Cañon City record., 1910-04-28

one side or the other. When we
peeped over the top It was sight to
make a fellow shiver. There by a
a big stake. Jest little spruce. with
the branches trimmed, all blazin'
with pinon knots. was a scourched up
sizzlin' pile of what had been-and,
/ oh, God, how she smelled!
"Clost by, tied to a tree. was an
other woman. and all about dozen
or more Injuns was corvertin' around
like mad; and say. son, we want long
In Citing over there, you bet, for we
slid down on 'em like bats shot out
of hell. and 1t were Jest beautiful
to see 'em sleep without even a
chance to say now I lay me. We pick
ed all but two or three before they
scarcely knowed what was hittin' 'em.
and what was left got on their ponies
and flew; ceptin' one big buck as
stopped to cut loose or kill, don't
know which. the girl as was tied to
the tree. Injun girl did you ask? No,
she want no Injun. you bet, though
she was dark like the ones down in
old Mexico. and she want no greaser
either, Jest prisoner-and her fate
want burnin', though I reckon she
would have chose 1t to those devil
ish redskins. There she stood with
her long black air creepin' down over
er half covered breast. like the pic
lures you see of the rock of ages;
only this girl didn't look scared, not
kind a, oh-go-hell-look on her face,
and her eyesjest screamin' out as
would make a man OF any kind OF
stuff in him go crazy. Yes she was
game-and purity; Oh Godi
When 1 cut her loose and took the
rawhide from her wrists and ankles
you should have seen that look on
her face change. No. she didn't fall
on her knees, rescued-maiden-like in
the story books you read and she
didn't rave her arms around my neck,
but she Jest looked at me once or
twice-and that look. son-weil, I
never seen one like II before and
never will again, for that kind of
look never hits the same fellow
twice. 1t want no simperin', silly girl
kind. but Jest said to me real plain
like as can't tell you. Ny boy. you
are mine now and dam her soul as
tries to take you from me- And she
meant II. son; God knows she meant
it
you may bet we want slow get
tin out of there. for we knew that
hell would follow soon as those red
boys had time to round up more dew
lis. put the girl on one Of the best
ponies as want winged in the fight.
and we all trailed down to the Arkan-
sas river. about three miles above
Fremont's peak. long where the D.
and R. G. rail road takes up now. and
kept goin' fast as our ponies would
stand for. All along was figurin'
how to make my getaway with the
girl. fer I knew how Injuns can trail.
It was dark when we reached Grape
creek and way up on top we could
hear the rocks rollin' down the noun
tain side: they were on our trail now.
some above and a bunch below. COM
in like hell.
Jest across the river from where
the Hot Springs hote now stands
We slowed up a bit: things wus get
tin desperit. you bet and knew that
some of the Injuns would sure cut
usoff down by the soda springs II we
kept on down the river. and our pom
les were givin' out. so slid from my
horse. lifted the girl in my arms.
said goodbye to the boys and crossed
the river.
What become OF the boys. did you
ask? God only knows: none OF them
ever came my way since that night,
and footin' II up Grape creek was all
that saved us. We followed the creek
for five miles to the mouth OF Temple
canon. never once putting foot on
land. for even Injuns can't trail in
the water. and knew they would
back track for the girl as soon as
they missed her from the bunch they
followed. Mighty hard trip II was:
some times she waded with me and
some times. when the water was deep
carried her in my arms. Once we
stopped to rest: Jest before we be-
gan to climb up the canon. The
moon was peepin' up over the big
spires that loom up way above the
temple, and the wind came creepin'