The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1906-11-17
THRILLING ADVENTURE
OF THE PONY RIDER

One OF the distinctive characters of
western life a few years back was the
"pony-rider," or mail-carrier. who was
the only means of public commuuica-
ton between one settlement and an.
other.
Some of these riders were young
men for such a responsible duty. you
might think, but they had been brought
up in the country, had taken part in
its. adventures, dangers and trials, and
at eighteen or twenty years of age
were as manly, courageous and saga
cious on the trail as you would ex-
pect men OF forty to be.
The lives of these mail-carriers
were full of adventure. The country
through which they rode was wild
and unsettled, and encounters with
Indians, wild beasts and desperate
highWaymen were frequent,
One Of the Quickest riders was lit
tie Sam Dudley. He was only eight
cen years Old and mis- build was
almost as slight as woman's, but
the strongest man couldn't stand ia
tigue any better than Sam. He seemed
to be made up of steel and steam.
Sam had route that was particu-
larly dangerous, as it lay in a region
where bands of Shoshone Indians
were always proving about War
path or no war-path, they robbed and
M tnh ubitn whpnavnr fhnV
found them at disadvantage, and
when pursued by parties sent out to
avenge the outrage they hid them
selves among the rocks and lay quiet
until it was safe to come out again.
This was down in Nevada, near the
Toquima mountains. Sam rode from
Austin to San Juan, distance Of fifty
miles, his course running most of the
way along the Reese river.
Sam was due in San Juan one ar
ternoon about three o'clock, but that
hour passed, and then four o'clock,
and he had not arrived. The mail
agent seemed to be tritle uneasy as
he talked about the delay.
He said Sam Dudley, the rider. was
as brave a fellow as ever straddled a
pouch, but there were bands of In
dams all along his route and he
thought it was only a question of time
when they would wing him.
He had already had adventures with
them, in which his escapes had been
little less than marvellous, and it was
while he was telling me about one OF
them that we heard shouts outside his
cabin, followed by the sound of a
horses feet at rapid gallop.
Every one hurried out and saw a
sight that was by no means uncom
mon in such a country. A young fel
low, apparently a mere boy in years
was riding toward the station on a
dark-bay mustang.
His buckskin clothes were solied
and bloody, and his left arm hung limp
and useless at his side. His right
hand grasped the long black hair OF
an Indians scalp, which he swung
round and round above his head. The
reins lay upon the pony's neck, but
the beast knew his stopping place and
needed no guiding. In a minute more
he had halted and all anXiously ap
preached the rider.
1t was Sam Dudley, the young mail
carrier, pale and weak from wounds
and loss of blood. He was helped off
the pony's back, but tainted before he
got into the agents cabin. The mail
pouch was safe, however
Sam was not long coming to him.
self again. His left arm was broken
above the elbow by rife ball and
another ball had entered his chest
near the left shoulder. Neither wound
was dangerous.
About five miles from San Juan. as
he was jogging along at an easy pace
over a stretch of tableland, he saw
three mounted Indians some distance
ahead of him. They We're coming from
an easterly direction and their course
would intersect his almost at right
angles. They evidently saw him and
he had nc doubt they would attack
him; that was what they were there
for.
But what could he do? To turn back
was no safer than to go forward, for