The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-03-05

I
plain the phenomena l can only set
down here in the words of an or
! binary soldier of fortune a chronicle
of the strange events that befell me
| during the ten years that my dead
body lay undiscovered in an Arizona
cave.
My name is John Carter; l am bet
| ter known as Captain Jack Carter of
Virginia. At the close of the Civil
war l 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. Masterless, penni-
less. and with my only means of live
iihoOd, fighting, gone. determined TO
work my way to the Southwest and
attempt to retrieve my fallen fortunes
in search for gold.
i 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
hearing 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 sufficient force of men properly
to work the mine.
AS Powell was familiar with the
country. as well as with the mechani-
cal requirements of mining we deter
mined that II would be best for him
TO make the trip.
On March 3. 1886. 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.
l could see him and his little pack
animals picking their way down the
mOuntainside toward the valley. and
all during the morning would catch
occasional glimpses of them as they
topped hog back or came out upon.
level plateau. My last sight of Powell
was about three in~th afternoon as
he entered the shadows of the range
on the opposite side of the valley.
Some hours afterward l happened
to glance casually across the valley
and was much surprised TO note three
little dots in about the same place I
had last seen my friend and his two
pack animals. I am not given to
needless worrying, but the more I
tried to convince myself that all was
well with Powell. and that the dots I
had seen on his trail were antelope or
wild horses. the less was 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 I knew that his chances
were small against a party of cum
ming trailing Apaches. Finally l
could endure the suspense no longer
and. arming myself with two Colt re-
vOlvers and a carbine, strapped two
belts of cartridges abOut me and
my saddle horse. started
down the trail taken by Powell in the
Close upon dusk, | discovered the
point where other tracks, joined those /
Of Powell. They were the tracks of
unshOd ponies, three of them. and the |
ponies had been galloping.
followed rapidly until. about mid |
night. / reached the water hole where |
Powell had expected to camp.
! was interested TO note that the !
tracks of the pursuing h0rsemen. for
such l was now convinced they must I
be. continued after Powell with only |
brief stop at the hole for water: and
always at the same rate of speed as
his.
was positive now that the trailers
were Apaches and that they wished to
capture Powell alive for the fiendish
pleasure of the torture, so urged my
horse onward AT a most dangerous
pace. hoping against hope that would
catch up with the red rascals before
hey attacked him.
had forged ahead for PERTAINS a
nile or more, and had passed through
/ narrow. Overhanging gorge just he
ore entering suddenly upon the table
and. and the sight which met my ewes
illed me with CONSERVATION and dis
nay.
The little stretch of level land was
white with Indian tepees. and there
we're probably half thousand red
clustered around some OBJ
ect near the center of the camp.
vas. Of course. positive that Powell
ras the attraction. but whether /
hought or acted first I do not know.
lut within an instant from the mo-
nent the scene broke upon my view |
lad whipped out my revolvers and
gas charging down upon the entire
rmy Of warriors. shooting RAPIDLY.
nd whooping at the top Of my lungs.
IlnGle handed, could not have pur-
ned better tactics. for the red men.
by sudden surprise thar nos