The Democratic times., August 21, 1902, Image 3

ÏHUDVENT !R[ Of IIIE RIO GO FORD
rifle lay near ny. mb was torn and
lacerated from head to feet, but the
injury thut had so quickly proved fatal
By WILLI M MURRAY GHAYDON. was a frightful bite in the throat.
"That was a savage crittur," said
(CJopyrlitM. IM >, b,» WHIlum Murrnjr (Iruy.tau ) Calkins. "It was a feinule puma, and
she likely has cut* somewhere about.
[CONTINUE».] ,
It was tough luck for the redskin to
run agin her—by jingo, here's a mess I"
far back in which tempting patches of
He stared at the Indian, with alarm
green were visible, though the north
and consternation depicted ou his rug­
front of the range of hills preeented it ged
fuce.
liure and rocky asject.
"What’s wrong!” Quin asked.
lue nuieehs'uf the expedition Uow
“Heaps," replied Calkins. "This
•eemed likely, if not assured, and the
men Were iu high spirit* during supper. fellow is an Apache, and he’s rigged
out in full war paint. Look!"
When that meal waa over—an hour of
He pointed to the dal* and streaks of
daylight still remained -Quin an­
grease paint that the blood oozing from
nounced hia intention of setting forth
the half naked body could not hide, to
ou a ruconnoiaaanee.
the scalp lock decorated with bright
"1 want to make snre that the camels feathers.
are really in the valley," he added. "It
"What does it mean!" exclaimed
I find that out, we'll know just how to Quin. "A rising!"
plan for tomorrow. I'll take one mun
"That’s just it,” was the startling
with Tim."
answer. "The Apaches on the San Car­
A number volunteered to go, but los reservation are up, and a worse lot
Quin finally ch< so Hurk Calkins, know­ of devils ain't to be found in Arizona.
ing him to be the most expert tracker They’ve sent this chap ahead to do the
and plainsman. The two shouldered •nvin, aud the rest can’t bo very far
their rilles and started off on foot, Wlnna. '
while their comrades shouted various
He listened apprehensively for a mo­
warnings and instructions after them. ment.
They preaaod on rapidly and cautiously,
"I reckon they didn’t hear the shoot­
and a turn of the gorge soon hid the in," he added, "but they'll be comin
cutup from view.
along soon. We'll make tracks, pard.
The acme was one of majestic gran­ There's onr own safety to look after,
deur. aud it recalled to Quin certain and we must warn ths settlers yonder
parte of the Himalayas. The mountaiu across the Gila aud get word to ths
pass wound gently upward, and in the fort ."
middle was a narrow trail, worn in
"By all means," Quin assented.
former days by bands.of raiding Indiana "That is our first duty."
anu columns ot ■ avenging troupers.
He was considerably alarmed, for be
Right and left was a tangle of stunted knew well what an Indian outbreak
timber, bushee, fallen logs and heaped meant The possibility of such a thing
up bowlders, reaching te the base of the had not entered into his plans. The
sheer cliffs, scarred with many a cling­ two hurried down the valley, and as
ing tree, that towered hundreds of feet they passed the mouth of the cross
to the rosy tinted sky.
ravine they heard adult clumping noise
For half an hour the men plodded In the distance.
on. following the trail of the camels,
"It's the camsls." said Calkins.
who bad been cropping the herbage "They’ve been scared by the shootin
along the path witbin a dosen hours at and are movin this way. We won't
the most. Finally the footprints turned get them thia trip. ”
into a gloomy little cross ravine to the
"I’m afraid not," Quin answered re­
right of the main gorge. Hark Calkins gretfully, "but I'll have a try for them
stopped with a warning gesture.
later if I get the ohance.' ’
"Yonder is what we call a pocket. It
They pushed on rapidly through ths
ends agiu the mountain," he said soft­ gathering twilight, dreading each mo­
ly. "The whole lot of oamels are in ment to hear me gorge oeninu them
there, dead certain, and there they'll ring with aavage warwhoops, and it
stay till mornin if nothin scares was a great relief when they aaw the
them."
