Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-04
The VANGU ARD
ATALE OF THE OLD FRONTIER
BY Edgar Beecher Bronson
Author Ranchman,' Bioodeo"
I'm Closed Territory" ETC.
Copyright A ITS Ave,
BY Edgar Beecher Bronson
CHAPTER Ix-Continued.

n ITlSuu u LIE uSSpotulco NoHSSA
sational gentleman tried to interest
Cox-and hit the ground about as hard
as his mate.
BY the time got back to camp Cos
was gone. That night l, too, slipped
away. And, while it may seem incredi
BILE, the fact is that no less than eleven
men we're killed In similar personal
rows during the two days we were
with Latham's band.
Ultimately he must have whipped
them into better order for they Ger,
tainiy succeeded In intercepting the
paytrain, slaughtered the escort, and
got two hundred thousand 'dobe
dollars. --...-.
Little good did doughty old La
tham's enterprise do him. For while
they made a safe getaway-slipped
through Carretas Pass and on down
through Nacofa to the Gulf, and safe
" crossed to Lower Caiifornia-her
burning sands became the last resting
place and her lazily nodding sotol
plumes the only monument of his
bleaching, bones.
One night q dozen of the gang, head
ed by cutthroat named FaiFchiid,
murdered Latham and eight of his men
stampeded all the rest, and made away
with the plumber. A few months later
heard Fairchild had so nearly cor
nsred all the wine In Frisco that it's
long odds he had contriyed to make
way with most of his mates,
Returned to New Mexico, Cox re-
enlisted In q cavalry regiment, | in
Company e, OF the First Volunteer
Veteran Infantry, which served mount
ed. And 1t was in this regiment ! won
promotion - none too deserVea!y,
really-that came near costing me my
eyesight.
AZ matter of fact, It was the slash
Ing fine sorrei bronco | picked to race
away from Latham's mad bunch that
won me my stripes.
For 1t was more my horse than
that was considered when was picked
by my captain to carry from Los Pinos
to Fort Craig a paekage-of knew
not what-deiiyered to me by Quarter
master Dick Hudson.
Important papers, he said they were
and | much make It through between
dusk and dawn, to. run no chance OF
being ported by Apaches.
And when, the next morning. after
having reused him out OF his bed, |
delivered my package to the Fort Craig
ouaFteFmaster, and he asked me #
knew it's contents, and untru1y. bat in
adyerteRtly. / answered Yes" IT was
rare kepd luck for me. :. a. ~
Well" he sHailingly replied, 'you
are a rare good man in these times
it's not every volunteer of your vafie-
gated bunch that could be trusted with
nine thousand dollars so near the
Mexican frontier"
r Back to Los, Pinos made another
night dash, carrying a letter for my
captain. And when at the dress parade
on the evening of nay return an order
was read to the battalion promoting
me to the rank OF corporal, for honesty
no one was more surprised than |.
Lucky, the limber-conscienced Cox
was not along, with knowledge Of my
trust Had he been, my arms would
never have owned the pride Of stripes
unless ! had beefed him.
Bat those stripes! It WAS mixed
10Y and grief they were to me. For
was near going cross-eyed staring
at them-wondering whatever Miss
Bessie McVieker would say to them;
whether she'd have the same jeers for
the corporal that she was ever over
handy with for the awkard lad In the
Michigan sugar-bush.
All, me! but the years don't seem to
stack up high enough to obscure my
memories of the tantalizing bush lass
who started me On the long scout.
Many were the 1.-The senoritas OF the
Californian placitas, with the eyes and
grace of prong-horn antelope. that
have held me within their lure, but not
one, not a single one, have been able
to lock long upon before the mischie.
veus face of little Bessie slipped in to
blanket her.
My enlistment with the First Vet
erang 1 served out, chiefly riding ex-
press and escortingl the mails across
the tornado del Muerto, in charge of
a squad of my company guarding the
stage-coach.
Pretty near mans job was the lat.
ter, both in it's heavy demands on a
mans endurance and on his nerve. AS
have previously stated, from the
take.ofY at Dona Ana to Valverde,
where the top Of the Rio Grande Canon
is reached, Is full ninety miles. And
the only living water in the entire
distance was at Fort McRae, beside
the tiny Ojo de la Muerte death
Spring. in the Caballo Mountains. a
wide detour from the direct trail.
Crisscrossed by maze of lava lodges,
no equal era of comparatively level
plain in the world offers such an end
less succession of natural ambush as
that through which the old chihuahua
Santa Fe trail wound, crooked as a
sauirming snake. -
And it was heavy toll of death the
travel of the tornado paid in those
days to both Indians and Mexicans.
No scalp was. there safe, no matter
what ones vigilance. ....
We lost DR.. Hall one night-shot
out of his seat beside the driver be-
fore we could get our guns into action.
His murderers escaped in the dark
ness.
At the time We blamed the Nayajos;
but on the return trip, camped for the
night near the same point, a band OF
knrsemen came riding upon US, and
when they paid no attention to my
challenge | fired into them, emptied