The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-07
INyo 4 coM4NcHk AMBu>cADF.
How Tom Pu-hnrdy Rode to IT'S Death
Down In the Arroy" f1ondo.

DOwn ~ tNr hrFpNb
II. was lat. in the spring and tho grass
was hizh and green when Tom Purhardv rode
down into the Arroyo Hnndo to see II the Co
'm.nches we're nmhu Scadtd there" said jim
Brook'eld. who had served in the Texas Rang
crs a quarter OF a century ago. "The grass
was high and green. and horses. cattle. buffalo.
AID antelo., e everything that feeds on the
Texas piaias were getting fat and sleek win
good living. The cowboys were rounding IN
stocs. and freirhting outfits and emigrant
wagon trains were pushiuS westward o'cr the
prairie. But there was a bad feature about
this. for the plenty OF green grass fnr their
ponies brought the Indians out. 100. md every
Comnnche AMI XII wa who could Get A hors"
ard gun was slipping away from the reseE"a-
ton Mt Fort Sill tn band with his comrades
u scour the rla'na for plunder and white
mems sca,ps. II was on account OF danger
f.om these renegaies that n dozen NJ us rangers
were acting "a escort to an emigren. train
from eastern Texas. bound across the Stalled
Plains for the P.cos country la Eew McNic..
Although we lad seen no Indians 50 far
on this trip. IL was known tha: several bands
Of Comanches we're at large. and reports OF
their outrages had come 10 III. ANY ordinary
band we had 10 cause 10 dread. exceot the
chance that they might pick u II stragg!er
from our outfit. or stampede our horses In
the night. But II these bands should combine
they would make a force large enough 10 give
our outfit a fight. and w!re us. out maybe x
we we're careless enough to let them surprise
us or catch US at a disad -antage. so WE cor
rallied the stock and stood guard 81 nights. and
studied every sign on the prairie. near and far.
and explored every ravine We crossed before
taking the wagons into IL.
ION this day We were all feeling well. for
we were nearing the New Mexico border.
and everybody In the train seemed to think
that danger from lndia3s was pretty much
over when we had got as far a. that. The
children In the wagons were shouting and laugh
ing, the bigger girls had pr!mped 10 u bit and
put on u touch OF fnery. and Il = driyer-.wcre
ban,er!nG enc another and tracking their
whips AS /; the" liked the sound. Blu; Capt.
Shalott had a shadow ot auicxty on his face
as. with a bal: dozen Of US. he rode on ahead Of
he train. and some OF us rangers Tho had seen
service didn't feel atall sure we had passed
the worst danger from the Indians. We lad
seen dust clouds ahead the day before made
by something OFT OF oFr range Of view.
which might have been buffalo or might have
been ~horsenel. Ana = ranger who had come
in from scouting OF to the north the day be-
fore had reported u rail- o! mounted. unshod
ponies. a score or more In number. which lay
In n direction parallel with our course.
We were approaching a place THAI we re-
garded as peculiarly dangerous. the Arroyo
HonGo. n deep aud wide raNic- across Nhlch our
route lay. It's steep sides led down 10 I bot
tom grown M with high grass, and through this
cotton N,onnd a deep, sandy ,hannrl. now Dry.
with banks Ctraight up and down or overhang-
lug. IL was n place that the CoinRnches. IL
tnev meant 10 attack b, would be likely 70
select for an anbuscaie. Three huHirci wards
from the arroyo the Captain halted onr little
party. and. turning back. gave signal for the
behind Us. Tom Purhardy. Of The Rangers.
was talking with a pretty, naX-n.haired cir!
as he rode alongside the OF iorewheel OF her
fathers wagon. They had established 4 very
friendly ACQUAINTANCE on the tria. and we and
beguL TO Joke Tom about her. He was ~lcanin.
very near her po"e sunbonuet as We looked
Ia X. As the CAptaia sisnRlIed for III" train tn
the girl IA ~lauchinH aleu-. and rode 10 where ",
were. As lie came t. Us We saw thar PINNED
70 tie breast of his 2lue haunei shirt was n.
scarlet ribton that the cirl had worn AT Lei
tArJa; that morning.
