The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-05-18
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English, but only stakes itself out
for being truth.
Away back in SO, me being restive
in old Texas and wishful Just to see
the ocean. l pulled out on the long
trail for California.
In the first hundred miles or so |
was no way adventurous. reckon
the good traveller SHES clear of dan
gers before they come. and the most
excitements happen on the worst mans
journey. still. sometimes a danger
comes along pressing and insists on
getting right in the way. Before |
left Texas bad man tried to get ms
outfit, pointing his gun from behind
a rock, but he was hurt when we part.
ed and needed a surgeon bad.
Then, in New Mexico. bear hap.
pened into my camp, and, not dis.
turbing 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 com.
ing along thirsty and dried up eau.
tious. Near the edge of Arizona one
grayated by bullet through the head.
Still. on the whole. didn't get scalpcd
by Indians or wiped out by border
ruffianS or diminished by hunger and
thirst TO any great extent. The bet
ting was in favor of my winning
through TO the Pacific Ocean.
The day after my little mares death
| was riding along and driving the
pack horse, when heard in the silence
the small voice of rifle far off to
the left. Maybe some hUnter was miss
ing a deer in the distance. 50 | poiated
that way to inquire. After Il mile or
go | heard the rife speaking again.
quick and excited. That sounded
mighty like disagreement. so | con-
cluded | ought to be cautious and roll
my tail at once for foreign parts.
went on slow, nearing little hill.
Again a rifle shot rang ont from Just
beyond that hill, and two shots an
swered-muzzle-loa guns. 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 snuff
fed. Just look at thatr' they sig
nailed with their ears. Ugh" they
snorted.
"Git up" said I, and charged the
slope Of the hill.
Near the top / told them to be good
or I'd treat them worse than tiger.
Then l went on afoot with my rifle,
crept up to the brow of the hill and
looked oyer through Il clumD Of cactus.
At the foot Of the hill. two hundred
feet below me, there was standing
water, a muddy pool perhaps half an
acre wide, and just beyond that OH
the plain n burned out camp fire be.
side couple Of canvas-covered wag.
ons. It looked as if 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
n struggling heap. AS l watched, a
rifle shot rang out from the wagons,
aimed at the hillside. and when |
looked right 4own | could see nothing
but loose rocks scattered below the
slope. After | watched Il moment Il
brown rock moved. | caught the shine
on an Indians hide, the gleam of n
gun barrel. Close by was another
Indian, painted for war, and beyond
him a third lying dead; so | counted
from rock to rock until | made out
thirteen of the worst kind Of Indians
-Apaches, all cdging away from cover
TO cover TO the left, while ont Of the
wagons two rifles talked whenever
they saw anything to hit One rife
was slow and cool. the other scared
and panicky, but neither was getting
much meat.
For a time | reckoncd, sizing up the
whole proposition. While the Apaches
down below attacked the wagons. their
sentry up here on the Hill had forgot
ten 10 keep a lookout, being too much
Interested. He never turned until he
heard my horses Gathering up the
rocks, but then he yelled a warning
TO his crowd and bolted. One Indian
had tried to climb the hill against me
and been killed from the wagons; now
the rest We're scared Of being shot
from above before they could reach
their ponies. They are making Off
10 the left, in search of their ponies.
on a hundred yards to the left was
the sentry, boy with bow and ar
rows. running for all he was worth
across the plain. A hundred yards
behind him, down in n hollow, was a
mounted Indian coming up with
bunch OF ponies. If the main body OF
tile Apaches got to their ponies they
could surround the hill, charge ana
gather In my scalp. | did not want
them to take % much trouble with
me.
OF course. my first move was to up
and bolt along the ridge to the left,
until | gained the SHOULDER OF the hill.
There took cover and said: abide
with me and keep me cool. II you
please" while sighted. took a steady
bead and let fly at the mounted In
dian. At my third shot he came down
flop on his pony's neck. and that was
my first bird. The bunch Of ponies
smelt his blood and stampeded pro-
miscuously.
The Apaches. being left afoot,
couldn't attack me none. II they tried
TO stampede they would be shot from
the wagons. while hoyered unpleas.
antly above their line of retreat. and
IL they stayed L could add nm THAR