Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-08
CHAPTER I
In the Mountains

7 AM a very old man; how old, | do not
i know. Possibly [ am "A hundred, pos
stsIy more; but I cannot tell because [
have never aged other men, nor do [
remember my childhood. So far as [ can
recollect, / have always been man a
man of about 80. ] appear today as I
did 40 years and more ago, aud yet feel
that 1 cannot go on living forever that
some day shall die the real death from
which there is no return.
| do not know why | should fear death.
l who have died twice and am still alive,
yet | have the same horror of it you
who have never died, and it Is because of
this terror of death, believe, that ! am
so convinced of my mortality.
L have never told this story, nor shall
man see this manuscript until after have
passed over for eternity.
| know that the average mind will not
believe what it cannot grasp, and I do not
purpose being pilloried by the public, the
pulpit and the press and held up as a
liar, when I am but telling the simple
truths, which some day science will sub
stantiate.
My name is John Carter
At the close of the Civil War | found
myself possessed of several hundred thou
sand dollars, Confederate, and a captains
commission in the cavalry arm of an army
which no longer existed; the servant of
cause which had vanished.
Masterless, penniess and with my only
means of livelihood fghting-gone | de-
termined to work my way to the South
west ottap,nt IN retria,-n ia
fortunes in search for gold.
L spent nearly Il year prospecting in
company with another Confederate officer,
Captain James X Powell, of Richmond.
We were extremely fortunate, as, late in
the winter of 1S65-1866. after many hard
ships and privations. we located the most
remarkable gold-bearing quartz vein that
out widest dreams had ever pictured.
Our equipment being crude, we decided
that one of us must return to civilization,
purchase the necessary machinery and re-
turn with a sufficient force of men prop
erly to work the mine
Powell was familiar with the country.
as well as with the mechanical require
ments of mining, and we determined that
he should make the trip, while held down
our claim against it being jumped by some
wandering prospector.
on March 3, 1866 Powell and | packed
his provisions on, two of our burros, and.
and started down the mountain side to-
ward the valley across which led the first
stage of his journey.
The morning, like nearly all Arizona
mornings, was clear and beautiful. l
could see him and his little pack animals
nking their way down toward the valley,
and>Sor hours / would catch occasional
glimpses of them they topped a hog
back or came out upon a level plateau.
My last sight of them was about in
NFN
OF the range on the opposite side of the
valley.
Some half hour later / happened to
glance casually across the valley and was
much surprised TO note three little dots in
about the same place | had last seen
Powell and his two pack animals.
/ am not given to needless worrying,
hut the more / tried to convince myself
that all was well with Powell, and that
the dots l had seen on mis- trail We're ante
lopes or wild horses the less l was able
TO assure myself
Since we had entered the territory we
had not seen a hostile Indian, and We had,
therefore become careless and were wont
TO ridicule the stories of the great num-
bers of these vicious marauders that
haunted their trails, taking their toll in
lives and torture of every white party
which fell into their merciless clutches.
Finally, however, ] could not longer en-
dure the suspense, and, arming myself
with my TWO reviewers anu Il tdIblHtt L
strapped two belts of cartridges about
me, and, catching my horse, started down
the trail.
followed rapidly until. darkness shut
ting down, | was forced to await the ris-
ing of the moon, and given an opportunity
TO speculate on the question or the WISDOM
OF my chase.
About 9 o'clock the moon was suf-
ficiently bright for me TO proceed, and
had no difficulty in following the tran
IA ,EgrI.t cd a afAf
hole where Powell had expected to camp.
i came upon the spot unexpectedly, find-
ing 1t entirely deserted, with no signs of
having been recently occupied.
noted that the tracks of the pursuing
horsemen for such / was convinced they
must be, continued after Powell with only
brief stop at the hole for water, and al
ways at the same rate of speed as his.
was positive now that the trailers
--ats Apaches and that they wished TO
eapture Powell alive for the hendish
asleasure of the torture so l urged my
horse onward, hoping against hope that
would catch up with the red rascals be-
fore they attacked him.
Further speculation was suddenly cut
short by the faint report OF two shots far
ahead OF me. / knew that Powell would
need me now, If ever and l spurred my
horse 10 his utmost up the narrow trail
had forged ahead for perhaps mile
ior more without hearing further sounds
when the trail suddenly debOuched on to a
small open plateau near the summit Of
the pass.
had passed through a narrow, over
hanging gorge just before entering upon
this tableland, and the sight which met my
ewes dlled me with CONSERVATION and dis
may.
The little stretch Of level land was white
with Indian tepees, and there were prob
aBiy half a thousand red warriors elus-
tered round some object near the centre OF
the camp Their attention was so wholly
riyeted to this point OF interest that they
did moi notice me.
i was. OF course, positive that Powell
was the centre OF attraction, and within
an instant from the moment the scene
broke unolf ny xieR 4 had whipped out