The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-01-29
A LONG SMOKE
[original.l

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, if it's part of the festivities,
here goes. It's not much OF story,
with only horse for a hero When
Doll and / agreed TO get married we
were both living in the northeast corner
Of New Mexico. Her father gave us
quarter section OF land on the Canadian
river not far below its source, and
/ built a house on it. / was delayed Ia
| getting some furniture I'd bought at
Santa Fe, and on the wedding day, aft.
er the ceremony, which occurred about
| o'clock In the afternoon started out
to look for 1t, 1t was agreed that IL
didn't get back by sunset the family
were to go to the new house and wait
| for me there.
/ rode my sorrel horse, Pete, and
made for the road leading past the mil
! itary post, for that's the route by which
/ 4 CARCNbEA AliC A4lCt lhG
wagon numbering along and, looking at
| my watch, calculated that ii wouldn't
reach the ranch before 8 or 10 o'clock
at night. 1t was then about an hour be-
fore sunset and hesitated whether to
so back to my father-in-law's or to the
ranch. / decided for the ranch. When
| reached II darkness had come down.
but a full moon was rising. was rid
| lug through some timber, from which /
emerged Ia sight Of the honse, when
! Isete stopped suddenly. Ills ears we're
standing straight forward, and he trem-
bled all over / couldn't see what trou-
| bled him Everything looked peaceful
enough ak tho house. A man had
hired ana III whose care had left the
| place was sitting IN his chair on the
| porch. with his heels up on one OF the
| pillars-s smoking, supposed. could
| Just see him by the light Of tho rising
moon Then it occurred 10 me that
Stree the place was not lightsd the par
ty had not arrived and / would 60 and
meet them. made one more effort TO
get Pete 10 rneve forward, but failed.
rode all the way without meeting
the party and whom I reached Dolls
home fohnd them all anxious for my
safety, for they had heard that Apaches
had been seen during the afternoon in
the nelghborhood. 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 nv
wife's fnther. Tom Williams, man
working on his place, and ! all took
Winchesters and started on fcot Cor
the ranch When we ne0red 1t 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. but
there was enough light FOR us to see
that the hired man was still sitting in
the position in which had left him,
which must have been an hour before.
! thought he w6s taking a pretty long
smoke or something was wrong. While
we were wondering two dark figures
came ont OF the house--we at once rec
ognized them for Indiaps-and, scrap.
ing up some loose pieces OF wood, put
them under the porch and set 1t afire.
Il didn't propose to have my house
destroyed, especially on my wedding
night, and whispered tho order to crawl
quickly forward The burning sticks
lighted up several Indians. who were
ioiEed by half dozen others from the
Inside OF the house. told each Of my
companions which savage to pick OF,
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 rides being
rcpeatess. we pumped lead briskiy. and.
the Indians, not knowing how many
Of US there were, ran away. / was
pleased to see that they took their
dead and wounded with them, for
didn't want them around OH my wed
ding night. As soon as they wero gone
we ran forward, kicked the kinGling
from under tho porch, and a bucketful
OF water put out the fire.
Having examined the inside TO see IL
the Indians had put any Ore there we
approached the hired man, who through
all the melee sat with his heels on the
pillar, apparently unmindful Of what
was going on. The frst thing I no
ticed about him was bald spot on the
top OF bis head-for his hat was not
on it--and / knew at once what Il
meant. He had been scaiped. The
man was stone dead. He had been
placed as decoy.
About this time the furniture wagon
drove up, and the man in charge, not
knowing what had taken place, began
to unload It. When he heard OF my
narrow escape, and consequently his,
be wilted.
doll and / spent our wedding night
at her fathers house. She declined to
live at the ranch, which sold TO
man who lost his scalp year later.
We stayed awhile at the home Of Dolls
parents, and as Doll wouldn't 90 on to
the ranch brought her here
What became OF Peter
well, soeIng that Pete had saved the
groon's life, the wagon drivers life
and tho lives Of the others who when
appeared were preparing to 20 to the
ranch In search Of me. Doll fed him SO
high that he'd have died IL she haE
stayed there When we left we sold
him to man who forced him against