friendly gleam of the campfire. A little
"Good!" replied Quin. "We had later they had joined their comrades
better go back, then, and turn up in and were narrating their adventure to
force in the morning."
a circle of eager and anxious faces. On
"That’s the idea," approved th; cow­ one point all agreed without a dissent­
boy. "If we have luck, we ought to* 1, ing voice—that the presence of the red­
corner the herd Come along, boss, and skins in war paint in the vaHey meant
mind how you step"—
an Apache rising and an early incur­
A startling outcry cut short the sen­ sion into the settled country north of
tence—a blood curdling, rasping » ream the reservation. But the cowboys were
of rage; then another and another, fol­ divided in opinion as to when the ap­
lowed by the sharp report of a gun and proach of the Indians might be ex­
a muffled yell. The sounds came from pected.
close ahead, around a turn of, the maiu
“If they were following close behind
gorge. Without hesitation, witii one the spy, which I reckon they were,"
impulse Quin and Calkins dashed for­ suid Old Derrick, "they may turn up
ward, almost plowing a furrow through spy minute. ”
the bushes that here obstructed the
"It's more likely, to my thinkin.”
trail.
replied Pepper Hmith, "that they sent
Twenty yards or so and then they the spy ahead to see if any troopers
pulled up short. Their rifles flew tc were abont, and the whole tribe are back
their shoulders. They had emerged np- on the reservation now, waiting fur
oti the scene of the distnrliance, and a him to return. "
A warm discussion followed, some
thrilliug sight it was. A few feet away
at one side of the valley an Indian was holding to one theory, some to the
feebly struggling in the grasp of a huge other.
"Hang it all. what’s the difference!”
inonntain lion, or puma, whose furious
snarling quite drowned the voice of his growled Calkins. "The sooner were oft
victim. A dark hole in the rix-ks might the better. We’ll have more time to
have been the beast's den. The redskin warn the soldiers and the ranchmen.”
"That's sound advice," put in Quin.
had evidently come across it unawares
"Come, we'll saddle up and start."
and tired hastily and missed.
This, coming from one in authority,
"Don't shoot I” exclaimed Quin.
settled the matter. But before a move
"You’ll hit the man."
"He’s scarcely kickin now!" shout­ could be made a dull noise was hoard
ed Calkins. "He’s a goner if we don't in the direction of the valley, the mouth
of which was not far away. The tu>
plug the crittur!"
Just then the puma, hearing ths mult rapidly grew louder and nearer.
voices, swung its bead around and saw
the intruders. Instantly, with a pas
aionate screech, it sprang off the pros­
trate redskin, crouched for a second with
lashing tail and bounded forward.
Calkins fired, but failed to stop ths
animal. Then he lost bis head, and,
turning, be bolted like a deer down ths
ravine. .
"Run for your life!" he yelled.
But Quin held his ground. His rifle
was leveled, and his eye traveled keen­
ly along the tube. The puma was ac­
tually in the air and almost upon him
when bo pulled the trigger. He could
not see the effect of hie shot for the
smoke, but he took no chances and
jumped to one side. The next instant a
maddened scream rang in hia very care
and a thumping blow on the shoulder
sent him backward to the ground.
He got to his feet without delay,
bruised a little and slightly stunned,
and expecting to be pounced upon at
once by his savage enemy. Then h*
took heart, seeing the puma struggling
in the bushes a doaen feet beyond him.
Hie shot had severely wounded it, and
it was bleeding from the neck.
"Look out!" shouted Calkins from a
ledge where he had taken refuge. "1
can’t help you. I’ve dropped my weap­
on."
But Quin needed no assistance. He
Two of Quin’s party were killed.
lifted hie rifle, aimed calmly and fired. until the furioua thump of flying hoofs,
The second shot finished the beset. It mingled with shrill, wheeaing cries,
gave one or two convulsive leaps, then could bo distinguished.
rolled over and lay quite still. The
"The Apaches are on us!” cried sev­
bullet had penetrated between the eyes eral voices.
