Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-14

OF the point, their trail entered thu:
| finty-floored region failed Of showing
me any sign they had returned north
! So 1t was right ahead of me they
had gotten tangled up in that inferno
formation, where their mule hoof:
leaving no sign once they got lost i
was stay lost for keeps. back-trackint
being utterly impossible.
| I may as we'll admit 1t took abou
all the CUTS could muster to pass or
out upon the flint. for they were botf
as capable men as and If they coult
get lost there, so could l.
But out there somewhere, and very
likely net far away. my chiefs were
doubtless perishing for water, theil
lives forfeit If failed them. So on
bore another hour and half. as nearly
south course as could keep.
The country such maze OF wind
ing main and side canons that one was
boxing the compass every few hundred
yards. I went on, in hope of reaching
soft formation again, where l could
pick up their sign.
But no use; as far as l could see
ahead stretched the pale gray-dun of
the flint formation! So the afternoon
spent on a big circle that carried me
another hour to the south, working
from one ridge top to another, spying
out the orges as well as could. shoot
ing now and then, but without result.
Night come, took to the tallest
butte near, there built and fed through
out the night signal fire, firing pis-
tol shot occasionally.
BY morning my own condition was
desperate. nv horse cruelty drawn OF
flank bv thirst. and incapable OF carry
ing me more than two or three hours
at the most through the stress OF the
blazing morning sun.
And then, the horse dead beat. all
the water carried could no more than
suffice to support one man back TO
camp travelling afoot-in event he
was eble to keep true course through
the mazes that must be crossed.
Having still my bit of nerve left, |
followed a ridge crest that led west
two or three miles to twin butte OF
the one had spent the night on
Fortunately I was to be we'll re-
warded; for. come to the butte's
summit. nv sharp questing eyes soon
picked up four still, dark figures at the
bottom of deep ravine that lay at the
foot of it's south slope, partly sheltered
beneath a projecting ledge from the
blazing sun.
Leaving my horse staked where
there was a bit Of browsing, and mois-
tening his throat with meager swal~
low from one of the canteens. l slung
the others over my shoulder, and clam.
bered down to what l feared would
prove bunch of dead ones.
But on nearing them was delighted
to hear feeble hail that took me the
remaining distance in long bounds.
It only needed a glance to see that
they were pretty well across the crest
of the last divide of life, the two mules
down. weakly painting. the two lieu
tenants gaunt. wild-eyed and Incapable
of connected speech.
But when presently the water re-
vived them. there was no particular
story they had to tell Of their mishap,
except that. venturing out across the
flint. they<had become ratified. had lost
all sense of direction, and had wan
dered aimlessly on and on until. their
slender supply of water gone. their
beasts spent. and themselves incapable
of further effort. they had laid down
within the shelter of the ledge.
MY little lot Of food and water did
not last long with that parched and
famished pair. although up to reaching
them had hardly touched either, and
used of them sparingly thereafter.
And while I myself was incapable OF
covering half the distance back to
camp without water, the two lieuten-
ants were too weak to march mile.
Thus figured our only hope lay in
signaling our position. on the chance
another search party might come near.
Cox, knew, would never let me die
effort to get to me.
And so it proved. I scrambled la
boriously back to the butte crest, and
started tiny fire, now and then throw
ing up smoke signals. BY mid-after-
neon Cox slipped up on me out Of
deep gorge to the west, so quietly that
I only noted his approach when my
ear caught the clink of mules shoes on
the flint.
AS usual, moreover. he had over
looked no bets, for he was driving
ahead of him four spare mules bearing
a little food and decorated with can.
teens until they looked like betas-
seled Andean recua. And back to our
camp the canny old scout led U.S.,
straight as crow flies.
For this rescue Cox and were
given honorable mention to the Secre-
tary of the Interior by Lieutenant
Wheeler, and, what shortly came far
more handy to us, we were paid a
handsome bounty for the capture Of
Johnny Behind the Rock and the re-
covery of the government mules
handy because we needed 1t for sud.
den getaway.
(To be Continued.)