe allies.
and since the Mexicaps had retired
across the Nueces and the war for TEXAS
Independence was practically over thew
had on several occasions warned the
Texans of raids which the Mexicans had
planned against isolated settlements in
time to get things in readiness for their
reception. What cause was there for
worry?
Those who happened to notice that
the tall man wore a very serious face
when he reioined the eroup at the tim.
hers edge and TINT abort man .cow,od
omtno,slv from under his bpsbv ave.
brows. nigh, have a ,itt,a
but they didn't regard it as being esne.
cially sisniicant.
The party moved over the hill tn the
gulch, the camp for the nieht was ar
RANGED In The dry craol hod o,d .h.
men fell TO getting supper. When the
horses had been tethered, the sentries
sent to their stations and everything
put In order, the tall man. the short
man and the Indian withdrew to the
side of the hill for another consultation.