The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-10-12

Isonflen zines the pily1ia- ter ana
rs SAFE ana escort passed over MS
route and returned smiling Wien
tIieyy started out for the fifteenth tEip
eSfexfcln charlie had his plans al
laid. He was AIexicdu half breed,
and when you have such q man iool7
out Tor deviltry. He was a hanger on
around the stage stations for hun
fIred miles up aud down the line ne
was a gnmbler. horse thief aild sus7
rs,st.f..l OF murder, and he had thu nee
essaTy qualifications TO make him
leader OF other bad men he was
two months mixing his plans. anu
they were laid for the complete WIPE
out OF tile entire party. He didn't pro
pose to leave a single man awe 70
Identify hln aftcrward-
When the roundup WIS completed
the outlaw gang numbered an even
twenty men and all were armed with
Wfnchesters aud revolvers. The route
was gone over ana the spot finally
settled on for the attack was midway
between Forts Davis and Concho.
There the rude mountain read wound
upward for half 4 nliie. to pitch sud
denly into raviue with walls fifty
feet high and Its length half Il mile or
more.
TO collect nineteen outlaws together,
hide them away for 4 week, hold
them steady and lit out n part of the
number with horses and arms was no
slight undertaking, but the half breed
rSesTe1 TINT
without arousing suspicion. On the
first day of "a certain July the outlaw
band was posted in the ravine, ana the
major left Fort Davis at an hour to
bring him to the spot at about noon.
whites and Indians were at peace
and the country quiet. and the pay
master and his escort had not the
slightest hint OF the reception the out
laws had in store for them
1t may have been known to the
mountain Indians that the caves and
crevices in the walls of the ravine
were Inhabited by wild bees. but 1t
certainly was not to the whites. They
had bred and swarmed there for
years. on this July day there was an
angry buzzing high above the heads OF
the outlaws, but they gave 1t no atten.
ton The rocks were warming up and
the bees getting ready to swarm
Scouts had been sent forth to find
other crevices and report, and thou
sands upon thousands of the hot head
ed insects were ready to swarm out
and follow their leaders to new homes
Stretched on the shelves or posted
behind powders, the outlaws We're
waiting for their prey They got the
signal that the escort was coming
across the fiat; then that 1t was tOilIng
up the long hill; then, after mo-
ment's wait, that It was about to enter
the ravine. The half breed had told
his men over and over to fire to kill,
to wipe out every soldier at the first
vollcy, but he told them again. There
were twenty bullets for eleven men
and every outlaw having rest for his
rife and target not twenty feet
away.
OF sudden one of the bee scouts
settled down on the bare hand of one
OF the outlaws. He sought to flick 1t
on, and the insect stunE him and few
away. 1t would seem as II 1t dew up
to the others and warned them OF the
trcspassers and melted them to battle,
Within minute a perfect cloud OF
them descended. They were angry
and excited and looking for fight
The outlaws could make no defense
ngainst such an enemy. In thirty sec
ouds they were almost literally cover
cd and being knitted In a score OF
places, and just as the two troopers
at the head OF the escort reached the
head of the ravinc the Hmbushcrs ncd
down it with shouts and yells OF pain
and terror.
Their horses were half mile below.
The bees followed the men to the
horses and attacked the latter, and in
few seconds there was wild STAN
pede. Some OF tho animals came up
the ravine, md some went down, and
the shouts nj the outlaws were echoed
ami. re-echoed by the shrill neighs of
the half maddened horses.
The paymaster could not tell what
had taken place, except that the wild
bees had come out He was forced to
order n retreat. and there was no
nausc until the OUTFIT had dropped
back u fun mile. Then scouts were
sent forward and after n time made
pretty good guess MS to whnt was
up. ] he bees seemed to- be out in
millions. The roar OF their wings rs
they buzzed up and down was like
strong wind in the treetops, and rs
swarm met swarm they fought among
themselves until the rocky trail was
covered with their bodies.
Not until near shutdown did the In
sects seek their new homes and quiet
down and allow the escort a chance to
pass unscathed. At the lower end OF
the rnvine were two dead men-out-
laws who had been stung to death.
Farther down were three men who
were blind. helpless and rnvlnG. Ri
hes. belts and camp outfit had been
thrown away, and not one OF the des