Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-04-22
FOR HIS FRIENDS SAKE.

1t was in 1850. during my first over
land journey to California, that we ar
rived, shortly after shutdown one even
ing. at the mouth of Crooked Pass. a
dark. tortuous ravine leading through
the ella Range.
is it was then too late to make the
passage before dark, our guide, Dave
Ingram, ordered us to encamp on the
bank of a little stream, an affiuent,
believe, of San Carlos river.
At that time the cruel. bloodthirsty
Apaches roamed everywhere over the
great plains and mountains of Arizona
(then part of New Mexico) numbering
and robbing such helpless parties of
emigrants as they could take unawares
or overwhelm by superior numbers.
Though, owing to incessant vigilance,
we had not yet lost single one of our
80 men, several of us had received ugly
arrow-wounds in some of the numerous
scrimmages in which we had been,
from time to time, engaged; so now,
being in specially dangerous locality,
we adopted every precaution that the
veteran guides experience could sug
gest to guard against surprise. The
as to form a hollow square into which
our little army of horses and mules
might be inclosed after being tethered
out to feed for a few hours, arms and
ammunition were carefully inspected,
and the order duly arranged in which
the eight sentry squads, or four men
each, should keep one-hour watches
throughout the coming night.
Il 3
Plains, if they attack an encamped
party at all, generally do so just at
daybreak in the morning; but we knew
the Apaches sometimes broke through
this rule. When scalps and plumber
were in prospect, these ruthless saw
ages would frequently, in those days,
steal upon a silent camp at any hour of
the night, and if its occupants were
sleeping at the moment, few of them. in
deed ever awakened this side of eternity.
Hence, our astute leader left nothing
to chance, but always renewed the
Ouadruple guard at such short intervals
that no man need become drOwsy on his
post.
Besides our force of grown men,
there were two boys in the Party-stur-
DIV, fearless young fellows of Is, who
felt much aggrieved at never having
been allowed to take part in the fight
ing. These youths. Walter Goodson and
Hugh Austin by name, though not at
all related, were bosom friends. and
each was always seeking some way of
showing his affection for the other.
Theirs was n friendship so unseltish, so
touchingIy beautiful, that their re-
spective brothers, who were OF the
marty, often spoke of them as David
and Jonathan" And now had come
tine time when both were to prove them
selves no less brave than those Biblical
heroes.
Our stock was. that evening, permit
ted to Craze on the short, rich buftaIo
grass until ten o'clock; then Walter
Goodson went out with his elder broth |
err, both being unarmed, to bring the
animals into the corral, all the rest OF
the party, except the sentrles' having
lain down to sleep.
As was afterwards known, Walter, |
being the more active of the two, ran |
on to tLe end of the line to draw the |
Iariat pins of those horses which were |
nearest to the mouth of the pass. John,
the brother, having completed his part
of the work. by forming the beasts he
was to secure into string readyt drive
10 camp. waited some time for the boy
TO come along with his drove. but could
hear no sound indicating its approach,
and the night was so dark that he could
seq nothing at distance of ten yards
Impatient at the unaccountable delay,
he at las. called out: "Come, Walt.
hurry up! You're too slow for any
thing"
There was no answer, and now he an
qriIy shouted: Better quit fooling.
how and bring the stock along quick.
It's time we were in bed. I've got TO
stand guard from two to three. and
want some sleep"
Not word in reply, and, save the
oueruious yelping of proving coyote'
no sound broke in upon the solemn still
hess of the night. Greatly wonderihE'
tbough not vet seriously alarmed, Coed
son now CROPPED his way to the faF'her
hand of cattle. which should have con-
tanned six horses and the same mum
Der of mules. Passing from one ami
NAL to another, and counting as ne
went, he found but nine beasts IN All
Three of the horses were gore SO no
SIGN of his young brother could De
seen or heard! Then the tearfuI truth
dawned upon him. As surely as II ne |
had seen the deed, he felt convinced
that the horses and boy had been mace
away with by Indians, though now 1t
had been so silently done he could not
imagine, especially as the outernoS'
sentry patrolliug the line OF STOCK
should have passed along ITS Whoie
Ienp1h at least four times in the hour.