The National tribune., 1901-05-23
ROUGH RIDING.
Continued from first paxe.)

Indians so near your camp. We had q
good Sharp's rifle apiece in the wagon. and
each of us carried Colts navy on our
belts.
Conductor Smith was outriding, his
brother was holding the lines, while l was
lying IN the wagon resting up. When we
got along by Jones's Point, where the
lone tree stands, 16 mounted Indians rode
up out of the rayine. and making signs of
friendship rode along with us, talking
pleasantly in Mexican and by signs. They
said they were Comanches, and professed
great friendship, asking for some grub,
which we gave them. | told the Smith
boys that | was suspicious of them, but
they guessed the Indians were all right.
However, | showed a cartridge into each
one of the Sharp's rifles to be ready for a
row.
Suddenly at signal from one of the
Indians who seemed to be their leader one
OF them rode in front of the team and at
tempted 10 stop the mules, while the rest
poured shower of arrows into the CON
ductor, and also into the wagon at me and
the driver. | raised my rifle and shot the
indian at the head of the team, and he
fell of his horse. | saw the conductor fall
off his mule, probably dead his brother.
the driver. keeled over in front of the
wagon with several arrows in his body,
the arrows they had been shooting at ran
dom through the wagon cover.
AT the crack of my rifle. as the Indian
l ShOt fell off his horse. the mules took
fright and started on wild run. Ii was
getting dark, and seeing the Kiowas rush
ing ahead to stop the team | ran to the
hind end of the wagon and tumbled out
and crawled away into the tall grass As
soon as they had succeeded in stopping
the team and found | was not IN the
wagon. several of them came back afoot
to look for me. while the rest were busy
cutting the harness off the mules, plumb
ering the wagon and scaiping the two
Smiths.
Il had been bleeding some from my
wounds. but didn't have time 10 examine
them to see If they were serious: still. |
didn't feel as | was getting weak or dying.
so | concluded | wasn't hurt much The
party who seemed to he looking for me
walked around through the grass and now
and then one of them would come very
near me. | thought | would certainly be
found, but had resolved that the Indian
who first stumbled over me should die
right there. as | had my six-shnGter in my
hand. and being on the ground in the tall
grass he would have To walk right up over
me before he could see me. | was afraid
to move, as the least rustic of the grass
would have given me away. | lay there
very still-almost afraid to breathe hard
lis now and then | would hear one of
them coming close TO me. holding my pistol
ready 80 that ] could fire as soon as | was
discovered. But luck seemed to favor me
as one by one they moved away to where
they had left their horses near the wagon,
and in Il little while heard them riding
away. ! was still afraid to move. aud for
a long time after all sounds had died away
| lay still for fear that some of the red
skins were lying around watching for me.
The night was cold and my wounds
began 70 hurt me so thai | could lie still
no longer. so | raised myself up-Iittle at
a time-peering cautiously around in the
darkness, till | was on my feet. [ felt stiff
and sore. | could see the outline of the
wagon standing on the prairie a little
piece off. where the Indians had left it,
but WAS afraid to 90 to it for fear that
some of them might he watching for me.
| was somewhat bewiidered as to the
points Of the compass, and the sky being
cloudy | could not see the stars to steer
by.