Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-01-10
TOLD In HIS DREAMS.
PECULIAR Wsoa Or A RANcHER ON
A NEW MEXICO PRAIRIE.

ME
ing sleep and Informed Him OF the
Fearful Fate That lie Had Aet at
the Hands OF the Indians.
mo. 1 can't say / go much on super
stition and that sort of thing, but IA
like some Of these wise chaps TO eA-
plain d little incident that happened 10
me down in the pecos valley, In new
Mexico. a few years ago"
Grizzled Bob Morrow, veteran cow
boy, ranchman. globe trotter n PM
losopher, took another pull at his cigar
as he sat comfortably in his seat III the
hotel lobby. \ thoughtful look came
over his face, and his companions at
I the table awaited in silence his further
utterances. After a pause Bob con
tinued:
I'VE were Sign riding, Lee Wells
and /. Know what sign riding is!
An imaginary line is drawn on the
prairie. Two men, n stationed at
each end, ride toward each other III a
given hour. Any cattle that have
crossed that line are rounded up ana
driven back. The idea is to keep the
cattle together as much as possible
during the winter.
Our line was about ten miles long.
Lee and l used TO meet half way every
day. and if no cattle had crossed wed
sit down and smoke and chat a bit.
Sometimes we'd visit each others
'dobe and generally chum together as
far as men can when ten miles apart.
We each had six horses, the pick OF the
herd, and mighty proud we were, too
of 'em.
Bout that time the Indians were
rather troublesome. They generally
went in small bands, and occasionally
the less of a bunch of horses would be
reported by raLchmen ~thereabout. Lee
and / didn't fear 'em much. They car
ricd only bows and arrows, and if II
came To n chase our horses could cas-
ily outrun theirs. The greatest danger
we had to fear was the loss OF our
horses.
lee and I had talked frequently
shout the Indians. and both We're OF
the same mind-if attacked, kill the
horses rather than let the marauding
[hieyes get 'em.
81 left Lee az the half wnT mark, as
usual. one day, got back to my 'dc0e
and after eating dinner turned in. |
hadn't been asleep very long when |
was awakened by Il sort of feeling that
there wa somebody in the room.
CROPPED under the pillow for my gun,
4.--Ea. ---. &C Z IN .. Hul tLIT4 in
the doorway stood Lee Wells. The
seafhered shafts Of six arrows were
sticking from his breast, ard his face
in the moonlight looked drawn AMI
ghastly. There was a smile Of salts
faction on his face, though, as he said
quietly:
".Sell. they got me. Bob, but rhey
didn't get the horses
Il was out Of bed in an instant. The
minute my feet touched the Goor Lee
vanished. Ike door was shut and lock
ed just as / left 1t when / went TO bed,
PonderIng over the realistic DREAM
or whatever ii was, termed in again,
but Il was . long time before | got to
sleep again.
~ second time | was awakened by
the same vision. There stood Lee IN
the doorway, and again he pointed to
tie arrow shafts and said:
They got me. Bob. but they didn'i
get the horses
"No more sleep for me that night. ]
looked around the 'dobe, thinking per,
haps Leo was playing me a trick. ]
went OCT 70 the corral. The horses
were all right. and there were no signs
OF anybody having been around. | sat
up and smoked and thought n whole
~lotn1util daybreak; then | mounted and
SCI off for the half way mark. Lee
wasa't there. and there was no sirI CT
his coming. so / rode on TO his 'dobe.
..Tllere, at the gate of the corral. was
Lees body. with six arrows in his
chest. just as | had seen them in tho
vision. Inside the corral lay the bodies
of his horses. all killed with bullets.
sit was plain 10 me that. seeing the
Indians coming. Lee had deliberately
killed the horses before turning his at
tention TO the thieves. Judging from
the hoos prints. there must have beer
about 30 Indians in the bunch. Lee
must hive damaged them some befor,
be fell. judging from the cartridge
SHELLS lyiug around. They took hi:
Winchester. CT course. and looted The
'dobe. They didn't get much for tileii
trouble. though.
-}.rs what ! want TO know Is wa.
that a dream or did Lee Wells really
appear before me in some sort Of
surBT'
His hearers could not expiain.-New
York Mail ma Express.
Good 1sIr Preserves.