The Monitor-register., 1897-07-23
BERGH's BUGLE CONCERT.
BY JOHN BERENGEN.

|
lessly in the shade of their quarters al
Fort Mohave, Arizona. Not word wat
spoken among them till a cavalryman,
pointing down the road, said:
"Hello, boys! jack Bsreh's off again.
Here he comes.'
When be reached the little group, Jack
Bergh, the mail carrier, drew rein, and
the soldiers crowded around him, bidding
him goodbye, Jack," said Ton Walker.
the tall cavalryman. "Take care of
YOURSELF" be said
"Goot pye, Tom," replied Bsrgh, for
he was German. Can l do anydings
for you at Prescott ?"
Nothing, thank you, Jack. Unless
you can bring back my bugle."
Were You leave dot pugle ?'
~ left it hanging on limb of tree
10 cottonwood grove, where we camped
one night, some" here between here and
Prssoott,n
"You mean dot orofe on der south side
OF der roat, 'pout dirty mile dis side of
Miller's ranch P"
"That's the very one.'
'All right, mein vrendt," said Bereh,
In his matter of-fact way. "Ill pring
dot pugle. Goot-pye." So be started for
PRESCOTT, ans hundred and sixty miles
away.
John Bergh's business was to carry
the mails from point to point in Arizona
Territory. His journey was across an
open, level stretch If desert-like waste,
bordered by mountains, from which
hostile Hualapais and Apaches could
gaze down on much of the white, sandy
road.
| One mail rider had met death not long
before this time at the hands of the
Hualapais and ApaohesI many prospect
ors had been murdered; and all the way
stations had been burned and their de-
Tenders killed. Hence none but man
of iron courage would ride that road, and
none but maD of infinite resources
could hope to carry mails to and fro.
John Bergh had successfully run the
gauntlet for nearly year.
This young German, who had seen ser.
vice 10 his native country, was peculiarly
Atted for the po of mail=rider by KEEN
ness of sight and hearing, steady watch
fullness, cslm fearlessness, great physi-
cal endurance, and amazing facility in
inventing methods of soape from danger.
Moreover, he was full uf consideration
tor his mustang, aud thus often had q
fresh horse under him when a less merci-
f9l rider would have have had to depend
for his life on q tired beast.
Soon after leaving the fort, Rereh
wallowed through the hot sand of the
rlver=Aats, crossed the spur of the
Hualapai range, and entered the great
valley that he must cross to reach
Prescott. The mail-carrier plodded
along on foot, carrying his Henry ria-.
bis mustang, Billy, patiently followed
like dog.
| Bergh had discarded boots and spurs
for light moccssins and brown duck
overalls. A blue CHECKED shirt and an
army blouse comprised his costume
The pony, ev without his rider, car
ried no light burden. 10 addition to the
mails, there was fastened to the saddle
his master 3 rubber blanket, army over
ooat, ammunition, and bag of pamela
or roasted -four. This last, mixed with
a little water and seasoned with brown
sugar, was Bergh's only food, but he
cheerfully put up with the scanty fare
rather than burden Billy with extra
weight. Man and mustang Jared about
sqnally we'll, for Billy had to depend
solely upon prairie grass. in such seanty
hunehes as the valley might afford,
The pair trudged on. Bergh's eyes
incessantly swept the plain. As his
head rose over the crest of a slight
ascent in the load, he suddenly stopped,
crouched low aud moved back few
| steps to be completely out of sight of
the persons he had seen approaching.
He removed the saddle and PACK from
Billy, tnrped the pony loose 90 Craze,
went up again nearly to the top of the
slope. and piled few rocks together for
q breastwoik. There he lay concea led,
with his head just high enough to com
mand view of the road. With hun.
dred rounds of ammunition, Bergh
thought he could stand siege from
three Indians.
The sandy and slightly pud ulating
road before him was nearly straight. He
could have seen riders on it half mile
away. But the coming men we're afoot.
Bergh could see three persons, bare
headed, crouohing, with cleaning gun
barrels 10 their hands, advancing warily.
At each slight rise they left the road at
right ankles, returned to 1t again in the
next depression, and stepped every few
steps to look back aud sidewise.
Nearer and nearer they came.
The first one, who seemed to be the
leader, was swarthy, updersized man.
with grizzled hair. wearing q torn cotton
shirt and blue soldier pantaloons. His
feet we're bare and bleeding. His hands
were covered with brass rings, his gun
was an army musket, and in his belt he
carried common casc-knife 10 homely
leathern pouch. On his dark, naked
breast hung, suspended by a cord, 3
shining object. like brass coin.
He was not white man; that was
certain. Nor were bis companions white,
Qne of them was taller and younger
than the leader; the other. who Sc emed
older and more weary from travel, had
his head bound up 10 red cotton hand
kerchief, stained with sweat aud the
road dust. Bergh thought they must be
some of the Hualapais that had been
employed by the officers at Camp Verde,
and had broken loose to join their
tribe.
Click click ! went the hammer of
Bergh's Henry. The shining coin was
his mark.
The man who wore 1t looked straigh ht
at the pile Of stones. The coin was
glittering in the sunlight oaly two rod )
away from the German
Bergh raised his rifle, ami waited
His sights were fixed on the coin on the
leaders breast. Tns oJin Surely that
is not coiu-that oval medal. with the
Saviour on the cross ! the wearer
slowly raised his right hand, and said in
musical Spanish to his companions: