The Afro-American advance., 1900-05-19
An Avenging Rescue
BY Bourbon Wilson


TN THOSE good old days when the
Apache was yet lord Of the Mexican
Sierra Madre. | was commissary clerk
iu grading outfit that was engaged In
building a ruiiroad in the state of Chi
hnabua. While this position wa one
that gave me constant opp lrtunity for
the study Of mulIshness there having
been 300 mules In the outfit. II was not
one calculated 10 make me familiar
with feminine nature, a graders camp
being no place for a womaB neverthe-
less. II was while so employed that my
personal observation brought me TO the
conclusion that there il no creature
more whimsical than woman. unless
1t be mule.
Chihuahua WIS wild bit Of country
IN those days. an nnlnhabijed desert of
bare mountains aud hills. aud waterless
valleys and plains for the greater part I.
as for that matter. IL il stlll 50, but the
ApRches are not there now. and
Apaehes are well. there Is nothing
with which to compare an Apache un
less TO the devil. ol whose character.
istleA have only hearsay knowledge.
The mules of the outfit were plain.
everyday mules. sometimes sensible
and tractable, at other times foolish
and stubborn. bat energetic kickers al.
ways Their leader was not one Of
their own number. IS one would natur.
ally expect. bnt an old gray mare with
q vicious teinper~who hated them with
all her heart. and who wna continually
Sighting them, ever keeping them well
beyond the reach OF her heels aud teeth
land her they Teverenccd. II ever
mules can be said to reverence any
thing. never offering 10 return her
Kicks and bites, aud they would have
followed her Into the very Jaws OF
death And because of this leadership
the old gray WIS assigned us mount 10
The man who took the herd out every
night 20 pasture. for with her under
the control Of an experienced man there
was but little danger Of the mules be-.
ing stampeded aud run of by the
Apaehes.
With a few exceptions the men of the
oultIt were In keeping with their sur.
roundinRs. Wild, rough fellows. whose
only law was the dictate OF the six
shooter he'd persuasiyely al "the
drop" and the few orders by the boss -
Of the outfit. of these. none vas wilder
or rougher than one who was named
Bill Smith. Physically. he was a giant.
aud he was an ideal lahorcr. but moral.
ly he was n weakllng aud hla great
strength IN connection with extraordt.
nary quickness Ia drawing his gun. Civ
ing him unlimited confidence In him.
sell, at the same time inspiring his
comrades with fear Of him. be became
the bully nf the camp. though he was
not the coward that most bulllex are
Among the few who were not ~ Biila
class was young Mexican. whose name
appeared on the books ~ Luls Montes
bat who Was known 90 the men as kid
Cook" this nickname having come OF
bis position a. cooks assistant. and
his smooth. hraFsiless face. He was a
quiet fellow Of abou, 10 years. given ia
blushing when roughly spoken 20. aud
was as shy and tlmid as girl: natural.
~ he associated yer little with the 9th
rF men, and. dlsliking him because ol
this, they hullied him continually.
Part OF Kids duty was 20 helm serve
ai table. and one DAY. while alllnr n,lps
cup with coffee. some one struck his
arm. and some. of the hot iluid fell ON
the hulls's hand, With below %.
rage. Rtll sprang 90 his feet aud, With !
sweeping blow, seat hid staggering
down in a corner Of the tent, where hs
stood over him with drawn revolver
threatening to Kill him In Dozen dit
frrent Ways II he should "a much as la
his rye, Nobody offered TO intervene
for all knew that. II left alone. Bli
would do the boy no further harm, but
II lnterfcrred with might shoot him Ia !
snirit OF savage wilifulness. aud that. a.
he usra his gun pramiscuously when
once started, somebody else would gel
hurt. hid wisely made no protest. hut
lay still and quiet covering his flaming
faee with his hands and. after az bile
Bill put up his gun aud went back TO ths
table.
Anybody bat a bully would have lei
that end the incident. hut Illtl seemed
unahle to forget his sralded hand. and
never tired Of haa.eriHg the 'iusid cook
hid avoided him ~ much ~ possible
bui could not escape him Al meal slmea
when would pour from him perfect