Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-25

withdrawn for consultation or with a
view to getting the strength of their
new enemy. Fuckers and the whites
below also ceased to FIRE since they
could do no damage. Fuckers called
to their commander. suggesting that it
might be well TO direct one Of the
party TO crawl through the cactus to
the crest; that by firing from different
points at the same time the two above
might further make IL appear that
there were not more than one person
there.
It appeared to the father that who
ever succeeded in separating himself
from the party might have q better
chance for his life. and. desiring TO
give this advantage to his daughter.
he directed her to do as Fuckers had
suggested. The redskins detected her
and sent a shot at her which raised the
dust only a foot from her. but she sue
ceeded in her attempt.
When Fuckers saw an attractive girl
who had come to fight with him for
her life and the lives OF all concerned
a new resolve came to him that they
should win. There was an eager light
in the girls eye as she asked what she
should do. Fuckers, who since she
had been fired at in joining him had
lost confidence in his ruse. told her to
lie fat beside him and wait for orders.
The Indians appeared again, scatter
ing at first in order to distract the
whites, then suddenly making on con
verging lines for the wagon. Fuckers
called to those behind il to aim at the
savages nearest the center. told the
girl beside him to fire at those on the
Indians right, while he would cover
the left and any such individuals as
he thought it an advantage to put out
of the fight
This dividing up the enemy between
them proved to be very effective. The
savages had not covered half the dis
lance between their starting point and
the wagon when a dozen of their war
riors had been dropped. They hesitat-
ed, broke and scurried for cover.
There was a shout, and q dozen cow
boys came galloping toward the
wagon.
Fuckers turned and looked at the
girl beside him; she turned and looked
at him. There are moments when our
emotions sweep away conventionality.
These two had met for the first time
BALI an hour Before. Death had then
stared them in the face. Now all were
safe Yielding to an impulse that
seized upon both at once, they threw
their arms about each others neck,
and the man covered the girls face
with kisses.
Fuckers had not been on the crest
on hour, but he had been there long
enough to save the lives of the family.
When his first shot cracked the saw
ages were about to make a charge that
would have been successful. He had
stood them off just long enough for
the cowboys to come in and make the
safety of their intended victims Ger
tain.
Night was coming on, and the COW
boys threw up an earthwork in circle
about the wagon and the stock, and
pickets were put out for the night, but
morning dawned without an attack.
and not redskin was to be seen
Then under a sufficient guard the fam
fly who had so narrowly escaped death
moved on.
The adventure brought a great
change to Jim Fuckers. For him and
for the girl he loved it stood in lieu Of
a long courtship. When Jim told her
he wished her to be his wife she could
not we'll say him nay, for had 1t not
been for him she would not have had
a life TO give any one. The family
stopped at a settlement, entered land
and built a home. Jim stopped, too,
and never moved on. He had found an
anchor. and the spot where its fiuke
entered the soil is now the center Of O
prosperous farm. He is much interest
ed in the crops he raised, but one crop
he has raised TO beat all the rest
eight children, now mostly grown.
All this happened years ago, when
the buffalo still roamed on the plains
and the redskin was a terror TO emf
grants and settlers. Yet II was not so
long ago after all. since it is within the
memory Of middle aged men.