The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-05-22
A LONG SMOKE
Iorlglna1

nUsut > AO0aen Heluths ana uau toilQ-
ed his wife down with tubs, wash.
boards, bread boards, rolling pins and
the like. After eating good supper
said to the husband:
Come, Jim; it's time for you to tell
the story about your wedding night''
you've heard that story annually for
ten years"
'.Nine. This'll be the TENTH
.Well, II it's part of the festivities,
here goes. Its not much of a story.
with only a horse for a hero. when
sDoll and agreed to get married we
were both living in the northeast corner
OF New Mexico. Her father gave us a
quarter section of land on the Canadian
river not far below Its source. and /
built house on 1t. was delayed IL
getting some furniture I'd bought a
Santa Fe. and on the wedding day. aft,
ar the ceremony, which occurred about
o'clock In the afternoon, started out
TO look for it. 1t was agreed that 4
didn't get back by sunset the family
were TO go to the new house and wall
for me there.
1 rode my sorrel horse. Pete, and
made for the road leading past the mil
Itary post, for that's the route by which
expected the furniture. / met the
wagon numbering along and, looking at
my watch, calculated that 1t wouldn't
reach the ranch before 0 or 10 o'clock
at night. It was then about an hour be.
fore sunset and / hesltated whether to
go back to my father-in.law's or to thS
ranch. ! decided for the ranch When
reached 1t darkness had come down
but full moon was rising. l was rid.
Ing through some timber, from which
emerged in sight of the house, when
Pets stopped suddenly. His ears were
Standing straight forward. and he trem-
bled all over. couldn't see what trou.
bled him. Everything looked peaceful
enough at the house a. man / had
hired and In whose care I had left the
place was sitting in his chair on the
porch, with his heels up on one OF the
pillars smoking, l supposed. could
Just see him by the light Of the rising
moon. Then It occurred to me that
since the place was not lighted the par
~ had not arrived and would go and
meet them. made one more effort to
get Pete to move forward, but failed.
| rode NIL the way without meeting
the party and whep reached Dolls
home found them all anxious for my
safety. for they had heard that Apuches
had been seen during the afternoon n
the neighborhood. Doll would have
doubtless thrown herself on my neck
and wept for Joy at seeing me, only
she hadn't been married long enough
to do such things in company.
1t occurred to me that Pete had
smelled Indians. But they couldn't
have been at the ranch house, for the
hired man was sitting out unmindful
of them. However, Mr.. Gunther, my
wife's father; Tom Williams, a man
working on his place, and nll took
Winchesters and started on foot for
the ranch. When we neared it we
skulked through the timber and came
out on the edge of the clearing, near
where Pete had stopped. The moon
was partly obscured by clouds, blu.
there was enough light for us to see
that the hired man was sim sitting in
the position in which had left him,
which mus. have been an,s.aur before
thought he was taking a pretty long
smoke or something was wrong. While
we were wondering two dark figures
came out Ct the house-we at once rec.
ognlzed them for Indlans-and, scrap.
ing up some loose pieces of wood, put
them under the porch and set It afire.
"1 didn't propose to have my house
destroyed, especially on my wedding
night, and whispered the order to crawl
quickly TorWard. The burning sticks
lighted up several Indians, who were
Joined by half a dozen others from the
inside of the house. told each of+my
companions which savage TO pick on,
and, taking a third myself, we all fired
together. Two Of the Indians dropped,
and the others ran. More came dashing
out OF the house; but, our rifles being
reporters, we pumped lead briskly. and
the Indians, not knowing how many
OF us there were, ran away. / was
pleased to see that they took theft
dead and wounded with them. for i
didn't want them around on my wed.
ding night. AS soon as they were gone