Calkins left his shelter and hastened
"To the saddle!” shouted Calkina.
to the spot, picking up his rifle as he
For a moment confusion reigned.
came. He kioked the dead puma con­ Then each man ran to his hone and
temptuously.
gripped the bridle, ready to mount and
"You’ve settled the crittur,” he ex­ fire before plunging away on the race
claimed. "For an eastern tenderfoot, for life. But the next instant there is­
you're the coolest hand I ever seen, sued from the mouth of the gorge not
hanged if you ain't. Ever stand up to the dreaded Indians, but a herd of
a wild beast before?”
panic stricken oamels, nearly a score in
"Well, yes." Quin modestly admit­ number.
ted. "I’ve bagged a few lions and
They bore on at a mad gallop, kick­
tigers and that sort of thing. Let’s ing and prancing, giving tongue to un­
have a look at the Indian." be added.
earthly cries. When they were almost
"I'm afraid the varmint is deed," upon the men and horses, they swerved
said Calkins
to the left and stampeded by the camp.
On inspection such proved to be the A couple of frightened horses broke
ease. The redskin, who was a stalwart, loose and were lost. The wagon mules,
evil faced fellow, had just breathed hia terrified by the sight and sound of the
last. One hand clutched the half drawn strange, hnmped animals, snapped their
knife at hia belt, aud his discharged tethers and made off. It was all over
in a oriel time, tue tnnnaering reel ot
the re m l* grow fainter ami fainter,
and they vanished .in the dusky night,
which was just beginning to be light-
ened by the rising moon. It was like a
dream to Qmn. l or u moment ho had
imagined that he was thousands of
miles away, in the Sudan, instead x’
on tbe southern border of Arizona.
"The boasts was scairt by redskin*,"
assorted Old Derrick.
"Right you are!” shouted Calkins.
"Tbe Apaches ain’t fur behind. Up
with yon, men!"
Even as he spoke a faint, ominous
sound rose on the quiet air, without
doubt tbe hoof falls of the Indian band
riding forth to mnrder and destruction.
Iu a trice the men were mounted, tbe
two who were horseless getting up be­
hind comrades. The wagon and its sup­
plies wore abandoned, aud the little
party swept away to the north.
"Will they overtake us!" Quin asked
of Calkins.
"It’s bard to tell." was the reply.
Twenty minute* passed; then the
muffled ponndings of the savages grew
more distinct, and it was possible to
make out a dusky blot far to the rear.
The Apaches knew that the cowboys
were in front of them, riding to give
the alarm, and they were straining ev­
ery resource to catch them up.
On and on through the fleet night air
to tbe music of galloping hoof* and-tbe
clank of arms. Mile after mile slipped
behind, and the Indians were gaining
steadily. Then a silver gleam flashed
close ahead, and tbe fugitives drew
rein on the brink of the Rio Glia. But
now the river was full and flowing
swiftly, There «oust have been heavy
rain* near its head. In tbe middle of
the 800 yard current roee a little island,
covered with etones and bushes.
"It’s all right," said Calkins. "This
roru is psssame in mgn water, and it’s
the only one that is for 60 miles in both
directions."
The horse* plunged into the surging
tide, and without once getting off their
feet they carried their riders safely to
the island. It was shaped somewhat
like a bowl, the rim of which was
formed of loose rocks and bushes. Quin
examined the spot with a critical eye,
with a plan taking form in his mind.
"Yon say this is the only ford for 60
miles in either direction!” he asked a*
the party were about to push on.
"Yes,” declared Calkin*.
"And unless tbe Indians cross here
they won’t get over at all!"
"Not withont goin round.”
"Theu we'll check them here and hold
tbe ford. ” Quin said coolly. "I thint
we can do it. This island is almost im­
pregnable—more so than the other
bank. By and by, if we can spare a
man or two, we’ll send word to the fort
for help. What do yon say !”
