Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-12-19
ABoldRuse
By OSCAR W. TOWNSEND

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. or, at least. its posses
sion by the whites was made uncom-
Portable. The savages tortured their
captives before killing them.
How long ago did they get him?"
asked Martin Clifford.
Not over half an hour"
Have they killed him?"
Reckon not. They'll probably tor
ture him first"
Come. boys" said Mart; 1--WE may be
in time"
Five men. all well armed. rode off.
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 IA force that they
would be able to master. Besides as
soon as they were discovered the saw
ages would kill their prisoner. if 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-
tion of making rescue.
Simmons led them to the spot where
Sam Clifford had been surprised and
captured. Then one of the men dis
mounted and. leading his horse, fol-
lowed the footprints of the savages.
1t was evident that there was large
number of them, so many. in fact, that
it 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
emnence he had seen as many as 500
redskins on 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 it they could hear the shouts-the
yells-of the sava'ges. from which it
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 wood in which
they were lying on their stomachs and
used their persuasive powers to con
vince him that if 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 at a distance. were preparing
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 inflicting a death wound.
Mart" said one of the party. IF you
want to die with Sam or have a chance
to save him I'll give you an idea for
trial These red devils are as supersti-
tous 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, un-
armed. with the measured tread of a
ghost They won't shoot an unarmed
man till he gets near enough for them
to see what he looks like, and when
they see Mart's double stalking toward
them ten to one they'll run"
The words were no sooner spoken
than Mart Clifford was impatient to try
the plan, but they held him for few
minutes to impress upon him the i'm
portance Of keeping his head and play
ing his part well. Some regretted that
they had nothing with which to whiten
his face, but others avowed that this
would add nothing to his similarity to
his. brother and might detract from 1t.
The Indians were engaged In firing at
their victim when Mart. who had pull-
ed himself together for great eff
fort, left the wood with folded arms.
looking up at the sky that he might
not be affected by his brothers. danger.
There was an interval of about ten
seconds betweenSeach of his steps He
was soon noticed by a redskin. who
called the attention of the others to
him.
The. ghostliness Of his measured
walk soon brought about q commotion
among his observers, and when he
came near enough for them to see their
prisoners double they were dunn
founded. When he had approached
near enough to them for his features
to be distinct to them he stopped and.
still looking up at the sky. pointed to
his brother. Some of the Indians foil