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


ut seemed TO me that we hadn't gone
two miles when we came to a 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 jerked 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 all Of them
climbed up out of sight on both sides of
the pass, leaving me tied to a sapling.
81 knew very well what they were up
to-they supposed that some of our
party would come right Off 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
net come, they all gathered ip the bot
tom of the pass again and kindled q
fire of dry sticks. II was then l saw
how many there were OF them, and l
thought they were going to torture me
to death at once"
"WelI, how many are there, Walt,
and how are they armed?" interrupted
the guide.
II counted &c. 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 Are
had burned down to Goals, the Indians
threw a great many strips of dried
buffalo meat on it, and then gobbled
them up like hungry wolves. They
held some of the meat to my mouth, but
I 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.
"Well, l sat there, with my back
against the tree, and l couldn't help
crying when / thought of Hugh and
my brother and all of you, and knew
I had to die without ever seeing any of
you again. But, after a long time-it
must have been two o'clock in the morn
iug-I got very sleepy, and was just
dropping into a doze, when felt a hand
slip over my mouth, and heard Hugh
whispering in my ears: Don't stir.
Walt. Keep quiet, and I'll save you,'
and in a quarter of a minute he cut the
deerskin strings that I was tied with,
and put my w revolver in my hand!
II could hardly keep from shouting
out with joy, but, knowing that we'd
both be killed if I 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 n of us, when
we were 40 or so yards off, hadn't
stepped on a loose stone and sent ii
rollingdown the hill, right among them.
In two seconds afterwards a showek
of arrows fell all around us. One of
them cut that big cash in Hugh's knee,
and then glanced off.
1--WE were awfully frightened, bua
neither of Us made a 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 THEM
sharp, wicked eyes couldn't have seen
a thing.
"As soon as they'd quit their angry
growing and had gone to sleep again,
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. l knew he didn't
mean to insult me, though; so 1 made
him get on my back, with his arms
around my neck, and oy resting every
little while, we were getting along pref
ty well when we met you"
But, good gracious. Walterl 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,
II thought we were making straight for
it. How could we meet you folks if we
weren't?"
Easy enough" rejoined the guide;
1--WE made a big sweep and came in ar
the west end of the pass, so as to take
iAS ACdShlnS III IAC rear lou DOyS
must have got completely turned
round somehow"
After a short conversation, we de-
cided not to attack the savages Just
then, but to get the rescued boys to
camp as soon as possible; for as Ingram
observed, "a knee-wound like that must
be attended to right off"
Therefore, forming a 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 a very serious one
indeed, as he skillfully dressed it. But.
by being for the next few weeks tender
ly nursed by his chum. the boy was able
10 be about again before we reached
Sacramento City.
The stolen horses? Oh, we recovered
them the day after the events herein re-
lated, but as our manner of doing SO
would not be cdifying reading for nv
younger friends, I will merely state
that none of that particular band of
Apaches ever attempted to repeat the
amplypunished outrage.-N. Y. Ledger.
Lost Arts.
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