Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-07-03

SUMS emlgrants had used for camp
fire a few days before.
It was the best that he could do
whiting away the eharred parts, he
at last had peg made to remedy the
deficiency, and one that he believed
might be trusted to aid them in finish
Ing their flight as far as Skaggs' ranch.
Patiently, yet full of strange fore
bodings-whlch, however, he kept
bravely to himself-Frank sat on the
grass and waited till his faithful
brother had the cart ready for him /;
then he got into 1t, and silently they
again started toward their neighbours.
Edward, too could not avoid feel
ing that they would most likely be too
late to catch Bill Skaggs' wagons.
He was puzzling his brain to think
what they would do In that event, but
he hurried on, and did not impart his
fears to Frank.
All at once party of horsemen,
pursuing a herd of cattle off to the
south, appeared in sight.
They headed directly toward the
boys, and were riding madly across the
prairies
"Oh, Eddie, they are Injuns!" cried
Frank, in scared voice.
Eyes; but what can we do?" said
Edward, the surprise rendering him for
the moment quite helpless "IFs plain
we can't reach Bllrs without being
seen by them"
They were indeed Cheyennes, about
a dozen Of them, intent on purIuing a
herd of cattle to slaughter, after their
greedy, wasteful manner.
The number of cattle killed and
driven away by the Cheyennes during
their raid was very considerable.
On, on the frightened cattle came
across the prairie, their savage pursu-
ers riding furiously after them, evil
IDENTITY trying to turn their course west
ward.
Edward gazed at them for a minute,
as If the wild spectacle had fascinated
him. But he realized that immediate
concealment for himself and Frank
was the one thing now vastly neces-
sary.
Frank, we must hide, for the In
Juns are coming like the wind" de-
cided Edward.
eyes, we can't reach Skaa;g's now"
said Frank, nervously. do you think
they have seen us?"
"Not plainly enough to tell what we
are, from this distance. The prairie
grass Is too high"
But prairie grass would not afford
very secure hiding-place from keen
Indian eyes. All around them it waved
In billowy luxuriance, as the breezes
swept over 1t. All was rolling prairie,
except just behind them the liocky ra-
vine, with bushes here and there, and
now and then a solitary tree, cotton
wood or elm. on its banks.
Some little distance up the rayine
was an old dug-out in the steep bank,
In which the Bassetts had first lived
when they came to Kansas.
Hopefully Edward thought f'the old
dug-out, as possible safe refuge from
the Indians.
Turning the cart around, he started
back to the ravine as fast as his legs
could take them.
If the Cheyennes saw the boys, es-
cape would be impossible.
The Indians were too completely en-
crossed with their mad chase of the
herd to observe any dark objects far
out on the prairie from them. But
they were swiftly drawing nearer, and
the boys could not hope to escape OBJ
servatlon much longer without CONCEAL
Ing themselves.
Reaching the ravlne, Edward started
toward the old dug-out, which was
fully quarter of u mile distant.
If he had had only himself to look
after, Edward would soon have gained
the retreat in view, but the labor of
pulling Frank in the cart greatly re-
tarded his progress. The rank prairie
grass would catch in the wheels, and
it required no slight exertion towreUch
them free.
An unseen rock suddenly brought the
cart to halt, and, when he at last
freed it from that obstruction, Ed
ward found to his dismay that the
peg which he had made a half-hour
ago had broken, and had let the wheel
come off again.
There was not a moment to be
wasted then in repairing the loss, for
already the wild whoop Of the Indians
could be heard.
Without a moments hesitation, and
tired as he already was from terror,
and haste, as much as from exertbon
used in drawing the cart Edward
picked up his crippled brother end hur-
ried on towards the place of refuge.
Leave me and run, Eddie" i'm
plored Frank. as another series Of say.
age yells reached them. "You never
can reach the dug-out with me. The
1njuns will be here. Drop me In the
grass-maybe they won't find me
Crippled as 1 am, Ill never be any
account. Do leave me and save your
self, Eddie"
But Edward only grasped him more
firmly, saying, heroically:
"The Injuns will never touch you
first, Frank"