Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-03-27
Romance of
ceronimo's Daughter.

1mplacaDle zoe tnat the WnlCe Huh
ever had, whose visit to the Trans
Mississippi exposition here is remen-
bered, will wed one of the hated race
that is now authoritatively announc-
ed.
Icla. the Red Rose Of the Forest"
as her people called her. will marry
Houston A. Ward, one of the wealth
lest and most accomplished young
Elen in Southern Texas.
And this happy elimination grows
out Of singularly beautiful romance,
orc scene of which is blood-curdling
ami exciting enough to form the nucl-
Gus of a highly successful melo-drama.
It was while flying for life from
prairie fire and herd of stampeded
steers that the love of the young cou-
pie was first revealed and in such
dangerous surroundings was their
troth plighted.
Houston A. Ward, who is certainly
eager to become the son-in-law of one
of the most notorious Indian chiefs
that ever shed blood on the borders If
Arizona, is the son of old Shanghai
Ward, a famous mustang king of the
Rio Grande country.
The old man died a few years ago,
leaving his only son a splendid for
tune in lands, mustangs and cattle.
Young Wards boyhood was divided
between Texas and Illinois. He usu-
ally spent the summers on his fathers
ranch, and the winters in the north,
where he attended school.
AS the result of this simple career
he possessed a fine education and ne
is rather proud of certain trophies won
on the Fairgrounds and diploma
won in the class-rooms of the college
at Campaign, Ill.
Last summer the grass was scarce
in the Rio Grande valley, and Houston
Ward shipped some 400 or 500 head of
cattle to the Indian Territory.
Finding abundant pasture lands, the
young man remained for some time in
the vicinity of Fort Gill, where he
made the acquaintance of the pretty
Indian girl who will some become his
wife.
The gallant Texan frequently sought
the company of the dusky belle of the
border, often dancing and riding with
her, but he now says that he did not
know that he loved her until one even
ing he found her fingers in his hair
and upon opening his eyes, in flame
end smoke, he felt the earth trembling
beneath his feet, while his ears were
filled with noise of cyclone.
Houston Ward had been riding
about over the prairie looking at his
cattle, and, becoming tired, he dis
mounted and lay down on the grass in
the shade of tree, leaving his pony
TO Craze at will.
He soon fell asleep and his pony
wandered off TO mingle with a large
herd of cattle and big drove OF
horses that were not far away.
The grass was very tall and most of
it was dead anL dry Either some
careless cowboy dropped a match oI
a spark from hunters gun set the
trairie on fire. A strong breeze was
blowing from the north and, as usual
In such cases, it looked as if the
flames increased the commotion in the
air until wind storm was driving the
rapidly spreading fire before it.
The great herd of Texas steers
s.ampeded the instant they scented
danger and started south, believing
with terror. The horses caught the
contagion and mingled with the fly
ing steers, snorting as if pack of pan.
taers were at their heels.
There were about 500 full grown
Tnyac ctaaI,c in har
five or eighty head of horses.
This moving mass of frightened ami
mails started straight toward the tree
under which the sleeping Texan was
lying, wholly unconscious of danger.
Old Geronimo's daughter, mounted
on a magnificent horse. was riding
across the prairie when the fire broke
out and she saw the animals stampede,
70 one knew why she happened to be
there or how she knew that the hand
some young Texan was lying under
the bone tree asleep.
She saw the maddened herd, driven
by sea of flame, rushing furiously
onward toward the place where young
Ward was lying, and knowing that his
horse had strayed away and that no
earthly power could turn the living
wave of terror aside, she struck her
horse with the whip and rode straight
toward the rapidly approaching herd.
When she reached the tree, the
front rank of the mad steers was not
twenty steIs away. The flames were
teaping in the air over the backs Of
the animals in the rear, and the wind
was blowing a cloud of smoke and
dust above them. Horns were crack
ing and horses were neighing
Ward was just beginning to move
when the Indian girl bent over the
side of her quivering horse and seized
his hair
"UD OIIicki" she. Shrieked ''thn