Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-16

Nu" IL apIlHR WHROnt us USUdls an lOl oOuiS
reason didn't seem to have any luck.
we struck one big drove, but lost 1T that
night in storm. The rain fell so we couldn't
see a single, hoof-sign next morning. ms
maze me little blue, as there was mighty
fine paint among EN- that had set my heart
on"
by "point" Thompson meant a spotted
ii knowed the country was full of mus
tangs, but we wandered for days without see
in any
This ought to have been warnin' We
knowed the Comanches had been roamm
then, an risky. Now, at my time Of life 1
would put for the settlements.
There. weren't many out here in them
days, an we KEEP on. One evening, as we
of about twenty, grain near q bunch of cot
tonwoods by the river. The sun was only
about an hour high an we set in the wagon
a long time before deeidin whether to leave
them till morning or begin the drive that
night.
"Speed had an eye like an eagle, an he de-
clared that the mustangs acted mighty cur u.s.
couldn't see anything wrong, neither could
the other teller. His name was Lawrence,
an he was city chap. But Speed thought
something was botherin' them-a mountain
lion, maybe-but didn't have no idee OF the
real cause
This decided us to begin the drive at once.
"They hadn't seen us, or at least we thought
they hadn't though, as we found out after
ward we was badly mistaken.
CAS- we advanced, they KEEP on feedin', an
even when we got within quarter OF mile,
then, an seemed to huddle closer together;
"Then something happened that made the
hair raise straight up on my head.
As he said ID, this Thompson rs sdfOP }Re mo sad
Sr rs' from his f forehead. The memory Of that
moment was still terror to him.
eve had driv' right into trap. In two
minutes every one of them mustangs had
painted, Comanehe on his back an they now now
come chargin' down on us, shakln' their long
iances an yellin' like demons :,
"There was nothin' to do but to run Tor II,
an run we did. If we hadn't had one OF the
best spans of ponies ever seen IN G9loraa1 l
wagon ever het together was mirakel But
it did, though Pm satisfied that, sometimes,
every wheel was off the ground. .t,;ch+
Jim was driyin', an he headed straight s
as there wasn't thing in sight that would
ave hadn't more'n reached the uplands,
however, till / see that the lnJuns was again
in on us.
"That wouldn't do, an told Lawrence to
take the lines, an not to spare the ponies
an then made Speed come back to where
was. Then we opened up on EN- with our
guns, an after tumbin' over, pony or two'
they checked " for ons an they come on
ap'in. howlin' worse'n ever. They had some
rifles in the gang, an begun shootin at the
same time, an, although the bullets whistled
about us right lively, we weren't hit.
"On we went like the wind. 1t was Ter
rible race-a race ag'inst time-for the early
comm Of darkness was our only saivatlon.
Had there been only two of us, we might
have got away, anyhow, by cuttin, loose from
the wagon but, with only two PONIES for tnree
men. that was not to be thought Of.
"The sun was almost down when the chase
commenced; but it seemed to me that IL
must have got stuck, somehow. on the edge
of a Hill away off in the west, for l never IN
nv life seen anything move SO slow as 1t DID.
But night come at last-when had begun TO
think the ponies couldn't last much longer
owe give the Comanches the slip in the
darkness. an by strikin off toward the east,
was soon fur enough away. -,
"After maxim sure they was not IN hearin,
we drove back to the river, give the ponies a
few hours rest, an then enterin' the water,
so as TO leave no trail, come out on rocky
slope some miles further down, an went into
camp in some timber:
1--WE laid there for three days, dunn when
time we seen nothin' more OF the Comanches,
an then started for home We dldnt care
about huntin' mustangs any more jest tnenL
not while the Injuns held possession OF the
prairies."