Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-08-24

we've secuted the Burro inouiitains, ana
that you and your friend can make It
suit your plans to keep along with the
old Mexican's party rs far M Silver
City. It'll be safer for all of you to
travel together"
Captain Boston looked at his watch.
"Time to be off," he snid. 1--WE must
make all our halts short ones until we
get to the scene Of action. We're after
an enemy that keeps forever ON the
move, and the passes must be watched
early to prevent his slipping through ON
the back track to Mexico with his plum
der. ! hope to meet you again and to
hear that you have made your journey
safely"
An orderly was standing Close at
hand, holding his own and the captains
horse. The officer gave sharp com.
mand. His two subordinate officers
mounted their horses The Indians rose
lightly from the ground, adjusted their
equipments, and. almost In q moment,
were ready for the start. At the second
word Of command the savage company.
headed by the two lieutenants, strung
itself out into an irregular line, and the
scouts were off, running lithely In that
long, tireless half trot that can carry
the Apache over mountain and plain at
Q speed which. in q days journey. de-
fies the pace Of the best horse.
Captain Boston stopped q moment to
bid adieu to Don Ramon and lift his
hat to Carmen, then galloped after his
command. and soon the wild procession
had vanished to the eastward, indistin-
guishable among the mesquite clumps
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 rs 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 desirous 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 sundown IL was
discovered by the station keeper that no
harness gear could be spared from the
stage company's supplies. This condi.
tion 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 | had not fully decided
what course we would take about start
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 trav velers coming our
way.
To persons inexperienced in the far
western country IL 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 il and the fact that under
| the conditions Of our savage warfare for
the past 20 years the Indians, after
striking blow, usually disappear for
time from the scene Of its occurrence,
knowing that the government troops are
likely soon to be upon the ground III
pursuit Of them.
Besides, most people that travel inde-
pendently through the far western
country. the prospectors, emigrants and
freighters, 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 on the way; hence, In
times of Indian troubles. as soon as IL
is known that troops are out after the
"hostiles, the various travelling par
ties huddled temporarily in the shelter
Of frontier towns and government posts
promptly strike out along the trails in
the hope to make another stage Of their
| journey without disaster.
So it was with less Of surprise than Gu
riosity that we saw these parties ap-
preaching us over trail on which, not
"a hours previously, four people had
been killed by Indians still abroad on
their career of slaughter. As the three
groups cane nearer we identified them
successively rs u single wagon team.
two men driving along three burros,
and, lastly, u wagon and team preced-
ed by three mounted persons.
1T seems we're not likely to be lone
some for lack Of company tonight. re-
marked the station keeper. There's
water enough and grass enough for all,
but if they want grub I'm blessed II /
| know where it's comm from. We've got
no more Of that than what's engaged
and what we want ourselves at the sta
ton"
l may here parenthetically remark
that Felix and I, foreseeing that provi-
sious might be scarce commodities on
the San Simon plain before the Apache
outbreak was over. had bargained with
the keeper for three days supply OF
such as he had, for ourselves and for
Don Ramon's party. Such aquantity
vas more than enough to provide us to
silver City, in case our journey were
not seriously interrupted. This bit OF
precaulion proved valuable to us and to