The Opelousas courier., 1899-05-27

L was sitting in my tent one after
noon in November absorbed in som
mathematical calculations connected
with my work, when I heard a tire
mendous splashing in the river a few
hundred yards below, followed b.
shots and yells and the sound of gal
Looping horses. A moment later foul
men rode into camp like a whirlwind.
Loud cries Of "Nhere is he?" ''Don't
let him get away!' who's got the
rope?' gave mo an inkling of what
they were after. They wanted me.
The camp was a large one, and gen.
orally there were eight or ten white
men and forty or fifty Indians about;
but this happened to be a holiday, and
all the men had gone away except my
tent mate, Barton, and myself. We
were building some large irrigating
bitches, aud I had come out to take
charge of the work only a short time
before. I had found it necessary to
discharge a number of the men and
replace them by others. Only the
day before I had had trouble with or 9
of the men, Leonard by name. He
went a little too far. and I knocked
him down. As he arose he picked up
a heavy club and came at me with it,
but throwing up my left hand to guard
my head 1 caught the blow on it and
knocked him down again with my
right. That settled the matter, I sup
posed, for the fellow went off to his
tent, swearing roundly and calling
for a gun with which to clean out the
camp.
Bnt when I heard the splashing at
the ford | remembered the incident of
the day before, and on the instant it
flashed into my mind hal I had no
weapon Of any kind and that I might
need one. slipped out quickly, and
running down to 9 tent near the end
Of the line l seized a revolver and
belt Of cartridges which I knew were
there and was back when the men rode
up.
I remained in my tent while the
men ~dismounted and tied their horses
together. Leonard appeared to be the
leader of the gang, for I heard him
say:
"Look here, boys, Tn the captain
of this outfit, and you've got to do
just what I tell you. Well do all
that we came down here to do b ,fore
we leave; you must leave it to me-"
"All right" responded another.
''We're here for fun"
"We'll have our fun all right" re-
piled Leonard. "Come into my tent
and talk it over. You, Miller, stay
here with the horses and watch that
tent there so he can't get away"
Leaving n of their number out
side with the horses under the big
tree, the men went into the tent next
to mine. They hadall been drinking,
and as / was separated from them
only by two thin canvas walls and
twenty feet of space, their converse
ton was easily audible.
The conversation I heard was anus
even under the circumstances.
Leonard was laying out the program
to be followed and telling his COM
panions what a worthless cuss' I
was, the burden Of his accusations
being that I wore white shirts in
camp and was "a long-legged cuss
from the east"
The man left on guard outside I
knew; he was one of our own men.
While the talking was going on in the
next tent he came in to see me and to
explain that he had been forced to
come down with the others against
MS will. He added that il I wished
20 get away he would make no effort
70 stop me.
Ny plan was to run out just as the {
life was fred and bringing down the
nan who had it. for I could hardly
Miss him at twenty feet distance, get
n more shot as the others crowded I
20 the door and we're we'll punched to- s
and then break for the big tree, l
rom behind which as a shelter I would |
'tand al good a chance as two men in I
he open. 8
Filling my coat pocket with loose l
cartridges and taking my revolver in +
ny right hand, I was on the point Of
outside and opening the pro- {
seedlings when I heard one Of the men
'ay:
s'That's no fun. Let's make him
nut up his fists before We hang him; \
u, if he won't do that, we'll make Y
lin wade the river" g
"That's great" replied another.
we might as we'll have some fun out a
4 him first. Como on" t
Remembering the old western b
"Never show q gun until you +
lse it," I tucked my revolver into my
est so that it was out of sight, but l
nth the butt not more than two inches y
rom my hand as I held mypipe to my Il
I turned to Barton, who was
remblipg, and cautioning him to con- r
rol himself I lighted my pipe and re-
umed my stool near the front of the t
emit. A moment later the canvas door q
Vas thrust aside and a man entered, O
ollowed by two others. d
The first conner was q little fellow. n
lender and not much over five feet in "
but he had q wicked look in r
is.eyes and the face of q professional u
lesperado. I learned atterward that n
was considered the bad man" of Il
he neighborhood. Behind him was Il
big man in a flannel shirt and no "
oat, with . As Colt tucked into the v
'aistband of his trousers. He was a
aloon keeper in Z small town near by "
nd had provided the courage for it
be expedition. Back of him came n
leonard, his face inflamed with drink, q,
remained seated, while Barton backed Il
e To the rear of the tent NJ