Year: 1879

country was wilderness. Where settle:
merits had been made they were now de-
serted, on account Of the war. He wan
dered for weeks through this wilderness,
living on what he could find, and IN dan
ger every hour from the Indians and ma
rauding bands of the Mexican cavalry


One afternoon, after crossing grassy
prairie, he came to a heavily timbered
bottom where there was river This he.
knew must be the Navidad While
looking along the bank for a shallow
place where the stream could he forded,
he heard the barking Of dog.


"At first" he says, II supposed that it
might be some settlers dog, left behind
in the general flight; but l SOON per-
ceivcd that it was coming nearer although
was walking quite fast.


~ then surmised that the dog was on
my track, and that probably there might
be some one following him. Coming
now to shoal water, waded into the river
at place where it was not much above
my knees, and then hurried on as fast as
could.


After an hour or more, during which
l must have gone four or five miles, |
emerged from the timber upon the edge
Of another prairie.


GAIL this time the yelplng of the dog
had continued. The animal seemed to
have fully kept pace with me, and was
not now, I Judge, more than half a milc
behind. felt sure that this persistence
in following me meant danger.


II went out on the open prairie for
three or four hundred yards, then turned
short round and retraced my steps to the
edge of the timber. Here made leap,
Just as far as I could at one jump, off to
the right Of my trail, then runninn down
the edge of the timber for ten or tiftecn
rods, l hid myself in the top of a tree
which bad lately been blown down.
posted myself SO that could have good
view of the prairie above me, and of my
recent trail.


''The barking Of the dog quickly came
nearer, and soon a yellow and white cur
appeared, followed by three Comanche
Indians, one of whom held the dog back
by lash. They came out on my trail at
the precise point where had left it.


'Onc of the savagcs had a gun; the
other two had lances and bows. They
were walking FAST and went straight out
upon the prairie, following the trail l
had made, the dog now yeiping eagerly.


"When they came to the place where 1
had turned back, the dog stopped and be-
gan smelling about, as If at fault, The
brute seemed to wish to turn back NV
heart beat fast then, tor | was wholly un-
armed.


But the savages, thinking that l had
gone on, pulled the dog forward, and
continued on across the prairie. AS soon
as they were out Of sight, rapidly made
tracks in another direction. But for this
trick am very sure they would have
had my scalp.


For the next three or four days l wan
dered through tract of country where
there was but little that could use for
food. At length. late one afternoon, I
came to a clearing, on the further side of
| which saw a log house. After watching
! a while, became satisfied that there
was no person in the house, and then l
ventured across the clearing to it.
The door stood open. | stole in and
searched eagerly for food, for Was near
ly famishcd, and had grown so weak that
could hardly walk But I could find
nothing save few dried crumbs on the
oiClFCS, ttuN SOutC uLS1NOlN Olt(
beef bones. These crumbs greedily de-
voured, and then knawcd the beef bones
There was bed in one corner, which
looked so inviting that I determined to
rest on it for that night at least.


''About midnight l was startled by
noise of some sort. Listening, I found
that it was made by hogs grunting be-
meath the cabin floor. The shanty was
set up on blocks, tao Or three feet from
the ground, to keep out snakes. The
hogs had taken shelter under it.


At another deserted cabin where our
hero stopped to pass night he found a
large wolf-dog, which, like himself, ap-
peared to be a refugee and a wandercr.
The dog seemed ovcrjoyed at meeting a
human being. The two at once joined
their fortunes, and thenccforward Travelled
in company.


-Four or five days later they reached
the San Bernard river, which they crossed
by swimming, and then went to an a1an-
doncd house to pass the night.


For supper that evening they had only
some dry corn, so, building Il fire, Duval
| ashes.


"Whilc thus busiIy occupied he said
Bcn-which was the name I had given
my dog-uttercd a low growl, and look
ing up saw the muzzlc of a gun pokcd
slowly through the open window.


''In Il moment it flashed to my mind
that the smoke of my fire had attracted
the attention of some Struggling party of
the enemy, and | saw that was com
plctcly cntrapped, for the only door OF
the house was on the same side as the
window.


Before had time to think what |
| would do the dog icapcd through the
window.


"At tho same time l heard some one
utter a smothcred shout, followed by
some swearing in very plain English, and
rushed out just in time to prevent the
dog from throttling an old friend of mine
named Hardeman, who, with Capt. Dun
can and his company, were in pursuit OF
the flying Mcxicans; for while l had been
wandering in the wilderness the decisive
battle of San Jacinto had been fought,
and Santa Anna himself was prisoner
to our brave fellows


''lIardcman had seen my smoke and
thought there might be Mcxicans in the
house. Ben would have seized him fair
ly by the throat had it not been for
thick woolcn comforter which he had
utf1cd around his ncck.-Youth's Com
panion