Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-17
OLD SCOUT WOULD
HAVE CAUGHT EN-
WAS ANXIOUS TO TRAIL THE
BANDITS
Expectation of Man Hunt in Santa
Monica Canyon Made Old Soldiers
Eyes Sparkle with Fire
Of Long Ago

1t has been years since old rom
Rosecrans trailed with the Indians
after his discharge from the Union
army. SO many years, in fact, that
Tom, who now is i'm the soldiers home,
has stopped keeping count of them.
They slip away so quickly and Tom
and his comrades live so much In the
past that 1t is hardly worth while
keeping count anyway.
But the years have taken little of
Toms faith in his od-time powers of
following trails in the wilderness. and
when the bandits were being chased
through the Santa Monica mountains
last week Tom knew he could catch
them If given chance. He was so
sure of 1t, when the first news of the
attempted robbery of the postoffice
reached Sawtclle, that he limped down
to the mouth of the canyon to wait
for a chance to send word to Marshal
Baretta.
Two men were riding toward Santa
Monica and Tom tagged them. He
told them that he was scout; that he
had trailed Indians and that he wished
to joint the posse which he had heard
was forming at Santa Monica. Would
they tell Marshal Baretta to pick him
up near Sawtelle? The men ex-
changed glanccs.
Sure thing. old boy, we'll tell him."
said one, and they galloped on.
Tom hurried back to prepare for the
chase He had one game leg and the
other hitched q little at times, so it
seemed long way up to the home. He
was so excited he did not notice that
the bowl of his pipe was wrong side
up and all the tobacco dropped out.
What are ye smokin' yer pipe up
side down for?" queried Dad Weeks,
who met Tom coming up the walk.
~ 4 ,.fxs
for the favor of Peggy Rogers. who
lives down the canyon. Tom was not
in a mood to be pleased by Dads
criticisms.
Never mind my pipe" he said. 1--WE
got to help ketch the robbers; git
out o. my way" Dad" followed him
excitedly up the walk as he went
around back of the building to borrow
the caretaker's shooting jacket and
leggings
"Did they send for ye?" he said.
well. not exactly" replied Tom.
"but they're gon' to pick me up down
the canyon. I'm about the only man
they'll git around here that'H folly
that trail
The posse would be along soon and
he would have to hurry. He had worn
his reading glasses when he had gone
down to get the paper and he began a
search for his other pair. He hesitated
Would a real scout need glasses? OF
course it didn't look so we'll. but he
would have to look pretty closely in
the grass and he couldn't see much
without them. SO he took his stick
and hurried down the walk toward the
road.
Old Man Forgotten
"If 1 can only git down there before
they go by" he was saying. 1t was
nearly an hour later that the pound
ing of hoofs and a medley of voices
told Tom that the posse was coming.
He Strengthened up and tried not to
lean on his stick. He wondered wheth-
er the military salute would be the
proper way to greet the marshal. who
would be riding at the head of the
posse. The men came nearer, and as
they swept up the slope Tom stepped
out into view OF course they would
be watching for him. and as the mar
shall rode up to him he would give him
the salute. They rounded the curve
and Tom was ready. Perhaps they did
not see him. He had better wave his
stick
How are We. Dad?" shouted one of
the men as they swept by in a cloud
of dust.
The marshal and his men clatterc1
on up the canyon.
"Maybe they didn't see me-" Tom was
saying Maybe they didn't see me.
I'll jest walk on up the draw a ways.
Maybe they'll stop somewhere up
there and then I'll tell 'em who 1 am.
I guess I'd better cross over on the
other side of the crick. Dad Weeks
might be comm along here some
where"
Until midafternoon the old man fol-
lowed the canyon road and not until
the green of the hills began to give
way to the gray neutrals of the bar
rem mountain sides did he sit down
to rest.
"I 'spose they amt no use tryin' to
find 'em," he said. I'D better be get
tin back home They was a time,
though, when I could a-caught them
robbers myself"
Slowly and painfully, for it has been
years since he has taken such a walk,
he limped down the canyon. Toward
nightfall he approached the home.
"I reckon I'd better go round the
back way" he said. Dad Weeks
might be waitin' somewhere round
the front"