Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-06-07

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these times I would see that his eyes,
usually soft and shy, would fairly blaze
with venomous hatred, and knowing
something of Mexican nature, and how
handy they are with knife, / came to
the conclusion that if were in Bills
place, I would do one of two things:
apologize to the Kid and let him alone,
or-kill him. 1 thought of speaking to
Bill about it, but medd.ing in another
mans row was unhealthy business in
those days, so / ended by keeping 81
lent.
Kid did not disappoint me. One
night, as sat reading in my tent, there
came from the outside sharp exclama-
ton that was followed Immediately by
the sounds of struggle, then pierre
ing scream, and heard Enthusiastically
in Bills voice: Eyer miserable, sneak
in little kyote! Put er knife in me in
tn dark, would yer? Wall, l reckin not!
An now I'll just give you er taste of it,
my little snake-in-th'-grass."
Grabbing up my gun. knowing that
nothing short of that would have any
weight with Bill, I hurriedly threw
open my tent, and, the bright light of
my lamp flashing out, I saw Kid fiat on
his back with Bill kneeling on his chest.
one hand gripping the boys throat.
and the other grasping knife, appraised
to strike. In Kids face there was a
look of horror that will remember as
long as live. The sudden food of
l;rb+ oo,,eo1 Pill ~ ,ouco ond fhop b;c
arm sank slowly to his side, the knife
slipping from his hand. ''Wall," he
calculated, and letting go of Kids
throat he stood up. Icould see nothing
to justify such change in his attitude.
and was amazed to see him now reach
down and take Kids hand.
"Git up" he said. gruff1y; amt er
teched yer eff I'd knowed what know
now, an I'm sorry done it," He helped
Kid to his feet and went on: snow go
back to yer tent; amt a-goin' ter blow
on yer. an won't bullyrag yer no more
-sabe? I'll keep the knife, though,
SOS yer won't git inter no more mis-
chief with it,
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see his face, but I did see his hands
suddenly clinch as he went away into
the darkness. Having watched him
out of sight, Bill walked off without
even glance in my direction. was
greatly puzzled by what had occurred,
and my curiosity being reused, I de-
termined to find Bill the next morning
and get him to tell me what it was that
had caused his sudden change toward
Kid; but that day was Sunday, and he
left the camp at aybreak on an ante
lope hunt, so did not see him. Turn
ing the affair over in my mind that
morning, came to the conclusion that
Bills heart was too large for his judg-
ment. and that Kid would yet avenge
himself; and I was not wrong, though
he did it in a way that could not have
expected.
Our camp was pitched on low hill
that rose island-like in the midst of
a grassy valley. On the west side this
valley was bounded by range of
rugged mountains that came down to
within mile of the camp. and on the
east by chain of high hills; to the
north and south, where the railroad
came in and went out, the grassy level
stretched away farther than the eye
could reach. To economic in feed it
was the custom to pasture the mules
in this valley whenever they were not
at work, on Sundays and at night, and
they went out as usual on the day
following Kids attempt to knife Bill,
though not under charge of the night
herder, he and the old gray mare hav-
ing to remain in camp to rest and sleep.
When the gong sounded for supper,
about an hour before sunset, the herd
was in plain view from camp, and not
over half mile away, SO the herder
galloped in to his supper, leaving them
unguarded until the night herder
should go out and take them.
AS we were in the Apache country,
it was very foolish thing for him
to do. He had scarcely unsaddled his
horse and gone into the grub-tent,
when shrill yells and whoops, mingled
with the thunder of pounding hoofs
coming from the valley brought every
man running out. Watching their OPP
portunity from their lurking-place in
the mountains, band of half-naked
Apaches had slipped into the herd.
and running about among the mules,
lashing and striking, were trying to
stampede them. They would have sue
ceeded, mules being MORALLY afraid
of Indians, but that the night herder,
preparing to go on duty, had brought
the old gray mare to the grub-tent
to wait while he ate his supper, where
she stood in plain sight from the val
ley. The mules were running away
southwark when the leading ones spied
her, and, making wide detour to avoid
the Apaches who were galloping as
fast as their legs could carry them,
the entire herd came galloping in.
Yelling with rage and disappoint-
ment, the Apaches turned to 60 back
to the mountains, when white man
rode out from the mountains before
them and started across the valley to-
ward camp. By his horse, which we
recognized, we knew him to be Bill
Smith. The Apaches opened fire the
moment they saw him, and, changing
his course so as to avoid them, he as
promptly spurred his horse into gal
lop, and we thought he had got safe
ly out of range, when the animal sud-
denly went down, falling on Bill, stun
ming, and pinning him to the ground.
Instantly yell of exultation went up
from tho AnocheS and thew dashed