The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1921-02-04
Illustrations by
IRWIN lGYL-S

story of the interesting periods OF my
! llfe and OF my death. cannot ex-
plain the phenomena | can only set
down here In the words of an or
binary soldier of fortune chronicle
Of the strange events that befell me
during the ten years that my dead
body lay undiscovered In an Arizona
| cave.
NV name Is John Carter; ! am bet
ter known as Captain Jack Carter OF
Virginia. At the close OF the Civil
war | found myself possessed OF sew
eral hundred thousand dollars (Con-
! federate) and a captains commission
in the cavalry arm OF an army which
no longer existed. hasterless, penni-
| less. and with my only means OF live
llnood lighting, gone, | determined to
work my way to the Southwest and
attempt 10 retrieve my fallen fortunes
/ In search for gold.
spent nearly year prospecting
In company with another Confederate
/ officer, Captain James X. Powell OF
| Richmond. We were extremely for
tunate. for late in the winter OF 1865
/ after many hardships and privations
we located the most remarkable gold
| bearing quartz vein that our widest
/ dreams had ever pictured.
/ As our equipment was crude in the
/ extreme we decided that one OF us
must return to civilization, purchase
the necessary machinery and return
with n sufficient force Of men properly
| 10 work the mine
As Powell was familiar with the
country. as well as with the mechani'
cal requirements Of mining we deter
mined that 1t would be best for him
TO make the trip.
On March 3, 1866 Powell and
packed his provisions on two Of our
burros, and bidding me good-by he
mounted his horse and started down
the mountainside toward the valley,
across which led the first stage of his
journey.
I could sec him and his little pack
/ animals picking their way down the
/ mountalnside toward the valley, and
all during the morning ! would catch
occasional gllmpses Of them as they
topped hog back or came out upon a
level plateau. My last sight Of Powell
was about three In the afternoon rs
/ he entered the shadows Of the range
on the opposite side OF the valley.
Some hours afterward l happened
10 glance casually across the valley
and was much surprised 10 note three
little dots In about the same place
/ had last seen my fri0nd and his two
pack animals. I am not given 10
needless worrying. but the more /
tried 90 convince myself that an was
well with Powell, and that the dots
had seen on his trail were antelope or
wild horses the less syas able TO as
sure myself
Powell. / knew, was well armed
and further. an experienced Indian
fighter: but too had lived and fought
for years among the Sioux In the
North, and ! knew that h.s chances
were small against a party OF cum
ming trailing Apaches. Finally
could endure the suspense no longer,
and. armlng myself with two Colt re-
volvers and a carblue. l strapped two
belts Of cartridges about me and
catching my saddle horse, started
down the trail taken by Powell IN the
/ morning
Close upon dusk, I discovered the
/ point where other tracks joined those
Of Powell They were the tracks Of
/ unshod po.ies, three Of them, and the
ponies had been galloping.
followed rapidly until, about mid
night I reached the water hole where
/ Powell had expected TO camp.
was interested TO note that the
tracks Of the pursuing horsemen. for
such ! was now convinced they must
be. continued after Powell with only O
brief stop at the hole for water; and
/ always at the same rate Of speed as
his.
was positive now that the trailers
were Apaehes and that they wished 70
/ capture Powell alive FOR the fendish
/ pleasure OF the torture, so l urged my
horse onward at most dangerous
/ pace, hoping against hope that ! would
catch up with the red rascals before
they attacked him.
I had forged ahead FOR perhaps a
mile or more and had passed through
narrow, overlapping gorge just be-
I fore entering suddenly upon the table
/ land, and the sight which met my eyes
| filled me with CONSERVATION aud dis
may.
The LITTLE stretch of level land was
white with Indian tepees, and there
were probably half a thousand red
warriors clustered around some OBJ
| ject near the center OF the camp. !
was. of course. positive that Powell
was the attraction, but whether
thought or acted first | do not know.
but within an instant from the no.
ment the scene broke upon my view
had whipped out my REVIEWERS and
was charging down upon the entire
I III