Cant. shalott was saying: IT won't do 70:
the train 10 get any nearer that guich till ".
&c whats n It. WAC volunteers 10 ride ahead
We all started to speak. bu, Tom srcke fir,
The CAptain looked at him with a sigh
smils at the corners o; his mouth as he notrt
the red ribbon nj The rangers breast. Blu, Lii
brow and his words were serious.
"'ron'u do. Ton.' h. said, Ride M ant
80 into the arroyo. Wien YOU &c, across sig
1al u,itttsa all right. You're heeiee for qu'ci
The ranger rested his carbinc across tn,
saddle horn while lie felt 10 see II his revolr
ers: one at eacn hin. were in place.
'huess lll.'aIe a couple more guns along.
he said. There's no knowing what l may ruI
into down in that bottom. Ali. that's right
I'll, unfast.ned his belt. sir ped the tv re
yolvers We handed, him alongside the Others
toward the ravine and can cred anead alon.
the. trail. We watched him turn near tn,
ravine and ride along the edge. pecring dow
intn N fnr N hnnHr,AI Yards mr. 81 fn the F.rll
and then to. the left ofthc trail. He came hacl
TO the ,-ail and turned down, into arroyo. From
last thing "e could see. disapi cared below IN,
brink. n man might have counted ffty. whcr
dozen riric shots fired almost n, once. will
oth.sr shots following RAPIDLY and the noise u
Indian yells: Amid III" rite trinc and yril,r
like the rolling of a drum. aad We Snes Tom
pistol Were NJ work.
II, was NIL over in thirty seconds oetor,
We could have got % the scene had we riddle
our best u certain. death. charming the Ia
but orr Captain restrained us. for we wer
there To protect that wagon train, with tn
women and children along, and not to throw
away our lives leaving cmigraI j. NJ the 90
manChrs' merry. so W" sat helplessly lCokinI
a. the smoke curing M above the wells AM
the hiring down In that valley OF death. unit
the rcVolvrrs ceased 10 crack. the RITES WEI
still. and then the yrllS died down It. silence
BAGS OF u, tAc wagon teams, ~ the Captain
: sUal. were rounding into u circle Ia form
corral to- the S,ock, and u fertilization FOR q!
} men 10 UGlt OtNllu. Every moment We eA
negied n rush ot tOm lnchrs on .heir ponre
from same paint up OF GOWN the arroyo. ard
, fight for our lives 20 begin. But no sign @
Indians appeared shove The raviue's br!nk
ana all heSond WAS 49, silent as the grave. ",
remained Where we were watching End waltz.
, Tor a fuIl half hour.
. Then a. we waited We SAN. far up the ARROYO
$ two miles away. a long procession OF Indian
emerge. riding in single HE. We counted MT
OF them before they All came into sight. W.T.
iield glasses II could lc seen ;hRt come 81 IN
riders tat Imply, with munlrd fucc.. IN Il,
saddle and That SeNtr4ll NJ tl. !, So l-E. . a.
I Indians, one sitting behind the other. Tn
Commences were retrcniing, carrying tnrI
: dead and wounded after their fashion. "
/ watched them unul they disappeared bch II
n swell OF the prairie. Then rhe Captain me-
toned Ia me, aud we rode forward iugeihe- t
the arrayc, and alter accommodating II from u
hdge. rode down to III" bottom. There was III
r trhmpled and hloudst aimed grass about IN
! stripped and mutilatsI body u POOR Tom. W
followed the hath OF the Indians from MhnT
\ they had lain hidden under the oNrrhaugin
D bank OF the dry water channel 90 where The
horses had been held ont OF sight a quarter Z
! u mile IN the arroyo, and oou.d see sIgus uf III
! haste with Shich they had mounted and star