The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-06-05

What's to be done first, Dave?"
asked Goodson. Lets start out to the
rescue at once, before it's too late"
Nothing can be done till morning,
john" gloomily replied the guide.
1.-THE villainous Apaches have already
got far into the pass with their prizes.
Amy attempt to follow them in the dark
would be a useless throwing away of
our lives. They've planned for us to
make instant pursuit. If we did, net
n of us would live to tell the story.
We'd all be riddled by bullets or arrows
before we saw a single redskin. We
couldn't see TO shoot at all, but their
eyes are keener than ours, and they'd
pick every last one of the pursuing par
ty off. Then they'd rush down and
overpower the men left in camp, and so
capture the whole outfit"
"But, merciful heavenl Dave, they'll
slaughter my poor brother long before
morning." distractedly cried Goodson.
"No, they won't kill him, unless his
rescue seems certain. He's so young
that they'll try to keep him for adop-
ton into the tribe. The whole band is
probably hiding in the pass now, not
many miles away, waiting to take our
scalps. When they find that we don't
come along, they'll lie down and sleep
till daybreak. After that, they'll loaf
around till their scouts bring in word
that we're coming. / reckon those
scouts will never see me, though, for
l count on taking the main body so
completely by surprise that therell
be no time to kill the prisoner. Cheer
up, Hugh. Well save your chum all
right. Why, bless me, where is the
boy?"
Where vas he, sure enough? All the
covered wagons were carefully
searched, but no Hugh could be found,
nor could the two revolvers belonging
to him and Walter!
No one could imagine why the youth
had stolen away, though some of us
thought that, kali crazed by grief, he
had gone forth with the wild idea OF
either rescuing or dying with his friend,
which last he would most certainly do
should he chance to come upon and be
discovered by the ambushed foe.
To the half-frantic wailing of John
Goodson was now added that of Robert
Austin, and it was all we could do to
prevent both from rushing off in a blind
search for the lost boys.
Not an eye was again closed in camp
that night. All of us remained watch
fully awake, each man with his rifle and
revolver ready for instant use. But
nothing occurred to disturb us. So far
as appearances went, there might not
be a hostile Indian within 100 miles.
We breakfasted long before day, and
when the first lance-shafts of coming
dawn streaked the eastern sky, 20 of
us, all on foot, and armed to the teeth,
hunted up the trail, utterly undistin-
guishable to all but the guide, who,
after a momentary inspection, conf
IDENTIFY asserted that only three Indians
had been engaged in the raid upon
horses and boy.
Its just as l thought" he said, 1.-THE
main body is ambushed somewhere in
the pass. Those three scouts have been
sent out to decoy us into a trap. The
plan won't work; not if know myself!
Wen go around, over the range, and
come on the numbering crew from the
west end of the canyon. No watch will
be kept in that direction; and, with
proper care, q surprise will be easy,
but I'm very doubtful whether We'll
see Hugh Austin again. He'll
either get lost in the mountains or
fall into the clutches of the redskins.
In that case, he's sure to show fight,
and will be killed otfhand."
In accordance with Dave Migrants
decision, we crept noiselessly through
the mountain businesses, giving the
pass a wide berth, and after four hours
of arduous toll, came round to it's west
ern mouth. Then we divided, and went
east, ten of US stealing silently through
the scrubwood on the left side of the
canyon, and the other ten doing the
on the right.
l happened to be one of the first
named party, in which were also John
Goodson and Robert Austin. We had
gone, perhaps, a mile from the end of
the pass, when suddenly we heard a
rustling among the mesquite
bushes in u front. Instantly every
man of us sank out of sight behind the
nearest convenient cover, all expecting
the next moment to see either some
dangerous wild beast or still more dan
gerous Apache warrior.
What, then, was our joyful surprise
when the bushes parted and revealed
Walter Goodson, staggering heavily
along with Hugh Austin on his back!
Next both boys were in their
brothers arms, and we then found that
Hugh was quite disabled by a severe
arrow wound in his left knee, rendering
him utterably incapable of walking,
though not otherwise injured. His
faithful comrade had actually carried
him, as was afterwards proved, more
three miles!
One of us, skilled in such matters,
now gave the preconcerted signal
three short yelps, in imitation of a
coyotes bark; and in five minutes u
friends had crossed the ravine and were
with us. Then Walter, who was entire
ly unhurt. told his story. Said he:
Last night, when l went out with
John to bring in the stock, l passed n
beast after another till l came to the
last horse in the line, intending to loose
- a. L.