The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-25
An Effective
Introduction
Bv ALAN HINSDALE

cdCu JULIET ny SlSuI AoA yCoAS ~
a word spoken between them because
they have never been introduced. On
the other hand, there are those who.
under some strong emotion, have at
first meeting rushed into each others
arms. This is story illustrating the
latter feature.
Jim COnover, plainsman, aged twenty
five, long Of limb, with countenance
frank and fearless, was riding through
a wood on one of the foothills OF the
Rocky mountains. A rifle was slung
from one side of his saddlebow and
lasso from the other.
Suddenly he reined in his horse and.
sitting stock still, listened. He had
heard shot.
dian still inhabited the plains, when
hundreds Of thousands Of buffaloes
fed III huge urove5.
There was little variety on the plains
in those days, and Conover knew that
IL the shot had not been fired at buff
white man or an Indian. He had no
idea Of showing himself to either party
till he learned the situation. DismOunt-
ing, he left his horse to nibble while
he skulked, shielding himself behind
trees, In the direction of the sound.
Presently he reached the edge Of the
wood, and, looking down on to the
open, he saw a wagon, behind which
huddled man, woman and half d
dozen youngsters, the Oldest being
girl just entering womanhood. Be
| yond, hiding behind rock or a bush
or any inequality in the ground, were
| Indians. COnOver saw several and
| judged that there were something like
half a dozen In all.
How was Conover to save them?
Save them he must. but without some
| stratagem his single rifle would not
suffice. But he had that one rifle and
| a fair stock Of ammunition. His pres
ence was as yet unknown to either par
| ty. How could he make himself dan
ger to the Indians and encourage the
whites?
! An Indian rose from out OF bush
and ran swiftly. intending to take COW
er nearer to the wagon. COnover had
brought his rifle to a ready and shot
the redskin OH the wing. The shot pro-
duced change both in the Indians and
the besieSed party, the former sticking
closer to their protecting objects, the
latter vainly looking to see where the
bullet that killed the Indian had come
from. One thing they knew-it was
from friend
Conover's quick eye, which was dart
ing about him for advantageous posi-
tions, caught sight Of tree some dis
tance to his right, the lower limbs OF
which We're within his reach. Bending
low and protected by bushes, he gained
this tree and in few seconds had
reached the upper branches. Concealed
by leaves, he had an excellent view OF
the Indians. He could see every one
Of them and counted ten. Taking de
liberate aim, he sent a bullet at the
over dead.
A shot from two different points put
CONSERVATION into the Indians apd
hope into the whites. Conover SEM
several shots among the Indians, kill
ing or wounding one with every shot
then, descending quickly to the GROUND
and taking different position, h,
fred again, though this time, not see
ing an Indian, his shot was withou
effect.
There We're now half dozen Indians
in the attacking party and the prob
lem for them was not how to get for
ward, but how to get away withou
being picked off by this new enemy
The father of the white family, havin,
evidence that he was being assisted b.
an unseen force, took courage and use,
his rifle to advantase-not that b
killed any Indians. for they were GOV
cred. but that they were obliged to con
slider him as an effective enemy.
Conover kept on firing at the Indian,
but never from the same point. On
shot would be sent from under a 10,
, bush, the next from the branch of
| | tree thirty feet from the ground. Th
, | shots from above we're the only one
, that were effective.
, Thinking to take a last shot from
| treetop where he cotld see his targe
Conover saw from his perch that sc,
: eral new men had Joined the Indian
t and they were all grouped together |
a conference. some of them looking U
: to where he was as though In doubt {
0 to his being as dangerous an enemy {
:. he appeared. Conovers rifle was ,
Q long range, and he fred a ball rigl
d into the group. This startled them, an
J. another shot quickly following the fir
n put them on the run.
l. COnover now believed that the fig
IT was over and il not he could work
better advantage with his allies, SO
went down and Joined them.
q, How many of you are there?, ask,
l. the father.
D. I'm the only one" was the reply.