Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-02-03


his Winchester, he returned to the par
apet and. half seated. half reclining
behind it, opened fire on the unsuspect-
ing Apaches The leader. shot through
the head, fell from his horse. which
reared and backed wildly down the
trail. Other bullets must have found
their biilets also. but because Of the
confusion which ensued among the In
dams the prospector was unable to
tell how many of them be had put out
of action. In Il fash every rider
| had leaped off his horse and. protect
| ing himself by it's body, was scram-
| bling with his mount to the protecting
| declivity in the rear. The prospector
was sorely tempted to pump his car
tridges into the group as it poured
back over the rim of the hollow. but
he desisted from the useless slaughter
| Of horses alone knowing that he could
be attacked only on foot and that every
| one of his slender store of cartridges
must find a human mark if he would
return to the States alive They've
got to put me out of business before
| they can go on" he ruminated IAN
Apache is a good deal of a coward
when he's fighting for pleasure. but
just corner him. and. great snakes and
spittin' wildcats. what a game he does
put up! l must save my cartridges. for
one things sure-they won't waste an!
of theirs. They're not as coed shots as
white men, for ammunition is too
scarce with them for use in gun prlc
tfce. SO they won't fire till they've got
me dead to rights. Let me see. There's
about dozen left in the party, and
| have fifteen cartridges. That's three in
reserve for my own outfit If some OF
the others fail to get their men. Those
red devils enjoy skinning all animal
alive as much as torturing man. and
you can bet they won't save me any
bullets by shooting Nance and jimmy
Reasoning that the Indians would
not dare to attack by way Of the open
trail in front and that it would take
some time for them to make the de
tour necessary to approach him from
above, since they would have to leave
their ponies below and climb on hands
and knees over jutting lodges and
around broken granite blocks. Lane
coolly proceeded to drink bis coffee
and eat his lunch OF hard bread and
cold bacon rind. After he had finished
he gave lump of sugar to each of his
animals and pressed his cheek with an
alfectioGate hug against the side Of his
horses head.
"O!d girl he said. "I'm sorry we
, can't take parting drink, for I'm
. afraid neither of us will reach our
next water hole. But you can count
! on me that the red devils won't get
q you"
/ Then. going to his pack. he undid 1t
Y and took out a double handful Of yell
t low nuggets and a number of canvas
!. bags. These he deposited in the pot
g hole and, prying up the fat stone OF
s the fireplace, laid it over them and
I covered the stone with embers.
I "1t's a ten to one shot that they fin
: ish me-" he reflected. but the wages
}. I've paid for by year Of hard work
and absence from her side stay just
t as near Echo Allen as can bring
S them alive and. if there's any truth In
. what they say about spirits disclosing
, in dreams the place Of buried treas.
, ure. with the chance OF my getting
them TO her after am dead"
Taking the useless powders from
, the edge Of the cliff but carefully, SO
, as not to expose himself to the fire OF
, the Apaches. be piled them on top Of
. the upper wall in such a fashion as to
form little turretS. He left an open
ing in each. through which he could
3 observe in turn each point Of the COM
q pass whence danger might be expect
> ed and could fire his Winchester with
: out exposing himself. Then he began
going from post to post on a cOntin-
uous round of self imposed sentinel
( duty. ''If l could only climb the sa-
K huaro.' he thought. land fly my red
4 shirt as flag to let the rurales know
I've fanked the enemy. it might hur.
o ~ them along in time to put a crimp
!. In these devils before they get me-
h But it'll have to be hold the fort
e without any oh. say can you see!
= business. Anyhow, I'm flying the rat
tlesnake flag of Bunker Hill, 'Don't
;. tread on met Whether the rurales
;. see it or not. I've saved their hides
~ If the Apaches had got to this fort
!. first, gee, how they would have crum
: pied up the greasers as they came
- along the trail!''
n Rendered thirsty by his exertions
- Lane remembered the canteen In tn,
II bisnaga. which he had forgotten anon:
"a his other preparations for defense. H.
"A cautiously reached his hand over thu
~ ledge and secured the precious vessel
20 but as he was withdrawing it, ping
came a bullet through the canteen
knocking 1t out of his hand! AS it fel
=. gathering down the side of the ledg
- he groaned: "Good shooting! They'v
=. probably left their best marksman be
low with the ponies. No hope for es
:, cape on that side. Well, there's som
consolation in the thought that they