The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-09-21
The C0lone1's|
Story of f1ad y
BY JOHN H. RAFTCRY

Cutting by the camp fire one even
y ing the talk had turned upon the
striking performances OF some Of the
tenderfoot desperadoes who had out
shot and outshone some of the old
timers. Capt. Crews mentioned Ger
aid Flad and his brief but brillian.
career > a ranger, and then every body
had something to say about the DASH
ing CAnadian-Irishman who flashed
like meteor across the border frma-
ment some ten years ago. Col. Hutch
inson. who was the dean of the party
and had seen bloody service In two
wars, threw . lot OF unexpected light
upon the personality of the vanished
bravo. and as a finale to the evenings
talk told this story:
His father was one Of that fast fad-
ing race of Irish gentlemen who chose
arms as profession and found neither
sorrow nor disappointment in the scat
tered and cruel rewards of his adven-
turous life. Roger Flad. the father
was in every uprising that gave prom
Use Of hard knocks. When he couldn't
find work for his sword in the cause
of his own suffering island he bought
a commission in the British army. and
afterward wandered round the world
like knight Grant of old. seeking
chances for chivalrous advancement. I,
think he married CAstilian girl. but
at all events Gerald was his only child
and he reared him as a gentle-blc,oded
son Of a rowing soldier Of fortune. You
know the boy spoke French. italian.
Spanish and German as well as he
spoke English. and he was devil with
broadsword. cutlass or rapier before
he was of age. He had been expelled
from Heidelberg before he was 10. and
when he first showed up at the head
quarters of Coppinger's California ex-
petition he had more scars across his
boyish countenence than half Of us
veterans.
think the old mamie wns only a
lieutenant when the Brule Sioux got
him-was half sorry at the training ct
his son. for the youngsters early life
was fierce exaRgeration OF all the
fathers passion for war and adventure
of all kinds. Well. everybody liked
him--1've heard Phil Sheridan swear
that the lad was the best wild turkey
shot that ever came into the Indian
country-but he couldn't get things
hot enough for him. He secuted for
two months in the Sierras on that Cal
ifornia expedition. disappeared. and
the next we heard he was distinguish
ing himself in the Matahele wars as a
bushwhacker and guerrilla. was
down in Old Mexico when Ochoa was
starting things"-never mind what I
was there for-and who should see
one day. drilling troop Of the most
Rio Grande. but Gerald himself, as
brown as an Arab and as iaunty az the
rowdiest rurale that ever wore spurs.
! didn't get in right With these revolu-
tionists. hut I was in FL Paso-thev
called it Pnso del Norte then-when
met Gerald. thin and yellow as parch-
ment saunterinR along in the Plaza.
/ hailed him. and found out all about
the failure of his ambitious plans. He
was to have been a governor or some
thing il the rebellion had succeeded,
He had been hit Mt the Arroyo fight,
crawled II miles to the river and was
now recuperating at Hotel Dieu. a
skeleton Of himself. but as full of devil
ment as ever. He said very frankly
that he was in a terrible frame OF
mind about young woman Of Chihua-
hua-a high caste Mexican Of Cortlo-
van descent-whom he meant to marry.
even though he had to carry her oil.
Singular. isn't 1t. how the fathers pre-
elections appeared in the boy?
1.-THE trouble is" said Gerald, sitting
on . stone bench in the shade. "th.
girl il in love with bullfghtinR rap
scallion from Madrid who has been
down through the republic, struttinp
and cow killing till the women are ali
Wild about him. The worst of il is he's
coming up here, and suppose the
whole Of Mexico will send its best peo-
pie to cheer and lionize him. 1 don't
know whether to kill him or turn tor
eador myself and challenge him. He'll
be here next month. and I've got to get