Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-04

mighty unned1tny Tor any PAD men IL
the neighborhood who don't let ms
alone. 6r 7Fs& F.
The mail-stage made weekly trips
On one occasion I was ordered out or
scout with my little squad The next
week, there being no spare men In the
post, the authorities took chance and
sent the stage out without guard.
At that time I lay at Fort Mcf2ae
resting my WORKOUT men and beasts
from a wide, gFilling circle in the Jer
nado that had only yielded us thres
scalps.
Fort McRae nestled in deep gorge
of the Caballos, close beside the sweet
waters Of the Ojo del Muerte. The
garrison included only one company
Of mounted infantry seyenty-fve men,
Lieutenant Albert J: Fountain was
the post adju.ant, aalaftermaster. and
commissary-and also, at the monsn7,
the post commander his captain being
absent at Fort Craig. forty-fye miles
farther up the Rio Grande, on court
martial.
And it was coy quarters Fountain
had there, two rooms circular in form,
about fifteen foet in diameter, made by
setting cottonwood logs in a trench.
the walls so formed being plastered
with mud except where loopholes were
left, all rooted with Sibley tent.
The furniture-well, perhaps it
would not be so very ardently admired
now, but to field campaigner like me
it locked fine, although tables. chairs,
and hunks were made Of no better than
hewn cottonwood dragged up from the
valley of the Big River by his soldiers,
with turn of their lariats around their
saddle-horns. The bunk and chairs
were more comfortable than you might
fancy, for they were bottomed with
horsehide.
Nor were his digginss bare Of orna-
ments. The walls were hung thick
with the trophies of many deadly
tussle that had served to distinguish
Fountain as one of the ablest and most
tireless, but often too reckless, Indian
fighters the California Column pro-
duced.
Beside his bunk hung his California
saddle, his spurs and lariat; above 1t
his Sharp's breech-loader. canteen, and
two Colts reyolyefs, the Improved
Dragon model
For the rest, the walls were beauti
fed by score or more sealps; gaily
plumed head-dresses; moccasins, bead
ed belts and knife and bow scabbards
bows and arrows.
l recognized among the seaips Mes
caleros, Coyoteros, Pinals, and elias,
all of the Apache race, and a goodly
bunch of Navajos-the latter, doubt
less, toll he had taken in satisfaction
for the hot grilling run and aching
wounds a Navajo war party gave him
and his mate the time Juan Arollos
cigarette fred the grama-grass.
It was little more than half days
rest we had at McRae, for in mid aft
ernoon in rolled the stage, come for
refuge (for the pest lay ten miles Off
the direct road to Fort Craig), shy two
mules, minus it's mail bags, and with
one of it's passengers sporting a pune
ture of the shoulder.
"Where did you lose your mails?'
growled Fount M.
About lively miles southeast Of
here" answered the driver. Indians
got after us, and we had todischarge
cargo. Fancy run they were giving u.s.
lN0NeE NOuiu nave SlohSh tlCAl - SAASS
hadn't stopped to plumber the bags"
In g second Fountain had his
trumpeter sounding Boots and Sad
dies" and in ten minutes we were
mounted and away I trailed along, al
though there was small chance of our
striking the marching band.
Still, the season was that OF the late
summer rains, August, when for two
or three weeks the desert is transform
ed as by magic into meadow beautl-
full and SWEET as any the world holds.
1t becomes carpeted with bright green
grama grass and wild flowers, and the
air swarms with honey bees sucking
their matchless sweetness. The cups
of the lava Lodges become pools or
limpid rain water.
August Is the month of all others
to watch out for raids by the red en-
emy and it was not unreasonable to
hope they might yet be lurking along
the stage road, on chance of the fat
pickings the scant overland civilian
travel occasionally offered.
It was a swinging lope Fountain led
us for the moist ground spared us the
dust columns that made daylight sur
prise of the enemy almost impossible
through eleven months of the year.
When we reached protecting lava
ledge he made us hide behind it while
he himself played Indian. He plucked
a handful of grass and bound 1t around
his forehead, then crept to the crest OF
the ledge, raised his head until, while
only the tuft Of grass showed above the
rim, his eyes could search out every
nook and Granny OF the nearby rocks.
Satisfied of clear front, over the
ledge we passed and on We raced go .
Toward evening we noted a small
train Of six wagons creeping down out
of the north, apparently bent upon
marching on into the night Shortly
thereafter. almost at dusk, Fountain
made another reconnaissance and saw
a long line of sinking figures crawl.
ing into a position that commanded
the road.
Got 'em, boys. got en- he whis'
pered when he slipped down to us; FOL
low me and dodge the bou1ders.'
Dismounted. we followed along the
ledge on our right until, at length, we
could cross in darkness the break
which the road wound. There
we left our horses, circled until well in