Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-01-04

hioASs, WulGu he tstTTleu III j DSlC De
meath his clothing l also found hin
q rough, but agreeable, chap, anC
gained great deal of information
from him as TO my route. The dark
hess was intense, and we huduled to
/ gether to keep warm. He loaned me
his pipe, in the glow of which | could
! occasionally see his face. Later l fell
, asleep in his arms, and nothing dis
turbed our slumber until the train
stopped for water, and the car door was
stealthily opened, when the form of q
man could be seen, who uttered a pc
F, culiar grunt as he climbed in.
That's an Indian whispered the
cowboy.
/ The engine whistle blew it's two
short blasts and we were once more
rumbling over the bleak, desolate
prairie. In the Cherokee language the
/ cowboy addressed the newcomer, who
| approached and informed us that he
was halfbreed Indian, going only to
the next stopping place. l never liked
an Indian, so kept quiet while We three
were standing together, and let the cat
tleman do the talking. The indian
spoke English. but his answers to ques-
lions seemed to be grunts, which is
characteristic of the race.
Have you a bottle?' asked my
friend, and the halfbreed grunted af-
Tentatively. l Immediately commenced
to grope for the liquor. So did the
cowboy. However, it reached me first,
and | was just in the act of removing
the cork with the intention of inviting
him to drink when the bottle was
Wrested from my hand. | grew angry
at this discourtesy and was about to
express my opinion, when a match was
lighted by the cowboy, who held it be-
hind the flask and gazed for a second
at its contents. 1t was the first good
chance had to see his face, which was
as pale as death. His lips quivered,
and as the light died in his fingers I
saw countenance over which crept
the sarcastic smile of desperate man,
who calmly fixed his eyes on me. |
was dumbfounded. The roar OF the
train and the extreme darkness added
to my amaZement, and before | coulu
speak there rang out three wicked
barkS from a huge revolver. | saw the
three sudden flashes across my breast
in the direction of the Indian. | could
not move. l thought of every sin of
M III 70 of or'c l.11 a hin- nd
grown graves, then sank to the floor,
feeling that my end was near. Real
izing there were two remaining car
tridges in the revolver and thinking a
lunatic was to be dealt with, | gather
ed my remaining strength and CROPPED
for the cowboy on my hands and knees.
Discovering he had not moved, | at
tempted to reach his hand, crying out
For Gods sake, don't shoot |
wanted to persuade him to give me the
gun, which I believed was soon to send
my soul to eternity. When | laid my
hands on his shoulder, pleading, pray
ing and crying, he grasped me by the
nape' Of the neck and gruffiy told me
to Lay low
In the few seconds all this hap
pened | lived a century, and, being al
most paralyzed with fear, could
scarcely move, but finally found my
way 10 the end of the car and attempted
TO open the door, hoping to escape. |
had scarcely moved it an inch when |
was hurled to the floor by the cowboy,
who lay on my chest, and placing his
mouth to my ear warned me if l valued
my life to keep quiet.
Don't kill me!' cried.
Il don't intend to- whispered he,
but the Indian will if he amt dead;
and he couldn't have a better target
than you crawling out that door
Il may forget the faces of my friends,
| may forget tie hand that nursed me
in the tender days of infancy, but never
never as long as | possess my present
faculties will I forget those few ter
rible moments which fOIlowed-the
cowboy sitting on me as / lay on the
floor, while, with cooked revolver, he
was prepared for an expected attack
from the Indian, at whom he had shot
with the intention of killing, but did
not know the result. All this, added
dreaded darkness, caused me to sicken
and almost faint. I pleaded with the
ranchfnan to tell me why he had shot
the halfbreed, to which there came no
response.
How long I remained in that posi-
ton | do not know 1t seemed ages
| realized that we could not strike q
match, because the Indian, if alive and
armed, would then have us at his
mercy, so | just trembled and prayed.
Finally the train slackened its speed,
and when about to stop we could hear
heavy breathing in the center of the
car.
BY this time the cowboy and myself
the alert, myself thinking how to es-
cape.
"He's breathing as if dying I
whispered,
THAT might be a bluff You can't
trust a redskin, softly replied my
companion.
when the train stopped we heard
cultural sounds and short breaths from
where the Indian was located.
That's the halfbreed's rattle. He
can't work his little game any more,
said the cowboy, who struck match
as we advanced. The Indian lay on his
back, his eyes were fixed ana CLASSY,