The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-17
A Texas Girl.

man who had driven an OK team contain
ing his wife and little children TO this
far away spot in order to escape being
drafted into the Confederate army. But
the long, weary journey was all in vain.
Some ten DAYS after reaching his destin-
alton, he mounted his little stunted pony
and went out TO bring in his cattle from
where they were grazing on the long
prairie grass. As the day wore on and
he did not come home. his wife gave the
alarm. The men in the little settlement
armed themselves ard went to look for
him. They found him, not two miles
from his cabin. shot full Of arrows and
scalped His heart-broken widow put
her fatherless little ones once more in
the old wagon and YEARLY started on the
return trip to her people.
Letitia Murray was but six years old
when this happened, but the screams OF
the unfortunate woman upon seeing her
husbands mutilated body as the men
brought it home, made never to be for
gotten impression on the child. l should
state at this point in my story that the
Murrays lived close beside the above
mentioned family, and both cabins were
built on the banks of the San Sabas
river However barring a heavy growth
of timber along the water-courses, all
that part of Texas is a beautiful rolling
prairie. The early settlers planted barely
and waht grain they needed for their own
use, and depended upon their herds of
cattle which grazed on abundant pasture
of the plain for their clothing and store
bought supplies. Many thrilling story
of narrow escapes from the savage Com
anches were told around the hearth
stone in these pioneer homes. Now and
again the Indians made a successful raid
that brought mourning on friends and
neighbours The little Letitia heard all
these things, and they became part OF
her; but the shrieks of the newly made
widow In the days of their first coming
to the San Saba were the key note of all
the after happenings.
When Letitia was nearly thirteen, her
mother died, and from that time on the
girl took charge of the household. The
following spring, Mr.. Murray drove
large herd of fat cattle to Austin, and
brought back a barrel of sweet Florida
oranges to the younger children, but for
Letitia a handsome new side-saddle.
you have earned it, my daughter"
he said to the overjoyed girl, ''by the
care you have taken of your little broth
ers and sisters
In those days, when everything had to
be freighted in wagons from such a dis
lance, a fancy saddle was something to
be proud of; more especially as there
were no easy buggies in which to drive
CUT and one must take a springless farm
wagon or ride on horseback The young
people would travel for miles to attend a
dance, singing-school, spelling matches,
evening preaching. Saddles were scarce
and great deal of borrowing and lend
ing was done. So it happened that before
long, a girl friend sent to beg the loan
of Letitias new saddle. Rather reluc-
family, our heroine let it go, and great
was her wrath when it was returned
with some unsightly scratches on the
shining leather skirt.
Il would as soon have had my seat
in heaven defaced," cried Letitia, cas- to
have had my new saddle scra tched up in
that way
This saying, being retold up and down
the river settlement, provoked many I'M
kind remarks about Lettie Murray.
Not long after that, Letitia asked per-
mission to ride over and spend the after
noon with her uncle's family, who lived
back from the river on the open prairie.
Eyes, you may CO." replied her father.
TELL your uncle that L shall kill a beef
animal today and will send him over q
bit of fresh meat. And if you do not
find me at home when you get back to-
night, do not think the Indians have
Killed me. The Comanches have made
their last raid on the San Saba. There
is a bunch of stock that have strayed
up into the Brazos settlement and 1 am
thinking of going up there after them.
But if 1 do, 1 will be back by tomorrow
night at the latest"
So Letitia mounted her fast bay mare.
Bess, and took her three-year-old brother
up behind her and her baby sister in her
lap, in good old southern fashion. Re-
turning from her uncle's house in good
time the girl was jogging along COM
fortably when she caught sight of a num-
Der of men out on the prairie killing a
steer. She remembered that her father
intended to slaughter an animal that day
and took it for granted that the men che
saw were he and his cowboys. Turning
out of the beaten road, she rode in that
direction. Just then, her little sister at
tracted her attention, and she did not
glance up again until quite close 10 the
men. They on their part had not noticed
her mares hoof-beats on the soft turf.
At the same moment the girl and the
group of men recognized each other. and
the Comanches (for they were Indians),
eyes of the child. Letitia turned her
head, and as she did so she again
heard the screams of her unfortunate
neighbor of so long ago, and imagined
herself scalDed and shot full Of arrows
as the poor woman's husband had been.
Throwing her foot over that she might
sit astride, oud heroine babe her little
brother clasp her around the waist, and
caught tight to her breast her baby sis
ter as she cried, Go, Bess. go" Al
ready the Indians were springing for their
ponies with a triumphant whoop.
At the first bound. plucky Bess cleared
thirty feet, as was proven by measuring
afterward the distance between her hoof-
prints. And now it was a wild race for
the riber timber, barely mile away At
first. the fleet mare gained on the In
dians But her triple burden was a cruel
handicap Presently the Comanches be-
gan to creep closer as they drove their
wiry ponies to the limit of their speed
lust as she reached the shelter OF the
first oaks. I.ettie looked back over her
shoulder and saw that the Indians would
surely overtake her before she could reach
the nearest house III the river settle
ment. Feeling that the white girl was
all but in their hands, her enemies
again in savage glee- At the
sound the frightened mare put forth
fresh burst OF speed, but she could not
keep up such a pace. And now Letitia
had thought N a plan OF escape. Halt
ing her painting steed beside a friendly
thicket overgrown with Wild grape-vines.
our heroine sprang 70 the ground. drag
ged the children after her, and gave the
mare cut with her whip.
Goodbye, Bsss. You may Be able 70
eut-r1n hem aIere." she said. And wltn
her ewes swimming win tears. she STUN
bed into the thicket. The next moment
the Indians swept By. Thanks 10 tas
winnings 81 the woodland road, the saw