The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-01-20

meet a fierce Apache rush upon the
mesa. Wild riders seemed to emerge
100, 2OO-out Of nowhere, suddenly
Undertaking out of shimmering
mist of heat radiation, and they were
upon us before We could form for de-
Tense No ear in that tremendous din
could hear Murphy's roars OF COM
mand.
II was save himself who cam eX-
cept that no man thought OF flight.
Each trooper and civilian got behind
horse, mule or wagon, drew his Colt
and fired into the screeching, clatter-
inc mob. which charged home upon us
in the characteristic Apache rush.
II was thrilling, savage moment.
Clouds Of horsemen hurled themselves
at us with deafening yells, dlscharglng
rain of feathered shafts and lunging
fiercely at horse and man with their
long lances. They rode down and over
and through our thin line, Veritable
Bosom of destruction.
When this whirlwind of savagery
had howled over us and the dust Oh 1t
had lifted somewhat, we took account
of our casualties. OF % fighting men
we had IS left uniujured. Three were
killed outright and three disabled.
Nine horses and mules had been killed
or crippled.
The faces of the living were grave
enough, and filled with graver fore
| boding when it became apparent that
| the Apaches had not met with severe
repulse They had carried off their
dead and were drawn up on ridge
marked by clumps Of greasewood a
mile or so in our advance. In five min
utes three thin columns Of smoke
| arose among them, and We knew that
they were signaling for the approach
| of another band.
To 60 back into the canonS meant
| certain distinctions; to go forward
seemed equally perilous. But Murphy
was a fighter; he feared the moral eff
| feet of entrenchment and so began to
put things in fighting order for adj
vance.
Four men were lowering the dead
into shallow pit when the professor
came up out of the canon in our rear.
We had reckoned him with the lost,
but somehow the Apaches had missed
him. He came among us with looks
| of concern.
''Why, why, men, this is-h-m-m
most unfOrtunate!" he said. His
| face betrayed sorrOwful emotion as
the dead were covered with salute
| fired Then he donned his hat and
inquired after the enemy, of whose
din his deaf ears had heard nothing.
| The Indians upon the ridge were
pointed out to him.
The professor Strengthened his lank
| figure, adjusted his spectacles, and
gazed intently toward the mirage-dis-
torted figures and the thin wreaths OF
smoke which curled over them. Pres
| emily he spoke:
Lieutenant, do you think-h-m-m
they'll come on again?'
"Sure!" said Murphy.
"Then," said the professor, calmly,
| then. Lieutenant, we must-h-m-m-
must drive em Off"
Immediately he began to unpacll his
| big gun case He worked deity, TAX
ing from its long cover and unwinding
a swaddled Creedmoor rifle of great
power and range. This ponderous
weapon, the barrel of which had been
specially made to the professors Or
der, as I learned later. must have
weighed Is or 16 pounds. To it had
been fitted beautiful full-length tele-
scope sight, with set-screws for regu-
lating the elevation and windage.
A laugh broke out among the troop
ers, who were unable to resist the
humor of the situation. Murphy
grinned, but looked at the polished and
costly target-gun with a degree of re-
spect
so you'd like to try a shot" said
the lieutenant well, guess it won't
do any harm"
1T must rest upon wagon, lieuten-
ant-h-m-m. You'll have the mules
removed, to give steadiness."
He spoke authcritively and Murphy
hesitated for an instant; then, with a
tN'hN[iNol IOoh, NC SC'O lAiC iC4uloiIO
order. Soon the cover of the unhitched
wagon had been lifted and the profess
sor stood upon feed-boX with his big
gun resting well across some piled-up
sacks Of corn. He busted himself at
once in making careful estimate of
the distance, in adjusting the set
screws of the telescope, and in taking
the gauge of slightly adverse breeze.
Never shall | forget the derisive
faces of Murphy's men, or the half-ex-
cited, half-oeprecatory flush upon the
heutenants face as he stood with lev
elled held-glass, to note where the first
shot- would strike. In the heat mirage
the hgures of the Apache horsemen
We're so distorted and magnified that,
although nearly half a mile distant,
they were fair marks to the naked
eye. Grouped, however, thew made a
great blurred patch upon the horizon.
Two minutes passed, and still the
professor was busy with delicate adj
1ustn'*hts; but then he got to work.
and presently the roar of the Creed
moor burst forth. Some seconds of 81
fence followed; then Murphy slammed
MS thlSh with whoop of triumnh
You got him! By George, you cot