Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-05

Baxter prepared himself for trip. pre-
tending TO the party that he was go
ing I'm quest OF food, but his departure
was really 10 escape the execution Of
the threat made by his companions
few days before
Without food We an will die" Bax-
ter told the party. land IL makes no
difference 90 me whether / die here or
somewhere else. so / am going" And
he started forth with his ride sIung
over his shoulder on reaching
swampy piece Of ground Baxter pre-
pared TO await the arrival OF some
Wild swans that frequentcd the neigh
borhood. After five or six hours be-
heard a tapping Of wings above his
head and heard two swans light near
him.
You've doubtless heard Of the buck
feNer' said Baxter i'm relating the in
cident Well, I ten YOU, had II right
Just about that time I rnised my gllr
20 shoot, but ] was trembling like
man with the ague The swans ~
back Of me and IL was an / could do 60
turn and take sight at them was
compelled TO prop my gun against a
tree before ! could pull the trigger
With the report OF the gun. which
sounded 20 me just at that moment like
a cannon, one Of the birds keeled over
and the other arose and circled about
Tho place three or four times. ano
then returned 20 its dead mate. he
heVe n / fired one shot at tho second
bird / fired a hundred / know that
used all my ammunition and 1 could
see the charges hitting I'm the water.
some few feet past the swan. others
a few inches In front Of IL, but mono
OF them striking the bird Finally.
Wnen / had no more ammunition. I
wadcd In four or five feet OF snow and
water 10 the bird. on its neck was "a
little red spot where / had evidently
struck II with one Of the first shots
The blow had failed to kin the bird. but
had paralyzed Il so that it could not
fly.
AFTER some time I succeeded I'm
killing the second swan and started
with q FEELING that my death had been
postponed for a while al least or
course the boys were happy to see the
food ! had secured. and what n feast
we did have. But. OF course two
swans don't go a long way with q lot
OF hungry workmen and. as tho birds
began 10 disappear, my mind reverted
70 the threat made by the boys before
the beans gave out. AS we were nm
ishing the bones Of the second swan.
.1ne Of the natives drove into caTnD
with freshly killed and nicely dressed
horse, hide and hOofs removed. That
put an end 70 our famine and also 20
my fears OF humiliation, and put 20
flight the mind pictures I had painted
OF my carcass being stewed, boiled and
fried 10 appeaso the hunger ~ that
husky party, The horse flesh lasted
until relief reached us. but I will never
forget tho experience Of those few days
and the effect the little Joke the
boys had az my expense lingors with
me yet.
Il told that story TO some friends 25
years ago; and az our last convention
In Niagara Falls the story was repcat-
ed, In the audience was one OF the
mon who formed the telegraph expedi-
ton, and the relation Of my experience
was the cause Of uniting as after 80
odd years separation"
Accompanying Baxter was r r.
Dayman, chief operator OF the Western
Union Telegraph company. Of Column
bus, under whose supervision Baxter
was employed until his death MIR
Dayman iokngly remarked that he had
70 keep a careful watch over Baxter
10 keep him on the right track. Day
man Is much younger than Baxter, but
the two were greatly attached 10 each
other
Among the other old timers who
chummod with Baxter while he was In
this city. In addition 10 his friend
Huckor. who is still In the service
after 90 years, we're. @. II Smith and
Otis II Newell, or Columbus: II. ID.
Reynolds. president OF last years con
vention az Niagara Falls, and l. NJ
Moore. both OF Buffalo.
Newell has been baseball and race
track operator for 20 years. during
which time he has not missed 20
games. He is sim engaged In report
ing the games BY wire.