El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-04-06
E CARLY DAYS IN TEXAS.

bearings in the fog and went round i
a circle, which brought them back b
daylight to within a mile of where the
passed out the evening before. Thi
:; fortunate circumstance saved the SCI
- tiers long, tedious route of trailing
@ | following the devious windings of tn
. lost Indians in the fog the previou
night. If the Indians could have ken
a straight course that night it woul
, have been a long chase, and they nigh
: have succeeded in escaping the pursu
I ing party.
, Five miles from where the trail wa
, taken up in the valley they came upol
the stolen horses, which the Indian
, had dropped, seeing now that they hat
to make up for lost time. Half mile
further they came to cedar brake ant
also upon the Indians, who had stopped
in the bed of Dry Frio and were water
ing their horses. The white mel
present now were only five in mum Der
to wit: William Pruitt, John Avant
Lisan Avant, Jack Grigsby and John
Patterson. The other settlers from
below had not joined this party and
were following the winding trail AT
| sight of the Indians the men all fired
and rather hurriedly, for not an Indian
fell from his horse and all made rapid
break for the brush and hills on the
other side, although some of them were
| badly hit. One reason, no doubt. WHY
| the men fired bad was the fact that the
little girl was behind one of the Indians
and they had to shoot careful to keep
from hitting her. The men now dashed
across the creek, and a terrible chase
commenced through the brush and
over the rocks. The horse being rid
den by the Indian and the captive be-
gan to show signs of failing. The red
skin jumped off and mounted behind
another Indian, leaving the played out
horse and the girl together. When
John Patterson came up the little girl
was standing on the ground, holding
the horse with one hand and a piece
of blanket in the other. She was
badly scared when the men dashed up
to her. The yelling, firing and desperate
ride through brakes. over rocks and
tborny bushes had completely unnerved
her. The kind words of the men, how
ever, who told ner not to be afraid and
to stay where she was until they caught
the Indians, had soothing effect, aud
she said she would not leave The
Indians were again Overtaken as they
were ascending bill and rapid fire
was opened upon them, and the hind |
most one. who was the chief, bad his
horse killed, but he seemed himself to |
bear charmed life. Ten shots were |
foo but he kept steadily Cd. carrying |
a long lance in his hand. He had a |
bed tick wrapped around him, which |
he threw off, and when picked up by !
the white men wssvery bloody and had |
nine bullet holes in it. Although the |
Indians Outnum bered the settlers, they |
seemed to be badly scared and made |
scarcely any effort to fight, John Az
ant to make sure of a good shot, dis
and, resting his gun with his
elbow on bis knee. took two deliberate
cracks at the chief before he got over
the hill, but he kept on. The men
crossed the gorge and followed on up
the mountain, hoping to find at least
the Indian whom they had shot so
much lead into.
In going up the hill John Patters0n's
yirth broke, but he let the saddle go
and continued the chase bareback. AS
lians, after going some stance and
having things badly scattered, they
.OOk the back track to where they had
eft the girl. They met another party
If trailers on mules and give-out
horses, and one of them had the girl
behind him. She was where the first
party had left her, and they discovered
her by being on the trail of the Indians.
They all camped now to rest and get
something to eat. The little girl was
1early starved and ate raveuously,
never taking piece of bread from her
mouth after the first bite until it was
Ill gone The men had also drove til e
horses along which the Indians had
abandoned and had them in camp.
After resting their horses John Pat
;erson and some Others again went
pack to see if they could Gnd the
chief. Not great way from
" here they last shot him they heard a
yroan and which was pre-ently repeat
I'd, but the rocks and cedar were so
,hick they could not find where it came
from, and went back, as night was
coming on. Next morning Patterson
and John AVIAN went back again and
found where the Indian had lain on
some cedar limbs which had been
broken off and were very bloody. but
could not find him. While they were
gone the man who had picked up the
girl wanted to leave the crowd d take
her on to the settlement, but was pre-
vented by Bill Pruitt. who said they |
would all go back together. The little |