Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1901-07-05

HNuhhot ouNh as eoIIoNlHk kHosls
might be expected to utter. | began
to understand how Dominguez came to
lose his mind through his experience
in the canon, and to wish that were
anywhere else, when the wind died
away as suddenly as it had risen, and
there was absolute silence. fell to
watching the stars again; the hours
dragged slowly by, and at last | fell
into half sleep.
Suddenly | awoke and sat bolt up
right, straining my ears for a fepeti-
tion OF the sound that walked me. Soon
heard it again; it was Helen whis-
Ting and plunging in fright. He was
picketed behind point OF rock where
| could not see him Hastily | felt
under my pillow for my revolvers. but
could not find them. Helen's snortlng
and plunging grew more violent with
every moment, and at last, fearful lest
he break his rope and we lose him,
gave up huntfng my revolvers and
started running toward him The
moon was now shining brightly. and
when | came to where could see the
mule. saw something just beyond
him. something that brought me to a
sudden standstill, and that seemed to
freeze the blood in my yeins-a beau
tifully marked piebald pony. its legs
moving naturally. but its feet seeming
not to touch the ground. And it was
moving directly toward me!
Paralyzed with terror, | stood as
though grown to the spot; nearer came
the pinto. and l tried to yell to Lew,
but harsh rattle was the only sound
my throat would make. Quivering
with fear, Helen was standing as close
to me as he could get, his rope
stretched to the breaking point. Now
the pinto was passing close beside
him, when he suddenly wheeled round.
giving a wicked squeal. and like a
streak of lightning. his heels flashed in
the moonlight, striking the pony with
a surprising crash fairly in the side
Giving strange grunt. for a pony. the
pinto staggered and fell on its side,
fioundering helplessly; the next mo-
ment, however. its side burst open,
and a naked Apache Indian sprang
out and ran at me, a long-bladed
knife glttering in his hand. Instant
ly my superstitious fears vanished and
my muscles regained their power. I'm
armed, turned to run; but my foot
tripped. and | fell with the Indian
sprawling on top of me- ! realized
that it was a struggle for my life, and,
yelling to Lew at the top of my voice.
| grappled with the Apache. Back
and forth we rolled and tumbled, |
trying to obtain possession of the
knife, and he to put an end to my
struggling with it. neither gaining any
advantage over the other. Minutes
seemed hours. Could Lew never hear,
| wondered. my breath coming in
sharp gasps, my strengT Utmost gone
How long we fought can only con-
lecture; the Indians powers of endur-
ance were greater than mine, and at
last he forced me over on my back, his
one hand clutching my throat, his
other, grasping the knife, raised to
strike saw the steel flash and glitter
in the moonlight, and a sickening fear
shot through me; the knife was in the
act of descending. when two shots
rang out in quick succession, and 1t
flew to one side, while the Indian sank
down on me, quiverlng in death. The
sudden reaction from utter hopeless
ness to a sense of safety was moi sthcn
my tortured brain could bear, and /
tainted where | lay; the next thing
| knew Lew was pouring water on my
face, and saw that day was breaking.
When had recovered sufficiently we
made an examination of the pony's
hide, finding it partially stuffed with
grass which rounded it out, giving it
a life-like appearance, though the de-
ception would have been readily de-
tected in daylight. Later in the day,
following a faint trail, we climbed up
o the cliff village and found that the
Indian had made his home in one of
the houses. Scattered about the room
we're numerous articles taken from the
men he had murdered; among these
we're several rifles and revolYers, but
there were no cartridges, which sex-
planned why the Indian had made use
If his disguise to get near enough to
attack with his knife instead of shoot
ing us at long range.
We were not again disturbed in our
work, and when we at last exhausted
the sands of Ghost canon, we left it
with a sack of dust that amply paid
us for having dared the phantom pinto.
Two months later danced at Lewis
wedding.-San Francisco Argonaut.