The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-04-24

out ever striking against single thing.
1T seemed TO me that we hadn't gone
two miles when we came 10 lot more
Indians and n big crowd of ponies.
though couldn't see them all till after
wards. Then the warrior that was hold
ing me ierlxed me off the horse and
grunted out something that seemed To
please the others. Pretty soon they
took their own ponies and our horses
into a side gully, and then oil of them
climbed up out OF sight on both sides of
the pass. leaving me tied TO a sapling.
II knew very well what they were 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 that you folks did
not come. they all gathered in the bot
tom OF the pass again and kindled
fire Of dry sticks. IL was then saw
how many there were OF them, and
thought they were going to torture me
to death NJ once"
'Well, how many are there. Walt,
and how are they armed? ?" interrupted
the guide.
II counted 40. 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 n great many strips of dried
buffalo meat on il, and then gobbled
/ 4 tlra ha.
held some OF the meat to my mouth, but
was too much scared 10 eat anything;
so, after awhile, they all laid down and
went 10 sleep. They'd concluded.
guess, that none Of you men would be
foolish enough To come along before
morning.
well. l sat there, with my back
against the tree, and l couldn't help
crying when i thought of Hugh and
my brother and all of you, and knew
/ had 10 die without ever seeing any OF
you again. But, after a long time--it
must have been two o'clock in the morn
ing-I got very sleepy. and was just
dropping into doze, when l felt hand
slip over my mouth, and heard Hugh
whispering in my ear: Don't stir,
Walt. Keep quiet, and I'll save YOU
and in a quarter OF n minute he cut the
deerskln strings that l was tied with,
and put my own revolver in my handl
"I could hardly keep from shouting
out with JOY, but, knowing that we'd
both be killed il did. Inever spoke nor
moved till the numbness had gone out
OF my legs. Then we crept up the side
of the canyon, into the bushes, and
would have got away without waking
any Of the Indians, If one OF us, when
we were 40 or so yards of, hadn't
stepped on a loose stone and sent IL
rolling down the hill, right among them.
In two seconds afterwards shower
OF arrows fell all around us. One OF
them cut that big cash in Hughs knee,
and then glanced off.
I'VE were awfully frightened, but
neither of us made a mite OF noise. We
Just laid still for more than an hour;
ard the Indians. not knowing how long
I'd been gone, and thinking, maybe.
that bear had rolled the stone. didn't
try to follow us, because IL WINS so dark
among the green bushes that even their
sharp, wicked eyes couldn't have seen
n thing.
"As soon rs they'd quit their angry
growing and had gone TO sleep ngain,
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. He tried TO
coax me TO leave him and save myself.
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 / made
him get on my back, with his arms
around my neck. and by resting every
little while, we were getting along pref
" well when we met you"
but, good gracious. Walter! didn't
you know that you were travelling due
west, right away from our camp2" ex-
claimed Dave Ingram.
"Why, no." said the astonished youth.
II thought we were making straight for
IL. How could we meet you folks IL We
weren't?"
Easy enough" rejoined the guide;
"we made n big sweep and came in ao
the west end of the pass, 80 as to take
the redskins In the rear. You boys
must have got completely turned
round somehow"
After n short conversation, we de-
cided not TO attack the savages just
then. but TO get the rescued boys I'd
camp as soon as possible; for as Ingram
observed, "a knee-wound like that must
be attended 10 right or"
Therefore, forming n rude litter for
Hugh. and keeping well clear of the
pass, we kept on our course, reaching
the corral at three in the afternoon and
finding all well.
Our amateur surgeon pronounced the
young hero's wound very serious one
indeed. as he sl<illfully dressed It. But,
by being for the next few weeks tender
~ nursed by his chum, the boy was able
10 be about again before we reached
Sacramento City.
The stolen horsesf Oh. we recovered
them the day after the events herein re-