The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-02-19
A TRAGEDY OF
FRIENDSHIP

Il Ih1ENDSHlI
This last little Indian scare remind
me of something that happened SOM
twenty years ago. said tine ranchman
ficking the ashes from his cigar. e
might call it the story of a modern
Damon and Pythias but for the de
nouement, which, warn you, is not {
particularly joyful one. still, if you fel
lows don't mind the tragic, here goss:
about twenty years ago two yonas
fellows. whom We'll call Tom and Jack
started out to seek their fortunes ranch
ing in Arizona. The ranch fever was
just then about at its height. England
and Australia as well as cur OWL east
were sending out idiots in droyes to the
West. Young fellows, many OF them
well educated and of good birth and
brought up to every luxury, simply
went wild over the primitive freedom
of that adventurous life, until, with CAP
ital exhausted, downright hard work
and privation inevitable, they came 20
wish-heaven knows how bitterly some
of them wished it-that they had never
exchanged the commonplace comforts
of civilization for the intoxicating up-
certainty of frontier life. These two
youngsters, having a tidy bit of capital
between them on coming of age. col,-
cluded to invest it in cattle, and fixed
upon Arizona as the most favorable spot
for their financial experiment.
"1n surprisingly short time they lad
conquered every difficulty and made
good start. They built themselves
snug little house, were joint owners of
quite bunch of cattle, and had sew
eral boys S helpers. They had ways
been the closest of chums, these two.
born in the same town, schoolmates in
boyhood. classmates at the university
you never knew two chaps more de-
voted.
Tom was a big fellow, blond, with
q ruddy skin, honest blue eyes, and a
laugh-well. tell you it did a fellow
good just to hear him roar in his hearty
way when any one got off joke.
Jack was a little fellow, a bit deli
cate. not really equal to roughing it.
He used to complain that Tom did .the
biggest share of the work but Tom
never would hear a word of that, and
while they smoked before the rough
stone fireplace, in their one room. of
evenings, to hear Tom defer to Jacks
judgment and consult about business
matters was to think Toms little part
her one of the biggest and cleverest
business heads of the age.
"For some time there had been ru-
mors of an Indian outbreak. The
Apaches were getting restless and al
ready several small bands had stolen
away from the reservation to hiding
places in the mountains. There was. of
course. a big scare, people leaving
homes and property. especially where
there were women aud children to be
considered
tom and Jack talked it over and de-
cided to stick to the ranch. To leave
was TO lose everything, the hard-won re-
suit of months of toll; for, of course. if
they deserted, the boys couldn't be ex-
pected to stay. There was a bare
chance of things blowing over, and in
any case watchfulness and systematic
defense might save them, if the worst
did come.
$50 the ranch was provisioned for
siege and fortified in every way; ad-
jacent outbuildings, which might
through nearness to the main building
become dangerous, were removed-ey-
erything, in short, which could insure
safety when the critical moment ar
rived was anticipated and done.
''One day cowboy from a neighbor-
ing ranch came riding in like mad, hat
gone, blood streaming down his face.
His tale was of the worst His ranch
had been attacked, the house burned.
and every one killed but himself. He.
although closely pursued. had succeed
ed in eluding the Apaches, who were.
however, close behind him.
Tonne was naturally the leader
at once called in all the boys; doors and
windows were barricaded, last details
of defense completed. The horses were
brought inside to place already pre-
pared for them, so that if need be there
would be means for attempted flight
and possible escape. Every man had
his station. some a the loopholes. some
at the water casks, in readiness to nut
out the fires which would inevitably he
started.
ut was not long wait In a very
short time the ranch was surrounded
by a large band of whooping devils,
who evidently expected to find the
house as unprotected as the one they
had just destroyed. for. without a mo-
ment's pause, they made wild rush to-
ward it.
"They were met by withering vol
ley from the various loopholes and fell /
back with considerable loss. which, os; !
a wholesome lesson. had it's effect, but !
yet undoubtedly reused the Indians to !
q still greater pitch of frenzy.
Three days went by. days of con-
stant vigilance and steady fighting.
The Apaches tried every dodge known
to their mode of warfare without any
success. Toms really mastery line of
defense and the plucky cooperation of
the boys seemed to make 1t probable
that they would be able to hold out un- |