The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-06-02

in the desert, wounded, helpless as a
baby. game as grizzly bear, ringed
round with dead horses and desd
Apaches. and his troubles appealed to
me plentiful. I secuted around until
I hit a live trail. then streaked away
to find people. was bit doubtful
if 1 had done right in case that lord
got massacred. me being absent, so
l rode hard and at noon saw the smoke
of a camp against the Tres Hermanos
Mountains. 1t proved to be COW
camp, with all the boys at dinner.
They lad heard nothing about
Apaches on the war trail. but when 1
told what I knew they came glad. Oh
the dead run. their wagons and their
pony herd following. We found the
Britisher digging graves for three dead
men. and looking apt to need a fourth
for his own use.
"Er-good evening" says he: and l
began to wonder why Id sweated
myself so hot to rescue an iceberg.
"Gentlemen," said he to the boys.
you'll find some coffee ready beside
the ire-and afterward. if you please,
we will bury my dead"
The boys leaned over in their sad
dies wondering at him, but the lords
cool eye looked from face to face,
and we had to do what he said. He
was surely a great chief. that Lora
Balshannon.
The men who had fallen 4 prey to
the ADaches were two teamsters and
a Mexican, all known to these Bar Y
riders. and they were sure sorry; but
more than that they enjoyed this short
horn, this tenderfoot from the East,
who could stand off an outfit Of hos
tile Indians with his lone rife. They
saw he was wounded, yet he dug
graves for his dead. made coffee for
the living and thought Of everything
except himself. After coffee we lined
up by the graves to watch the bluff
he made at funeral honors. Lord Bal
shannon was a Colonel in the British
Army, and he stood like an officer on
parade, reading from book. His
black hair was touched silver, his face.
yellow and gaunt with pain. was
strong, hard and manful. and his voice
0uivered while he read from the lit
tie book:
Eor ,,, ct-arrer with Thee
And sojourner. as all my fathers were;
O spare me little, that may recover my
strength
Before 60 hence, and am no more seen.
I reckon that there were some OF
us shifting as though we had just
caught cold, while we listened to
that mans voice and saw the loneli-
ness Of him. Afterward Dick Bryant,
the Bar Y foreman. walked straight
up to Lord Balshannon.
"Britisher," said he, you may be a
sojourner, and We hopes You are a
whole lot, but there is no need to be
a stranger. Shaker
So they shook hands, and that was
the beginning of a big friendship.
Then Lord Balshannon turned TO the
crowd and looked slowly from face
to face Of us.
"Gentlemen," he said, kind of fee
bic, and we saw his face 30 gray
while he spoke, I'm much obliged to
you all for-er-coming. 1t seems, in
Geed-ah.-that my-er-little son Jim
and I have found friends and-er-
neighbors. I'm sorry that you should
find my camp in such-aw-in such
a beastly mess; but there's some fairly
decent whisky in this nearest wagon,
and-er''- The man was reeling and
his eyes seemed blind. "When we get
to my new ranch at Holy Cross, IL
hope you'll-friends-a
And lie dropped in dead fairt.
Tie Bar Y foreman knelt down to
loosen the strangers collar, while one
Of the boys brought water from the
camp. and the rest Of US stood watch
iHg. These Britishers,' says he. runs
to two breeds, the lords, which they
say 'er-haw" and the funkeys, which
cast their aitches and says 'orse' for
'hawss.' That's how you know their
brand. and this Mister Balshannon
here is a sure lord. reckon. boys"
he looked all round at US. that we
alls has met with a man which were
sure to be proud to have for friend
and neighbor.'
"Er-haM." said one Of the koys.
"Hay-menw squcaked another.
That's how it all began. and I put in
twelve long years ct Holy Cross, rid
ing for Lord Balshanlon.-Black and
White.