The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-03-20

bate, who seemed happy as boy ovel
| the outlook. lie had one or two "plcts''
&c unfold, too; but he did not seem hurt
when failed to enthuse over them.
Bill had been with us at White Hawk
about three months, and during that
time had succeeded not only in standing
eff 1.-The old enemy" but in making him
self the most popular man in camp, be-
sides. So it was with genuine regret
that everybody heard that he was about
10 pull up stakes and move on. But the
rowing fever had him, and nothing we
could do or say would induce him to
reconsider.
Without his knowledge ''the boys
bestirred themselves in his behalf, and
On the eve of his departure he was de-
coyed up to Higgins boarding house,
where grand ball" was being held in
his honor. And when they presented
the old fellow with a handsome watch:
This is addin' insult t injury" said
Bill, with grateful tears in his bleary
old eyes.
About midnight, when the bale was
at its height, came startling news,
brought from late arrival from the
Arizona line. The notorious Kid and
his cutthroat band of reds were out on
the warpath, and it behooyed those
present-the men, at least-to get to
their respective ranches and look after
their building and stock.
A week later found us, a mere handful
of men, hampered by the presence of
bali a hundred women and children,
besieged in garrison by hundred or
more agcncy-fed redskins, who had /
obviously succeeded in heading off
going toward the military
posts, and proposed to starve us out.
And we were in a sad way. There was
plenty OF water. but provisions were
getting distressingly low, and, worse
still, our supply of ammunition could
not hold out much longer.
1t was a very detected lot of men
hat gathered together that August
nornig in Higgins, which was our
fort" and discussed the situation. It
lad come to pass that, unless help ar
lived very, very soon, we must manage
% get courier through to the fort-an |
undertaking. that, more than likely,
meant death to the man attempting it.
N this emergency arose old Bill.
I'll go-t'night," said he. 81 got
lobody & keer FIR me; no chick mr. child.
IN nearly seventy years old, an not
ong FIR this world, anyhow. Course,
I'M a tendcrfoot, but en- try t git /
through, anyhow"
1t must be confessed, to our everlast-
ng discredit, that we saw the logic of
'ilfs arguments, and the protests
gainst his proposition were few and in
incere. That night, mounted on the I
est horse in camp, and heavily armed,
ill 1jams went out into the darkness,
0 give up what remained of his misera-
lie, mistaken life for others.
He must have got lost in the hills that
ight; for when the reds sighted him
ext day he was only few miles ON his
'ay. He gave them running fight for
'veral miles, but was finally hit by a
ray shot and obliged to seek cover in
ne rocks. lie made a good fight for his
pbing life, as the empty cartridge
bells around the rocks where he had
,ught refuge amply proved.
We found him the second day after he
1T us, stark naked and horribly mutt
ted. In his tightly clenched left.
md was scrap of paper, evidently
by his murderers. On it was
istilr written: 81 +
Boys: They've got me, and / can sea
Ieyn crawling up. Good-hy.-BII.L p
Just got one. Maybe Nisby can make
story out of this"
There was more, but it was unde.
pherabie. thought that, with his
e on The enemy. he had tried to out
ne another BLOT San Francisco Argo- ,
'nE.