The response exceeded Quin's expec­
tations. In the eye* ot the rude cow­
boys he at once became a hero, and they
applauded him boisterously. They ea­
gerly assented, realizing all that was to
be gained by tbe success of hia proposi­
tion. Tbe chances of failure, of being
annihilated in the fight, they did not
give a thought to.
In a trice the men had dismounted.
There was plenty of room, and they
made their well trained horses roll over
and lie down flat. Then they ensconced
themselves in the shelter of the rocks
and bushes, ready to take aim through
the crevices.
They did not wait long Soon, with
a clatter of hoofs and a burst of fren­
zied yells, the band of Apaches, a good
hundred and more strong, swept to tbe
south brink of tbe Rio Gila. Quin gave
the word to Are. aud a steady volley
blazed from the island. Some of the In­
dians were seen to drop from tbe sad­
dle, and riderless steed* pranced about.
The whole troop fell beck, apparently
dismayed. They described a half circle
on the plain and then came on, whoop­
ing like fiends, their rifle* and war
psint glittering in tbe bright moon­
light.
"They’re going to rush us!” exclaim­
ed Old Derrick. “Steady, boyst”
"Make every shot tell!" cried Qa<n.
The savage horde rode straight into
the water, firing rapidly at the island
as they came. But the well delivered
stu. in of leud w.-.s too hot for them, and
a «court time they withdrew, with
heavy les.;. A part cf tha band rode np
stream, and, enteric f the river there,
they endeavorc.i to lorev a passage to
the island. Etrt whsn they bad lost half
a dozen of their number they abandoned
tbe attempt, and tue survivors gained
the bank and joined the main body, all
then withdrawing to the shelter of
some sand hill* a quarter of a mile dis­
tant. None of the defenders was even
wounded, so well were they protected.
"The enemy are not beaten!" Quin
asked.
"Not much," was the grim and
forcible reply of Calkins. “Just wait a
bit.”
The little party reloaded their maga­
zine rifles, and by that time the Apa­
ches had adopted new tactics. With
ths cunning for which they are noted
they swarmed along the bank of the
river and hid themselves behind every
stone or dump of bushes. They opened
a straggling fire on the island and kept
it up steadily. They could have swept
ths stretch to the north bank with lead,
and under these circumstances the idea
of sending to the fort for help had to
be abandoned.
The night wore on. and the unequal
battle raged, with brief intervals of si­
lence. How many of the Indians fell by
the fire of the white men it was impos­
sible to tell, but the marksmanship of
the former improved as they spotted
the cowboys, and they began to do con­
siderable damage. Thicker and thicker
came the bullets. Two of Quin's party
were killed and three were slightly
wounded, including Carruthers and Old
Derrick. But they did not dream of
retreat. They fought on doggedly, aim­
ing at the red flashes
At last a faint gleam of dawn ap­
peared in the east. The Indians held
their invisible positions, but their Are
slackened and died trradnallv awav. Tn
. - hi ,', „ mui' i auu u,
weary. p.!W<h r grimed meu held *nz-
iou* counsel.
( "It’s, no nse,” raid Pepper Smith.
“We are nearly out of ammunition.*'
"There’s enough for one more scrim­
mage,” remarked Calkins, "but the
devil* won’t stop at one. 1 snow them,
They’ve got our measure now, and
when the sun comes np they'll take the
islund if it costs them a score of wen.”
“Well, we’ll stick it out to the and,"
declared Quin; “I mean until we see
that wo are overpowered. Then we’ll
make a bolt for tbe shore. I’m sorry we
didn't get a messenger off to the fort,
but it’s too late for that now.”
"Watch sharp,” put iu Old Derrick.
"The Varmints are stirring."
As be sisjke—it had become much
lighter—the redskins opened tire anew,
st first in a straggling manner, theu
more liriskly. The defenders replied
cautiously, saving their ammunition
for the rush that was expected. The
spitting of rifles echoed far on the
morning air. Wreaths of white smoke
drifted over the foaming river and the
parched plain.
