Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-11-06
ABoldRdse
By OSCAR W. TOWNSEND


A man rode up to 4 party Of miners
making coffee and frying bacon at
campfire and said, looking earnestly
at one Of them:
mart, the red devils have got SAM"
"Oh, my Cod" moaned the man ad-
dressed.
Martin and Samuel Clifford were
twin brothers who. In the middle Of
the last century, went out to the min |
ing district Of Colorado to prospect for
gold. The country still belonged to its
original owners, OF, at least. its posses
sion by the whites was made uncom-
Portable. The savages tortured their
captlves before killing them.
How long ago did they get himT'
asked Martin Clifford.
Not over half an hour"
Have they killed himY'
Reckon not. They'll probably tor
ture him nrst."
Come. boys" said Mart; I'VE may be
in time"
Five men, all we'll armed, rode OF,
guided by Simmons, the one who had
brought the news, for the purpose Of
rescuing the captive. But the Indians
were not accustomed to going about in
small parties, and the white men had
little hope Of finding force that they
| would be able to master. Besides, as
soon as they were discovered the saw
ages would kill their prisoner, II they
had not done SO before. Indeed. they
set out on their enterprise because they
had not the heart to refuse Martin
Clifford rather than with any expecta-
ton Of making a rescue.
Simmons led them to the spot where
Sam Clifford had been surprised and
captured. Then one Of the men dis
mounted and, leading bis horse, fol-
lowed the footprints Of the savages.
It was evident that there was a large
number Of them. so many, In fact, that
1t would be madness for the white
men to attack them. But they pressed
on till there began to appear evidence
that the Indians were not far ahead Of
them, when they halted and sent one
Of their party cautiously forward to
reconnoiter.
He returned to say that from an
eminence he had seen as many as 500
redskins on a plain below drawn up in
two lines. between which a white pris-
oner was about to run the gantlet
The party followed their guide to the
point of observation. and before reach
ing 1t they could hear the shouts-the
yells-of the savages. from which 1t
was evident that their prisoner was
running between the lines and they
were belaboring him.
1t was with difficulty that the whites
could restrain Martin Clifford from
rushing down the slope to die fighting
for his brother. But they held him
back on the edge Of a wood in which
they were lying on their stomachs and
used their persuasive powers to con-
vince him that II he betrayed their
presence. instead of saving Sam. he
would bring the Indians upon them
and they would be overpowered.
BY the time they had accomplished
this the prisoner had run the gantlet
and was driven staggering to tree,
where he was bound and the Indians,
standing Mt distance. were preparing
I to fire at him. The whites knew that
it was not the intention to kill him
He would be reserved for lingering
DEATH They would see how near him
they could send their bullets and ar.
rows without INJECTING death wound
Mart" said one Of the party. 'ff you
want to die with Sam or have chance
to save him I'll give you an idea fol
trial. These red devils are as supersti
tious as they are cruel. and can easily
be imposed upon by working super
natural racket None Of 'em could tell
you and Sam apart. There's no differ
ence in your dress or height or build
Suppose you start down the slope. I'M
armed, with the measured tread Of q
ghost. They won't shoot an unarmed
man till he gets near enough for then