Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-09-09


His mouth was straight and firm, and
bis small, gray eyes were set unusually
close together. His chin was sclean
shaver, and on either cheek he wore
q thin and formal whisker. Perhaps
IL was TO this severe exterior that
Colonel Bailey owed his appointment
rs deputy sheriff Of Guthrie district;
but be this as 1t may, everybody knew
z him 10 be capable and fearless, and
80 when an elusive young Chickasaw
bandit was seen In the vicinity OF Le-
high IL was the colonel who was chosen
to run him down.
Colonel Bailey selected me as one
OF his associates. For the other he
picked ont an unsociable fellow,
known in the community as "Frosen
Pete" ! suspect that he had no
great confidence In our ability TO catch
the thief. For when we reached Le-
high and found the outlaw under lock
and key, he seemed very we'll satisfied.
II merely remained for us to bring the
prisoner safely to Guthrie and lodge
him in the county Jail.
After O short delay, we started
on our return journey, and so ~
happened that one breezy autumn
evening we four encamped in q
hollow OF the Washita Hills, Okla-
home, ,yiip more than half our ride
Our prisoners name was Oche--a
Chickasaw word meaning ''all right"
Never was name less appropriate. Ex-
cept in his youth, his vigor and the
marvellous quickness Of his motions,
Oche was anything but "all right"
m6ccasins, his extraord InSry leaHke1
left his weight scarcely hundred
pounds. He spoke little English aud
was wholly without education, but his
high reputation for cunning had been
thoroughly earned. A pair Of frayed
lluckskin trousers aud diugy blanket
Made up his simple costume. He
looked q typical Indian outlaw, but
his face was kind, and there were
,Ifen who said bis gratitude for favor
'TSs ksSh and lasting.
u As . professional horse-thief Oche
had small claim upon the kindness Of
lhohest men, and be must have e.
pected she issefest Justice at official
hands. But at the outset the Indian
bad reason TO be surprised, ipt S&A;
VIA Bshef9dI q 3 fault, and his kind
consideration Tor prisoner Ias In
variable. Frozen Pete and I followed
his example: We bad no wish to be
discodrieons, and Il Seemed only nat
''ural and right to offer Oche such little
attentions as we're within our power
to bestow. remember in particular
that last night when the Indian was
shivering beneath his scanty blanket
how the colonel drew of his heavy
weathef-coat and spread II carefully
over him. Oche merely raised his
head and stared hard into the rugged
face Of ths sheriff
: The hollow in which we had halted
was natural basin, situated on the
west bank of branch Of the Washita
river. Eastward between us and the
stream very narrow wall Of shay
earth rose precipitously to the height
OF full 30 feet. To the north and
west the low hills were almost perpen-
dicular. Thus on three sides the
basin was entirely shut In by cliffs.
On the fourth alone to the southwest
the view was open, and through the
gap we could see stretches of the IL
limitable prairie.
I. The tall prairie grass grew abun-
dantly on the floor Of our camping
ground, and here md there along the
hard, dry walls chung IN occasional
patch Of stubbly buffalo grass or a
sickly cluster of yellow eacti. Ger
tainly IL was not pretty spot, but the
tall banks were rampant against the
chill breezes of the northwest, and
the basin had long since been o favor
ito halting ground for travellers.
I On this night, however, the wind
had veere6 round until it swept unre.
sisted through the mouth Of our three.
walled Eat. An night long its VIC
lence steadily increased, and when
the colonel wakened ms by loud shouts
OF "Rousei Rousel" it was blowing a
gale.
/ started up and began to draw on
my heavy boots. The colonel was al
ready making coffee over glowing
heap of brush sticks. By chance m,
eyes wandered to the opposite side o.
the basin, where we had picketed oul
lour broncos. They we're gone.
IN blank amazement ] pointed Il
q He spot. The colonel followed thu
direction Of my gaze and understood
Ian by q common impulse We ran Il
1lGre his overcoat lay. He snatches
a nom the ground. Beneath were
blahkds piece Of heavy rope aud |
pair OF locked handouts. Oche Ia,