Middletown transcript., 1901-03-02

dropping Of pebble or stone indicated
that the Indians also were moving.
Two hours must have passed, and then
a wild yell below startled us. The In
dams had reached our former hiding
place, and their yell showed chargin and
disappointment.
''They will spread out now all over the
rocks" 'I said. "But we have the ad-
vantage. They will never know at what
moment to expect to meet us. We can
strike the first blow"
How anxiously we waited, the next
hour or two! We hardly dared breathe.
Crouching behind the rocks, we waited
and listened.
The moon came up, and threw so
bright light upon the scene that we
could occasionally catch the glimpse of a
black head bobbing about among the
rocks.
We were getting tired, hungry, and
desperate, when sudden noise on the
rocks above us attracted our attention
Several Indians stood up there, talking
and gesticulating. Their forms were out
lined against the heavens SO distinctly
that we could have shot them without
trouble.
For some time we cONld not under
stand the reason of their incautious con-
versation. Then a rumble that seemed
to grow louder every minute attracted
my attention. Glancing down upon the
prairie, 1 caught sight of black patch
far away that seemed to be moving
steadily toward us.
1t was a body of horsemen dashing
madly across the plains in the direction
of the mountains. Were these more
Indians? or-I could hardly believe my
senses! The clear, welcome bugle-call of
the Fort Defiance cavalry suddenly smote
the still night air. We both gave a jump,
and nearly exposed our hiding-place to
the Indians.
The Apaches were now satisfied that
the horseman were soldiers, and they dis
appeared from the rocks like shadows.
Bob and I rose up above the rocks and
shouted ourselves hoarse. No prisoner
of war ever welcomed liberty more heart
lily than we welcomed the soldiers that
night.
We clambered down the mountains,
and while part of the company tried to
hunt up the Indians, the others escorted
us back to our home.
"But how did you happen to know Of
our dangerP' asked the officer in COM
mand, as we trotted along in the moon
light.
"We came in response to your mess
age," he replied.
"What - on the handkerchief !
asked.
eyes, of course. Did MT you send the
message to us by the pigeon you had
with you?'
'I tied it to one of his legs, but 1 had
no idea he would carry it to anybody SO
soon."
'No? Well, he did, and you may say
you owe your life to mistake"
"How so?"
"Why, the pigeons you took with you
to-day were not pouter-pigeons at all, but
carrier-pigeons. They were sent out here
by the government for experiment, and,
through the mistake of one of the sold
iers, you got them instead of your
pouters."
'Then the pigeon returned straight to
the fort?'
eyes, as straight as bee-line."
Can it be wondered at that after that
Bob and became more enthusiastic over
pigeons than ever? We not only studied
and loved them more, but we established
a regular line of communication between
the fort and our home.
After our story reached Washington,
the Assistant Secretary of War sent out
half dozen more homing- g-pigeons, with
orders to give us some of the birds that
had saved our ives.--St. Niccholai.