The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-11


Lone Star State on the IXL ranch h,
did alone what half q hundred COW
boys had been trying to accomplish
Tor more than year. A party o
Apaches had boon harrassing the COW.
boys for many months, driving of
cattle and stealing horses. They were
camped In q ravine, and all efforts to
dlslodge them had proved futile, for
they were too strongly intrenched
and 1T was impossible to got them from
the pass In which they had taken re-
fuge.
Funston grew disgusted after seeing
some OF his best steers driven awav,
ana said ho was going to drive tho
Indians out alone. He rode to the
nearest store, twenty miles away, and
brought back several little red bun
dies. Tho other cowboys attempted
TO dissuade him from his purpose, but
he started for the ravine with his little
red packages. The cowboys thought
he must have dynamite in those pack
ages he hau brought from the store.
but they listened In vain for the report
OF the explosion. But they did hear
the report Of a regiment Of infantry
firing volley after volley. And to their
surprise they saw the Indians issue
from the ravine and dash off across
the prairie as II riding for their lives
It seems that Funston's purchase
had been firecrackers. He had gone to
tho mouth OF the ravino and cllmb bed
on the cliff, 80 that he overlooked the
camp. He had then lighted package
after package Of the crackers and
thrown them into the air 50 they would
explode above the heads OF the red
men. TO them 1t sounded as If 4 900
men were firing at them, and when
they saw one or two whom Funston had
picked oil with his rifle fall they
jumped on their horses and rode as II
tho evil one was after them.
While still connected with tho IXL
ranch, Funston and several OF his
friends saw bull fight at Chihuahua.
Juan Perez, the toreador, slapped q
Hover girl rs he was leaving the arena
and Funston at once took up her part.
Perez challenged him to duel, which
was fought the following morning in
the bull ring. Perez was injured so
he was not able to fight bulls for
several months and Funston WIS
slightly hurt.
In 1882 Funston was chosen by the
government to accompany an cXplor-
ing expedition 20 Alaska. Here he
had more exciting adventures, At one
Glthc w oman VINO was with the party,
two professors and Funston lost the
main party and wandered for two DAYS
without food amid tho snow and ice.
Finally the sun came out and, al
though neither Of the professors was
able to do It, Funston guided tho party
back to camp by its rays.
Whom Funston returned to the
United States in 1895 the Cuban oucs-
tion was the principal topic Of CONVEX
satlon Funston formed company
and went to South America, where he
was engaged in the coffee business for
q low months. But he felt he ought to
help the Cubans, and he left his
plantations and went to Cuba, where
he Joined the forces under General
Gomez. Within two months he was
promoted to colonel, and as chief of
artillery was in the tiercest battles
lie was twice wounded and was finally
captured. He was paroled and sent to
the United States, whore he lay for
some months in hospital In New
7 ork. Upon his recovery he lectured
Tor some months On the situation In
Cuba. When war against Spain was
declared he offered his services to
Governor Leedy and was appointed
colonel of the Twentieth Kansas. His
regiment was sent to the Philippines
In December, and since that time the
officer and his men have been winning
fame for their fighting qualities.