Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-06-08
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
A LORD on the RANGE


punch cows. and not to tell stories.
And. anyway, this no-account story
which ! have to tell is only about a
British lord which / met once in Ari-
iona. 1t lays no claim to Sunday-best
English, but only stakes itself ont for
being truth.
Away back in SO, me being FESTIVE In
old Texas and wishful just to see the
ocean. pulled out on the long trail for
California.
In the first few hundred miles or so
was no way adventurous. reckon
the good traveller SHES clear of dangers
before they come, and the most excite
ments happen on the worst mans jour
ney. Still, sometimes a danger comes
along pressing, and insists on getting
right In the way. Before left Texas a
bad man tried TO get my outfit, pointing
his gun from behind a rock. but he was
hurt when we parted, and needed sur
geon bad.
Then. in New Mexico, a bear hap
pened into my camp, and, not disturb
ing me. politely walked of with my
provisions. Further on, the water holes
seemed to stray out Of my course a
whole lot. or else they saw me coming
along, thirsty and dried up cautious.
Near the edge of Arizona one of my
ponies died of rattlesnake. aggravated
by bullet through the head. Still, on
1.-THE whole, | didn't get scalped by In
dlans or wiped out by border ruiiians,
or diminished by hunger and thirst
to any great extent. The betting was
in favor Of my winning through TO the
Pacific ocean.
The day after my little mares death
was riding along and driving the
lpack horse. when heard In the silence
the small voice Of rife far of to the
left. Maybe some hunter was missing
la deer in the distance, SO pointed that
lway TO inquire. After mile or SO
heard the rifle speaking again, and
three guns answered spluttering quick
land excited. That sounded mighty like
la disagreement, so ! concluded ought
TO be cautious and roll my tail at once
tor foreign parts. went on slow, near
ling little hill. Again a rifle sho,
|rang out from just beyond that hill and
1.-TWO shots nswered-muzzle loading
lguns. At the same time the wind blew
fresh from the hill, with a Whit OF
powder. and something else which
made my horses shy. Heap bad
SMELL" they snufflcd. Just look al
that" they signalled with their ears
I"Ugh!" they snorted.
cit up" said !, and charged the
Islope Of the hill.
Near the top told them TO be good
Then | went on afoot with my rife
crep up to the brow Of the hill, and
looked over through a clump of cactus
At the foot of the hill. two hundred
feet below me, there was standing
water, muddy pool perhaps half an
acre wide. and just beyond that on the
plain burned out camp fire beside q
lcouple OF canvas covered wagons. II
looked as II the white men there had
Just been pulling out OF camp with
their teams all harnessed for the trail
for the horses lay. some dead, some
wounded, mixed up in struggling
heap. As | watched rifle shot rang
tout from the wagon, aimed at the hill
side; but when looked right down
II could see nothing but loose rocks
scattered below the slope. After
watched moment, u brown rock
moved, ] caught the shine ON an Ia
dams hide, the CLEAN OF gun bar.
rel. Close by was another Indian
painted for war, and beyond him 9
third lying dead; SO | counted from
rock TO rock until made out thirteen
Iof the worst kind OF Indians-Apaches
all edging away from cover to cover
Ito the left, while out of the wagons two
IIiiies talked whenever they saw any
Thing TO hit. One rife was slow and
cool, the other scared and panicky, bu,
ineither was getting much meat.
For time reckoned up the whole
proposition. While the Apaches dowi
below attacked the wagons, their sen
TRY up here on the hill had forgotten
TO keep a lookout, being too much In
lterested. He never turned until HI
heard my horses Gathering up the
rocks. but then he yelled warning Il
his crowd and bolted. One Indian hat
ltIied to climb the hill against me ant
been killed from the wagons; now tn,
rest were scared of being shot from
aboye before they could reach theil
lponies, They are making on to thu
left in search OF their ponies. on &
hundred yards to the lett was the sen
TRY, boy with bow and arrows. run
ming for all he was worth across tn,
plain. A hundred yards beyond him
down in a hollow, was mounted In
dian coming up with bunch Of ponies
II the main body of the Apaches got tC
their ponies they could surround The
him, charge and gather in my scalp.
Idid not want them to take SO much