Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-08

my leNOlNeTS anu was charging down upon
the entire army of warriors, shooting and
whooping at the top of my lungs.
Single-handed. I could not have pur-
sued better tactics. for the red men. CON
WINGED by sudden surprise that not less
than regiment of regulars was upon
them, turned and fled in every direction
for their bows arrows and rifles
Under the clear rays of the Arizona
moon lay Powell his body fairly bristing
with the hostile arrows of the braves.
He was already dead surely; yet I
would have saved his body from mutila-
tion at the hands of the Apaches as
quickly as ! would have saved the man
himself from death
Riding close to him | reached from the
saddle. and grasping his cartridge-bet.
drew him TN across the withers of my
mount.
To return BY the way had come would
have been more hazardous than to con
tlnue across the plateau, so, putting
spurs to my poor beast, | made dash
for the opening to the pass which
could distinguish on the far side of the
tableland.
The Indians had by this time discovered
the puny numerical strength of the res
cung regiment, and was being showered
with imprccations, arrows and rifle balls.
The fact that it is difficult to aim any
| thing but imprecations accurately by
! moonlight. that they were upset by the
sudden and unexpected manner of my adj
vent. and that | was a rather rapidly
moving target saved me from the various
deadly projectiles of the enemy and per-
lnif tn1 tn DTl, tIn sl,nl Of tl,a
surrounding peaks before an orderly pur-
suit could be organized.
My horse was travelling virtually un-
guided. as / knew that had probably less
knowledge of the exact location of the
! trail to the pass than he, and thus il
! happened that he entered defile which
led to the summit of the range and not
to the pass which [ had hoped would
carry me to the valley and to safety.
My first knowledge that | was on the
wrong trail came when / heard the yels
OF the saVages suddenly grow fainter and
far to my left. | knew then that they had
passed to the left of the Jagged rock for
nation at the edge of the plateau to the
right of which my horse had borne me
and the body Of Powell.
drew rein on n little level promontory
overlooking the trail below and to my left.
and saw my pursuers disappearing round
the point of a neighboring peak.
| knew the Indians would soon discover
that they were on the wrong trail, and
| that the search for me would he re-
newed in the right direction as soon as
they located my tracks.
l pushed ahead. however. for perhaps
hundred yards; when a sharp turn to
the right brought me to the mouth of a
large cave. The opening was about four
feet in height and three to four feet wide,
and at this opening the trail ended.
Ii was now morning with he GUS
tomary lack of dawn-which is a startling
characteristic of ArZOna-it had become
daylight almost without warning.
Dismountng, | laid Powell upon the
ground; but the most painstalng exam
ination failed to reveal the faintest spark
of life ! forced water from my canteen
between his cold lips, bathed his face and
rubbed his hands, working over him con-
tinuousy for the better part of an hour
in the face of the fact that | knew him to
| be dead.
| was very fond of Powell; he was a
thorough man in every respect; a polished
gentleman, a stanch and true friend, and
it was with deepest grief that l finally
gave up.
Leaving the body where it lay OH the
ledge, | crept into the cave to reconnoi-
tire
1 found a large chamber, possibly a
hundred feet in diameter. and 80 or 40
feet in height smooth and well-worn
floor and many other evidences that the
| cave had at some remote period been
| inhabited. The back of the cave was so
lost in dense shadow that | could not dis
tinguish whether there were openings into
other apartments or not.
As / was continuing my examination 1
commenced to feel a pleasant drowsiness
creeping over me, which l attributed to
the fatigue of my long and strenuous ride
| and the reaction from the excitement of
| the fight and the pursuit
felt comparatively safe in my present
| location, as l knew that one man could
defend the trail to the cave against an
| army.
/ soon became so drowsy that l could
/ scarcely resist the strong desire to throw
myself on the floor of the cave for a few
moments rest but l knew that this would
never do, as it would mean certain death
| at the hands of my red friends, who
might be upon me at any moment.
With an effort I started toward the
| opening of the cave, only to reel drunkenly
against a side wall, and from there slip
| upon the floor