The Tupelo journal., 1916-01-14
AHunter sBluf
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

In the spring of the year 1868 a par
ty of sporting hunters numbering tn1r-
tv entered the elbow Of Texas between
New Mexico and the Indian territory.
While the Comanche Indians were
bitterly hostile at that time they had
been sadly reduced by smallpox ana
driven to the north, and old frontiers
men stated their belief that the party
would not even see one.
l had beer invited to make one OF
the party, but was detained for a cou-
pie of days. l then mounted my horse
and picked up the trail and ollowed
after, having no fear that l should run
n danger in thus riding.
1t had come noon of the second day,
and l had met with no adventure.
had baited and watered my horse and
was ready to move on, when l heard a
Cyl, vi, VII" on my right, and L turn
cd around to see five Comanches com
ing out Of the timber OF their ponies.
They were just half a mile away and
had evidently discovered me.
When a man rides for his life the
greatest fear is in OVERRIDING the mat
ter. / had been five years on the
plains and had a pretty fail stock OF
nerve, and l rode to favor my horse.
AS the sun began to sink in the
west they sought to shorten the dis
lance between us and bring me into
rife shot, but q word to the mustang
checkmated this.
Had l been able to keep the trail aft
er 3 O'Clock l should have counted on
finding the party by shutdown, as we
were getting over the ground at a rap
i'd pace, but at about that hour l came
to a rough, stony district, where the
passage of the horses had left no trail,
and l went ahead at random, planning
to keep my distance from the river. 1t
was to be a starlight night, and as
soon as dusk came l urged my beast to
q faster pace and bore more to the
left. When l believed l had gained a
quarter of a mile l swerved sharply to
the right, rode for forty rods and then
dismounted and gave Custer the word
to lie down. We were both fiat on the
earth when the party of pursuers swept
by, and the thud, thud, thud OF their
ponies feet came very plainly to my
ears.
l had a cold bite in my haversack,
and after disposing of it stretched out
and went to sleep, hoping l had given
the red men the slip. l opened my
eyes the next morning in astonish-
ment. Seated In a circle about me
were the five Comanches, while their
ponies were feeding vita my horse. l
lay on my back with my hands clasp
ed under my head, and such was my
establishment that | could not move.
Fortunately for HE they took this for
nerve. l looked from man to man.
and finally said in Comanche:
Had | known you were Comanches
l should not have run away. | thought
you were Chickasaws on stolen horses.
l shall be ready to go as soon as
have eaten. | want to see the Co
manche c~ountry-the vast p~lains-the
Canadian river-the mountains full of
caves and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. chief,
Thunder Cloud"
One of them asked me if | belonged
to the party ahead, and | told him no.
He asked me how | dared start out
alone for the Comanche country, and
l told him that l had trapped the noun
tain lion and cut out and eaten his
l;-or ,yb;1a S.till nlfun and fhnrnf0rQ
feared nothing living. / could see that
they were badly puzzled, and l in
creased their wonder by saying, as
finished my breakfast:
Come. 1t Is time to go. We have
a long ride, and l am anxious to see
your country"
When we set out, two in front and
three behind, and no Indians were ever
more puzzled. In later years / mel
one of them and he told me that their
plan was to torture me as soon as l
awoke. They were beat out Of this by
my quee remarks, intended just for
that purpose. Several times during the
day l expressed my impotence at our
slow pace and asked them to get on
faster, and when we went into camp l
saw that / had them off their guard.
After eating 1 sat apart from them to
smoke and mediate and to give them
an opportunity to compare notes. Just
when the five got their heads together
to discuss something they did not wish
me to hear / arose and stepped back
ward out Of the light of the fire, and l
believe / was a hundred feet away
when they missed me.
l heard them scatter and beat about,
and while they were hunting for me
/ crawled along and got my gun. !
crept away from the circle Of the fire
and then got the shelter of a tree. The
Indians beat about for a good half
hour, and then all came In, chagrined
and disguised. 1 lifted my gun and
took fair aim at the leader. He went
down as my rife cracked and was fol
lowed by q second and a third before