The Van Buren press., 1897-05-15

who must have been lying fiat on the
ground, waiting for such chance.
Then the fellows, without making
bit of noise, cut the lariats off the thrfs
nearest horses and made brides OF
them. Next they laid me, like a bag
of corn. across the shoulders of one
horse; a horribly ugly, painted Indian
got up behind me and we went of,
quiet as 50 many owls. into the pass,
where it was black as Pitch but, some
how, the Indians found their way with.
out ever striking against a single thing.
at seemed to me that we hadn't gone
two miles when we came to lot more
Indians and a big crowd of ponies,
though ] couldn't see them all till after
wards. Then the warrior that was hold
ing me ierleI me off the horse and
grunted ont something that seemed 10
please the others. Pretty soon they
took their own ponies and our horses
into a side gully, and then all OF them
climbed up out of sight on both sides OF
the pass, leaving me tied to sapling.
Il knew very we'll what they We're up
to-they supposed that some of our
party would come right of to look for
me and the horses; then they could
murder them all without being seen
themselves. But after waiting a couple
OF hours, and finding chat you folks did
not come, they all gatlered in the bot
tom o, the pass again and kindled a
fire Of dry sticks. II was then | saw
how many there We're of them, and
thought they were going to torture me
/ to death nj once"
"Well, how many are there, Welt
and how are they armed?' interrupted
the guide,
Il counted IS. a few carry old flint.
/ lock guns. but most Of them have only
bows and arrows and tomahawks and
/ knives" replied the boy, who, continu-
/ ing his narrative, said when the fire
had burned down to Goals, the Indians
threw great many strips of dried
/ buffalo meat on il, and then gobbled
/ them up like hungry wolves. They
held some of the meat TO my mouth, but
! | was too much scared to eat anything;
so, after awhile, they all laid down and
went to sleep. They'd concluded,
guess, that none of you men would be
foolish enough to come along before
morning.
We'll, | sat there, with my back
against the tree. and | couldn't help
| crying when | thought of Hugh and
my brother and all of you, and knew
| had to die without ever seeing any oil
you again. But. after long time-it
/ must have been two o'clock in the morn
ingI got very sleepy, and was just
dropping into doze, when felt hand
slip over my mouth, and heard Hugh
whispering in my ear: Don't stir
Walt. Keep quiet, and Ill save you,
and in quarter of a minute he cut the
| deerskin strings that | was tied with
and put my own revolver in my hand
81 could hardly keep from shouting
out with joy, but, knowing that we'd
both be killed if | did, never spoke MOI
moved till the numbness had gone out
OF my legs. Then we erept mp the sid,
of the canyon, into the bushes, anC
would have got away without waking
any Of the Indians, if one OF us, when
we were 40 or 20 yards off, hadn't
| stepped on a loose stone and sent il
rolling down the hill. right among them
In two seconds afterwards a shower
Of arrows fell all around US. One OF
them cut that big cash in Hugh's knee
and then glanced OFF.
I'VE were awfully frightened, but
neither of us made mite of noise. We
just laid still for more than an hour;
and the Indians. not knowing how long
I'd been gone, and thinking, maybe
| that a bear had rolled the stone, didn't
try to follow us, because it was so dark
among the green bushes that even theil
sharp. wicked eyes couldn't have seer
a thing.
"As soon as they'd quit their angry
growing and had gone to sleep again
we crawled away, quiet as two snakes
but hadn't gone very far when Hugh's
knee got so sore and stiff that he
couldn't walk another step. lie tried to
| That was the first hard word he has ever
said to me in his life. | knew he didn't
mean to insult me, though; so l made
him get on my back, with his arms
around my neck, and by resting every
little while, we were getting along pref
ty well when we met YOU"
But, good gracious, Walter! didn't
you know that you were travelling due
west, right away from our Campo" ex
claimed Dave Ingram.
why, no" said the astonished youth
Il thought we were making straight fol-
il. How could We meet you folks if We
weren't?"
Easy enough" rejoined the guide;
1--WE made big sweep and came in al
the west end Of the pass, so as TO take
the redskins in the rear. You boy,
must have got completely turned
round somehow"
After a short conversation. we de
cided not TO attack the savages just
then. but 10 get the rescued boys tC
camp as soon as possible; for as ingram
ohscr, ed, "a knee-wound like that mus
be attended 10 right off,
Therefore, forming rude litter fol
Hugh, aud keeping well clear of the
pass, we kept on our course, reaching
the corral ut three in the afternoon an,
finding an well.
Our amateur surgeon pronounced the
young hero's wound a very serious one
indeed, as he sltillfully dressed it. But
by being for the next few weeks tender.
ly nursed 10y his chum. the boy was abb,
to be about again before we reached
Sacramento City.
The stolen horses? Oh. we recovered