The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-09-02

The fall from the pony was so sud-
den that. despite his fine horseman-
ship, Juan was flung several yards
over his head, and was slightly dazed
for the moment.
He was in a fury, for he knew that
three cowardly Apaches had done him
this grevious wrong, and he was eager
to get within reach of them.
1t was an instructive action on his
part, rs he was on the point Of shoot
ing over the head of his dying horse.
to clutch at the lasso, which he jerked
loose from its fastenings. Thus it hap
pened that as he clambered to his feet
he held his rife in his left hand and
his rope in his right, and still grasped
them as he dashed forward.
Twenty steps further and he found
he had rushed into quicksand. At
the same moment he caught sight of
the three Apache horsemen, who SEEM
ed TO have sprung from the ground.
They had halted several rods distant
and made no attempt to get beyond
range. They must have known of the
Quicksand. and skirting it, laid their
plans to entrap him, and did it TO per-
lection.
In his rage, Juan paid no attention
at first to his sinking feet, but brought
his Winchester to level and aimed
at one of the bucks. All three threw
themselves on the other side of their
ponies, but, meaning to fire through the
bodies Of their beasts, Juan pulled the
trigger.
To his inexpressible chagrin. the
weapon could not he discharged. In
his fall he had injured the lock be-
You'd repair for the time.
Flinging aside the useless gun, he
reached down for his revolver. when he
recalled it was in the holster of his
saddle. He was without any weapon
at all, unless his knife should be con-
sdered such.
The bucks had certainly risked
great deal in their effort to entrap the
cowman, but they had succeeded to
perfection. He was caught inextri-
cably in a quicksand and had not a
single firearm with which to defend
himself
The Apaches comprehended his
frightful predicament and boiled over
with delight
One of them could speak tolerable
English and begun haunting the poor
fellow
Extending his hand, he said,
"Howdy" and urged him 10 come for
ward and shake his palm. He accused
him of being under the influence of
tirewater, so that he could not walk,
and at sight OF the furious but vain
struggles of the helpless victim, the
three broke into uproarious laughter.
Surely they had not had one-half as
much fun since they were born.
Now nothing would have been easier
than for any one or all three of the
bucks, from their coign of vantage,
to shoot the ranchman, but that would
have ended his suffering and termi-
mated their enjoyment.
1t would be hard to picture the hor-
rible peril in which Juan Ricardo was
caught None knew better than he the
nature the treacherous soil beneath
him
As soon as he was freed of the pres
ence of the Apaches, Juan began stlug-
Cling with the energy of desperation.
He knew it was useless TO shout. for
l. hal
to their dwelling, or to where some OF
his friends might be looking after The
cattle. He mad neither gun nor pistol
to attract attention by firing in The
air.
The afternoon WaS wearing away.
Not living person was in sight, and
Juan reflected that it was not likely
his friends would discover his fate for
several days. and then they would
learn it only by seeing the carcass Of
his horse, showing where lie had shot
over his head and plunged into the
Quicksand.
He was saddened at sight of his
faithful beast, who had given up his
life in the performance of duty, just
rs he himself was about 10 do. He
looked at the saddle, the cincn. the box
stirrup lying loosely against his side,
the bride and the horn of the saddle,
around which he was accustomed to
coil his lassO and as his eyes fell upon
it the ranchman was trilled from
head to foot by thought which came
like an inspiration.
The next moment he lad coiled the
rope and began swinging the end round
his head, in the fashion that no man
could do as well as he He was at
much disadvantage, for his body was