Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-02-24

the top of the hill the Indians
gave a war whonp that-was blood
curdling enough to make the hair on
a tenderfoot's head stand straight on
end. We all thought that the Indians
were coming after US and the jig wal
up. "What shall we do now?" asked
the brave fellow who was going to
shoot the chief. "Their ponies are all
fresh while our animals are all very
tired" said l, Sand it is no use for us
to try to run away from them, so let's
turn around, face the music and give
them the best in our shop"
Now you can readily imagine our
surprise when we turned around and
saw that not a single Indian had
moved from the line. Then, as quick as
a thought, it flashed through my mind
what they meant. "They want to give
up those CATTLE" said I, and 1 had
hardly got the words out of my mouth
before three Indians moved from the
line and dashed around the hazel thick
ct back of the camp and a few mo-
ments afterward they came back with
six head of cattle before them. They
drove the cattle out about 200 wards
and then, wheeling around, rode back
and took up their places in line. The
Indians had killed the two latest oat-
tie in the lot and were doubtless feast
ing on the meat when we reached
their camp. We went back and got
the cattle and when we again reached
the top of the hill it vas getting dark.
l looked back and say that not an
Indian had moved from his place in
the line and the chief was standing on
the ground by the side of his pony.
When We reached the place where
the trail crossed the creek it was
pitch dark and none of as could tell
what direction we were going,
"Let's follow the cattle and trust to
LUCK" said /, and we did follow them
until about four o'clock the next
morning, when they grew too tired to
travel, and we stopped until daylight
to let them rest. When daylight ap-
peared we discovered hat we were
near the fork of the creek and less
a mile from our old camp. Tt
was late in the afternoon when we
overlook the train, which had Just
gone into camp. When l slid off that
abortion of nature-that in
fernal mule-whose gymnastical per-
I had endured for thirty
hours, without a mouthful to eat,
The southern part of my anatomy was
In a badly demoralized condition,
whole sections of cuticle being gone.
wonder that I took my supper in
standing position, whilst the other
boys sat on the ground to eat theirs.
Those boys guyed me numerically
night and I swore that I would
never ride another mule as long as 1
lived, and I never have.
The Argonauts who crossed the
plains in '4s and the early ffties are
passing away. Already a.
vast majority Of them have "passed
IN their checks" and 'sgone over the
range" and the day is not far distant
when the last one will have followed
On the same trail.
No one who is nov whisked across
continent in four days-from the
Missouri to the Pacifc-when they
'ravel as far in n day as those emil
grants did in n month, can have the
east conception of what the journey
vas, nor the terrible privations and
,ardships they endured. As there are
! number of the old boys residing in
his town, I would suggest that they
i've, through the columns of the LED
iER, some Of the incidents, either
or tragical, that occurred
whilst making that long and perilous
Quincy In the days long since gone
". w. w. CLENDENIN.