Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05
SAVED BY ACCIDENT
MULE TRAIN PUR-
SUED By INDIANS IN TEXAS.
Three Rear Wagons Abandoned, One
Loaded With Powder-Spark From
the Wheels Sets or Explosive.

From the Los Angeles Times.
number Of years ago. when the staked
plains was much wilder country than 1t Is
now. the government maintained numerous
military camps there. From the settled
country about Fort Concho, which Is sit
uated near the eastern edge of the plains.
there was a string of these camps west
ward. including Camp Charlotte, Grierson's
Spring, Fort Stockton and Fort Davis.
The principal duty of the soldiers stationed
at these places was to see that no maraud-
ing bands of Apaches crossed from the
reservations in the north of Mexico, as
they were fond Of doing. or molesting the
few settlers who had the temerity to live
in SO insecure a country.
The Indians rarely did greater harm than
TO drive away stock from the widely scat
tered ranches, though they were apt to kill
what they did not drive away: but il
or even two or three of them together, the
whites seldom saw their homes again.
Supplies for Grierson's Spring.
AS there was no railroad in this part Of
Texas the government camps had to be sup
Piled by wagon, and in the summer of 1887
train of wagons was carrying supplies out
to Griersons Spring. There were half
dozen heavy wagons to each of which were
attached four big mules. They contained
supplied of all kinds. food, clothing and
everything needed by men who were cut off
from communication with their kind for a
month at a time. With other things one
wagon. the second from the rear end. car
ried few kegs of black powder
The freight train was in charge of Lieut..
Callahan and was approaching the Pecos
river, which here runs at the bottom of a
deep canyon with nearly perpendicular
walls The cliffs are broken by towers and
spires that stand out from the sides and
down among them zigzags the government
road, which is cut out of the solid rock near
ly all the way, and is fine and smooth.
Horses and Mules Alarmed.
The wagons were moving along with the
wind. and the mules for some time had been
rather FESTIVE, turning their heads to one
side or the other as II trying to see some
thing behind them and shifting the air.
Lieut.. Galatians horse was even more I'M
easy than the mules. and in riding along
the train to see that all was we'll when
he reached the rear wagon the driver
called his attention to the actions of the
animal
L believe there are Indians not far away,
sir; just see how your horse is behaving.
and the mules are nearly as bad!'
The animals were now plainly much dis
turbed. All of them were restless and
the horse constantly threw his head I'D to
the wind and pricked his ears forward as
he gazed with wide eyes back UP the road.
L nave been noticing their uneasiness for
some time, replied the lieutenant, land l
am inclined to agree with you. l will ride
up this hill to the left and see IL can dis
cover anything
Turns Back in Haste.
Lieut.. Callahan turned his horse from the
road and. approaching the hill on the lower
side. 30 as to keep it's bulk between him and
any who might be coming along the road
they had passed over, he soon reached the
top He turned his glass on the country
back of them and one look seemed to be
enough. for he quickly wheeled his horse
and hurried back as fast as the animal
could scramble down the rather steep de-
scent.
There Is a band of Indians about two
miles away. coming down at a lope" he
said to the driver Of the rear wagon. Il
could not see how many, but there are
enough to bother us. Close up with the
other wagons as quickly you can and
let your team go down at brisk trot. If
we can cross the river and get started UP
the other side we will have fair chance
to stand them off, 'f= J
The lieutenant rode along the line with
similar orders to each driver and the
wagons were soon rolling swiftly down the
steep grade with a roar and grinding
from the brakes like that of heavy train
of cars being brought to sudden stop.
Nearly Stampedes the Mules.
The heavy wagons mrched and swayed
alarmingly as they swung around the turns.
The mules became excited that the driv-
ers were obliged to lock the brakes to pre-
vent the frantic animals from going down
at full speed, and the rear wheels ground
the rock with deafening din The noise
apparently reached the Indians and warned
them that their booty was escaping, for
when the wagons were about half way
down the declivity the savages appeared on
the crest above and. with yells, tore down
the descent. Nothing else needed to
render the mules unmanageable and the
pace increased to a gallop, while 1t seemed
as II only miracle could save the wagons
from going over the edge at each turn of
the road.
Lieut.. Callahan soon saw. however that,
with all the mad pace they would surely
be overtaken before reaching the bottom,
and he thought that, by abandoning the
so he shouted to the drivers:
Davidson Reeves and Smith, leave your
wagons and climb up on those in front and
maybe Well get away with the first three
Indians Meet Their Fate.
The three drivers scrambled down and cut
across bend, catching the other wagons
as they swung around the turn. The m
dams. about dozen. galloped down with
whoop and swarmed aboard from their
ponies. while others tried to pass the rear
wagons and get at those in front,
The great Earring and jolting and the ter
rife swings around the turns had handled
the freight very roughly and key of pow
der had been thrown against a sharp point
Of something and tiny hole punched
through. The powder sifted out and was
lying In little black line along the road.
AS the end wagon hurled around a turn its
locked wheels ground over the rock and
crunched the line of powder.
There was a flash of fire along the ground
and a stunning explosion. In a few mo-
ments the first three teams We're pulled up
at the river bottom, with the six drivers
and Lieut.. Callahan in a daZed condition.
The men looked back up the road. Two of
the Indians. who had been somewhat be-
hind the others, were galloping away, and
between was great chasm torn across the
road. OF the middle wagon, the one which
had carried the powder. and its mules,
there was not vestige left. but above and
below the hole in the road were strewn por-
lions of the other two wagons, with which
were mingled sickenng bloody fragments.
A Desire to Accommodate Pays.
From Success Magazine.
TIL