The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-12-27

teen.yoar.old boy But stuck 10 II In
aplte of aclilng bones and u tired head.
For tho first three months had no
miahapa began 70 think tho talk Of
danger was all boah. Then as was
galIoping around curve on a hillside
TRAN one day rode fluah 40 70 a lev.
elod pistol, The man behind II told me
10 throw 10 my hands. obeyed
There Ii no use arguing with loaded
pistol. FrontierHmen IN those days
shot 90 kill, The road agent dlSmount-
ed and walked up 70 mo 10 take my
saddiebags. tried 70 look scared
and harmless. He lowered bis re-
yolver az he reached for the bags.
Juat then \ whirled my pony around.
The little horses plunge knocked the
man off hia feet, and q stray kick from
one Of the Iron uhod hoofs grazed the
fellows head, knocking him senseless.
Having no further interest In him.
was glad enough 10 make my escape,
Here Is a further adventure Of Inn
pert;
one day | gallopcd up 10 q relay
station aud found no relief pony walt
ing for me. Not n soul was In sight,
But heard men yelling and shooting
down by the corral back Of the station.
jumped on, ride In one hand and my
twenty pound pouches IN the other.
and made for the trees that hid the
corral from the trail thought from
the noise that there must be an Indian
raid there at least
reached the little clearing above
the corral In time 20 see gigantic
buffalo bun charge through bunch Of
cattle and rush on toward the door
yard of tho station. -Four or Ave men
were yelling AZ the top Of their lungs
and blazing away at him with guns
and Feyolvers But II any Of the shots
reached the brute they only served 70
madden him all the more II was no
business Of mine. 20 ! stood there
laughing at their excitement But all
at once | stopped laughing and turned
sick AZ what saw.
There. near the door Of the cabin.
playing with a big wooden doll, sat
little girl perhaps three years old. She
wore a little red cloak, and the bright
bit Of color had caught the mad buf.
falo's attention. Down at the uncon-
scIous playing baby charged tho great,
furious brute. The men saw her peril
iust when did. and they tlred wildly
and came forward at dead run. But
they were too FAR away,
A woman ran screaming out Of the
house and rushed toward the child.
She had no weapon Of any kind and
probably couldn't have used one II she
had had. Butt suppose mother love
made her forget the horrible peril and
she wanted to die with her little girl.
Women arc sometimes braver, think,
than men, especially where their chill
dren are concerned.
The buffalo was not fifteen yards
away from the child when brought
my ride instlnctlyely 10 my shoulder.
wouldn't give myself time to think
what must happen II | should miss.
It was one Of those times when a man
must not fail IN his aim.
Just then the baby looked up and
saw the murderous brute She clapped
both hands and gave squeal Of de-
light. She probably thought the beast
was some new sort OF playmate,
As she called out tlredl The buf.
falo's legs seemed to tuck themselves
up under him. The impetus Of his
rush carried him along the ground full
ten feet, and he came to stop with
his head not six inches from the little
girls knee. stone dead.
Then after the men had pounded me
on the back TN ! was sore the child's
mother insisted on kissing me. How q
healthy fourteen.year-old boy does
loathe to be kissedl
Although among the youngest OF the
courleTs, seemed to have tllled the
bin and was promoted. as was Johnny
Fry, to $3.50 per month, but to q more
dangerous route.
MY age at tho time Of riding the
pony exngess VIII naturally create at
tention and possibly surprise from the
readers Or the present day, 40 the
youth at that age in the west-from
fourteen to slxteen--was In many re-
spects man from the time he could
shoulder a rifle or FIRE q pistol, with
al mans responsibility, bar voting.
OF course l suppose in the centers Of
manufacture, indoor work or In mines
| 1t II necessary to protect children un'
der tho child labor law, But the con-
/ tlitlons were such on the frontier that
the boy acquired an early experience,
and both the Indian boys and the
white boys at the age Of fourteen or
fifteen were ranked In every way as
factors to be accounted for on any cc-
casions that arose demanding energy,
stamina and pluck
! Hundreds Of other boys at that time
were In the same class rs myself
ready, willing and able to do and dare
Little men,
The Importance to the white man 81
| quick communication soon dawned on
he Indians and aroused them to src
lal endcavors 70 harnss intercept and
sill on the messengers IN charge oi
this work. Consequently after the first
few weeks pony express riding becNmC
probably one Of the most dangerous