The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-30

lightly from the ground, adjusted thei
equipments, and, almost in a moment
were ready for the start. AT the secon,
word of command the savage company
headed by the two lieutenants, stIun,
itself out into an irregular line, and tn
scouts were off, running lithely in tina
long. tireless half trot that can carr,
the Apache over mountain and plain a
speed which, in days journey, de
fies the pace of the best horse
Captain Boston stopped a moment I,
bid adieu to Don Ramon and lift hi
hat to Carmen, then galloped after hi,
command, and soon the wild procession
had vanished to the eastward, indistin
guishable among the mesquite clump,
and yuccas and cactuses that dotted the
plain.
There was urgent need in my own
private concerns that Felix and push
forward to Silver City as fast as we
could. Thanks TO the events of the
night before, we were now on terms OF
confidence and friendship with Don Ra-
mon, and as he was equally DESTROYS of
continuing his journey without delay it
was arranged that we should start on
ward, travelling together, that night.
But our plans were interfered with
when two hours before shutdown it was
discovered by the station keeper that no
harness gear could be spared from the
stage company's supplies. This condi.
ton OF things left Don Ramon no alter
native for the continuing of his journey
with the carriage but to send mount.
ed messenger back to Camp Bowie for a
pair OF harnesses or to wait where he
was on the chance that some freighter
or emigrant might come along with
such an equipment to sell
Felix and l had not fully decided
what course we would take about start
ing out under the circumstances, when
the attention of our company of way
farers, seated about the station door,
was attracted by distant moving objects
on the trail advancing from the direc-
ton of Camp Bowie. BY the aid of
spyglass we could distinguish three sep
arate groups of travellers coming oui
way.
To persons inexperienced in the far
western country it seems remarkable
the freedom and apparent unconcern
with which people travel about and
pursue their avocations in times of In
dian outbreak, and especially over ter
ritory recently swept by hostile bands.
This may be partly accounted for by
the principle that familiarity with dan
ger breeds confidence in one that he
Will survive it and the fact that under
the conditions of our savage warfare for
the past 20 years the Indians, after
striking blow, usually disappear for a
time from the scene of its occurrence,
knowing that the government troops are
likely soon to be upon the ground in
pursuit of them
Besides, most people that travel indie. |
pendently through the far western
country, the prospectors, emigrants and /
frelghters. have few resources beyond |
the means necessary to carry them |
without delay to their Journeys end. |
and they can i'll afford 10 stay long in
any one place or the way hence, in |
times OF Indian troubles, as soon as it
Is known that troops are out after the !,
hostlles, the various travelling par
ties huddled temporarily in the shelter
CT frontier towns and government posts
promptly strike ont along the trails in
the hope TO make another stage of their
journey without disaster
80 1t was with less of surprise than Gu.
'ioslty that we saw these parties an.
preaching us over trail on which not
"a hours previously. four people had
been killed by Indians still abroad ON
Iheir career OF slaughter AS the three
groups came nearer we identified them
as u single wagon team.
TWO men driving along three burros.
and, lastly, "A wagon and team proceed
"a by three mounted persons.
it seems were not likely to be lone
some for lack of company tonight, Z" re
marked the station keeper There's
water enough and grass enough for all,
'ut II they want grub I'm blessed if I
Know where it's comm from We've got
10 more OF that than what's engaged
ma what we want ourselves at the sta.
ION
may here parenthetically remark
nat Felix and l, foreseeing that provi
ions might be scarce commodities Oh
he San Simon plain before the Apache
outbreak was over. had bargained with
ne keeper for three days supply of
UGH as he had, for ourselves and for
Jon Ramon's party Such quantity
vas moro than enough to provide us TO
aver City, i'll case our journey were
ot seriously interrupted This bit of
recaution proved valuable to us and to
eople in whom we were interested
'hile we were at the San Simon sta
ION II was with genial feeling of
ecurity as to our own safety from fam.
nc that we watched the distant travel.
rs meandering toward us over the lone
Indian haunted plain.
The first wagon had drawn so nea.
nat its characteristics could be defined.
Pike county, III wager, at five
lilies away" exclaimed the station
eeper will any gentleman take me
p?'
NObolv fo1t 1it-o ,.o;s,,,,, 81, ,......- |