El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-23

aud leave Mangas to do me up. Man
gas was a big six-footsr, and nearly
three times as large as L Was. Wnen
we met, ManRas was very naughty and
| iusolent and reiterated his demand,
and he evidently considered that he as
good as had all 'our scalps and 'efec-
tos.' We were standing close together,
and he saw I was fighting mad. when
with sudden motion he drew q long,
keen knife that he had concealed in
his hair. Mine was out in an instant
aud 1 stabbed. him. In return he
slashed meiin the head with his knife.
Strangely enough he did not attempt
to stab me, but kept slashing me, while
stabbed him lick for lick. He first
slashed my right hand so badly that L
had to change my knife to the left
hand. He then cut my. left wrist go
badly that 1 had to again change to
the right, and seeing that he was more
than q match for me in strength, l
mansged to get hold of his right hand
with my teeth and bit 1t 80 savagely
that he in the struggle dropped his
knife, when gave it kick that sent
it clear out of his reach. He thenbeat
and kicked me until 1 was black and
blue for days afterwards, but hung
on with my teeth like bull-terrter,
and never let up stabbing him until he
fell dead. L had literally cut his heart
out. I was covered with my blood and
his, and weak from my wounds, and
thought 1 had been fighting for an
hour or more. But my men said it was
over in q minute and half. reached
the wagons and a volley from my men
kept off the indians, who, seeing their
chief killed, after charging by the
rows, rode off and left US. On examin-
alton of my wounds by my men they
found none likely to prove fatal, but
there are fifty-four of them on my body
today to show for themselves"
Mr.. Ferguson then rolled up his
sleeves, and from the scars one might
easily suppose he b ad been through q
Gullett gin or a sausage machine. His
men killed nine of the Indians in the
charge on the train, 80 the pluck and
superior arms of the men saved their
lives.
"The Mexican government" con-
tinued Mr.. Ferguson, "gave me $3.50
for killing Mangas Colorado. He was
the father of the ManRas who SO long
kept the frontier of Mexico, Arizona
and Texas in terror with his raids and
and who was finally captured
by Colonel Newly, of the United States
army, and sent to Florida"
Continuing further, he said: ST was
shot in the jaw by an Indian in 1S45,
between the pueblo of Fresnillo and
Durango. I had six men with pack
mules, and $1,000 in silver. My men
stopped at spring to take a drink of
whisky, and I rode little way ahead
of them. The Indian was concealed
behind tree and shot me, and then
stuck his head out from behind the |
Tree to see If he had killed me. At |
that moment killed him.
ST also fought q duel with Milt Fa-
YER, who afterwards settled In Texss |
near Preside del Norte. We were |
with Conley and Gascow's train ON the |
plains in 1847, and fell out about who |
was to stand guard. We concluded to |
Shoot 1t out, according to the custom |
of those days. We stood back-to-back, |
walked ten steps, then wheeled and |
fred. Milt missed me, but broke his |
arm, which settled the matter In my |
favor about who stood guard"
I could fill a look with Ferguson's |
Iagreed to see him another |
day, but never did, and do not know |
where he is or whether he is dead or |
alive. Precious few of those old fell |
lows are alive today
GEO. WYrHE BAYLOR.