The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-17
NO TIME TO THINK TWICE.
OCCASIONS WHEN RAPIDITY OF
 ACTION IS MOST ESSENTIAL.
Perils Men Have 4sncounterel. in the Western Territories Shooting Mountain Lion by Chance in the Darkness-Life Saved by
 Frontiersman's Goodness
 and Undaunted Nerve.
" York Commercial Advertiser.

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 New York Commercial Advertiser.
 In a welliknown uptown pistol range frequented by New York's nose noted re- volver shots AIT Bender, of Fort Bid well fame. was telling of some remark able shooting in the heyday of the Apache
 You've some wonderful enough shots among you here in New York and the trick of centering two targets at once with a revolver in each hand Is something haven't seen even in the old days on a ride through forty counties of the blessed frontier; but what does 1t amount to9 It's only a useless trick" the speaker began. Good shooting doesn't begin to come in when a man stands at ease and with all day in front of him plugs away at a piece of plank with paper on it to see if he can smash some record. Put a man like that in a position where he's got to use his gun as quick as he thinks and he'll find he's got to learn all over again. It's only after you've shot during black night and brought down your mark so quick and sure that you don't know how you did 1t that you can begin to lay claim to being master of a six-shooter.
 Was It Chancce or Not.
 T had an experience like that myself one time. and don't know yet how ever did it. but I was always proud enough to think it was something more than luck, for I'm counted a fair shot to this day by men who ought to know. In the young days of Arizona I was running freight train of four teams over the Black Cam yon road between Phoenix and Prescott. drove one of the wagons and a six mule team myself. and hired three Mex jeans, each in charge of one of the re- maining three teams. Things were none too safe in that section about that time. had a rival who was running a freight train pretty much over my same route. and he was caught and cleaned out number of times by bands of Apache In- dians that were raiding across thA coun- try between the Verde river and the Brad shaw mountains. But his outfits were smaller than mine and easier to get away with. and, besides. he wasn't man who had been used to the ways of the red fellows. They found him easy prey. and one day they left him dead beside the charred embers of his wagon, while they scooted their loot into the strongholds far up in the mountains.
 For my part I never had serious trouble with the Indians. I knew them for band of towards. willing to take a man by surprise so I didn't give them the chance. My Mexicans were handy men when it came to using their revolv- CTS, and as all four teams always trav- eled together and we always kept a sharp watch we were left unmolested.
 Mules Gave the Alarm. "On our regular up trip we had a camp ing ground all picked out and here we al- ways halted to spend the first night The place was where Can spring comes down out of the Bradshaw, and an ideal place for a camp it was. Within 200 yards of us we had a fine spring with water. The cliffs of the mountain were there to give protection in case of bad weather and not far off was a clump of forest where we could cut firewood in plenty.
 "One night we drew up to the camp ing ground as usual. We unlocked the mules and turned them looese We al- ways did that for the animals knew where the spring was located and they'd head for 1t of their own accord, drink deep, nibble awhile at the spares grass growing along the marshy pools formed by the overflow water and then return to us for their barley. By the time the mules were ready to come back the feed ing troughs were set ready ana while they were eating we'd secure them for the night.
 But this night barely had we gotten ready for the return of the beasts when we heard a wild stamping and snorting and they came back pell nell, crushing each other in panic till 1t looked as If some of them must be seriously hurt. It was dark by this time and it was hard telling what the mules had seen. It might have been Indians or it might have been a ghost-for a mule sees more ghosts than ever went into the home of ghosts. We caught the animals one by one and quIeted them and then I sent the Mexi- cans ahead to find out what the trouble was and to lead a couple of the mules so the others would follow. They hadn't much more than entered the bit of wood around the watering place when every thing that could run came back Mexi- cans yelling. mules snorting and even Bess. hound which always was with me on the box seat. yelping in terror.
 A Picket in the Dark.
 Tho Mexicans refused to go back to reconnOiter and I had to go 1t alone. l drew my revolvers carefully cooked them and started out to investigate. I stood and listened as I entered the wood. Not a sound. not even a leaf fluttering to the ground. could be heard. All was black on all sides but the rocks and cactus and trees rose like inky images in the dark and could readily be made out. l ad- vanced carefully toward the slate cliffs from where the spring broke out. but even here all was still. crouched behind a powder and listened for some time. Nothing alarming could be made out. I arose and was about to step when the sharp "whrr" of a rattlesnake broke the silence and instinctly I bounded into the air. Then I stood still and fancied 1 heard the snake glide away. I advanced cautiously to the side of the spring. Not a sign of danger was there and I con cluded 1t must have been the snake that struck panic into the mule-herd.
 Standing near the ripplng waters great thirst began to stir within me, for l had not drunk fresh water in ten hours, and I decided to have a drink. Accordingly felt with my foot for the hard and beat en mule trail and replacing my six shoot CTS in my belt I stopped on all fours and was about to bend down further when a vague dread fear came over me. l could not tell what might cause this, but would have gotten up and run had l not been too afraid. l looked sharper than ever into the thicket dead ahead of me anc with start l realized l was being watched.
 A Random Shot.
 Some great head was distinctly out lined over the pitch black edge of the thicket against the lighter background off the sky. What head it was l did not wait to determine. Without getting from my knees 1 slid my hand behind me and with the same movement of drawing the revolvers from their scabbards l cooked them brought them together and fired twice from each in quick succession. A wild crashing of a heavy body in the bushes followed. and I beat nasty re- treat