"We’re in a tight place," said Quin.
“Half of our horses are killed, and the
rest will have to carry double in case
of a retreat.”
“I’ve got seven cartridges lsft, ”
Calkin* growled between his teeth,
“and I don’t suppose you fellows"—
“Hello! What's up!" interrupted
Pepper Smith.
What, indeed! To the amasement
and delight of the cowboys, the Apa­
che* were seen running from all points
toward the hill that sheltered their
horses. Then they reappeared mounted,
riding at full speed to the south, and at
about the same time the clear notes of
a bugle were heard. The sound came
from the north, and when tbe men
glanced in that direction they aaw a
glorious sight—a troop of United States
cavalry, twoscore strong, galloping
down the arid slope to the river.
Quin and his party eagerly crossed to
meet them, some on horseback and som*
wading. The officer in command of the
soldiers, the same who had been en­
countered on tue previous aay, listened
with increasing admiration and won
der to tbe story of the siege of the Bic
Gila ford.
“It was splendid!" he cried. “An
achievement to Ixiast of 1 A mere hand­
ful of men against a hundred Apacbt
devils! You have saved many lives, my
brave fellows. As for you"—he clapped
Quin on the back—“I owe you an
apology. I came to arrest you., I was
under the impression that you were a
rascally trader who was trying to smug­
gle a load of arms and ammunition into
tbe San Carlo* reservation."
"It was a very natural mistake."
Quin replied. "We'll Bay no more
about it. ”
Bo the Indians were repulsed, and
the rattlers saved, and what happened
afterward is another story. The dead
cowboys were buried, and the wounded
accompanied a part of the soldiers back
to Fort Stay man. Th* rest stopped tc
guard the fording. On the following
day a strong column set out to the res­
ervation. They drove the Indian* be­
fore them, disarmed them and carried
off their leaders for trial and punish­
ment, thus checking the rising before
it bad made any headway.
And the camels ! Quin did not aban­
don the quest. He and hi* cowboys, aft­
er a week's search, corralled the herd
and with some difficulty captured sight
of them alive. They were shipped east
soon afterward and are now a part of
Barnum's circus and menagerie.
*
_ THIS MAN
•»> ’ J
y-
DRINKS COFFEE MADE FROM •
CHASE & SANBORN SALE BRAND
Pure, cheap and delicious.
Warner <fc Wortman,
MEDFORD,
-
OREGON.
-
We Get Our Feed at
Brown’s Feed Store.
EAST SEVENTH STREET, ....
MEDFORD, OREGON
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL
Monmouth
-
-
Oregon
Graduates of the School are in con­
tant demand at salaries ranging from
#40 to #100 per month. Studentstake
the state examinations during their
course in the school and are prepared
to receive state certificates on gradu­
ation. Expenses range from #120 to
#175 per year. Strong Normal course
ar.d well equipped Training Depart­
ment. The fall term opens Sept. 1*.
For further particular address
E. D. RESSLER, President,
or J. B. V. Butler, Secretary.
D R. J. H. MESSNER,
VETERINARY SURGEON,
MEDFORD,.................................................................. OREGON.
FOR THE CHILDREN
All kinds of Dentistry Execu­
ted, and Every Disease Stock is
Subject to, Including Poll Evil
and Fistula, treated in the
MOST SCIENTIFIC MANNER
and at REASONABLE RATES
Leugevlty ot Bird* and Animate.
llow many boys and girls know bow
long tbe birds and animals live? None
of our common pets, the cats or doga,
lives very long. I once heard of a cat
that lived twenty-nine years and of a
deg that was twenty-two when he died,
say* E. A. Mathews. But thia does not
often happen.
A horse cannot do much work after
be is twelve or fourteen years old, but
I heard of one horse that lived sixty-
four years. Birds sometimes have long
u-es. There was onee a parrot who
lived over a hundred years, and ravens
often live much longer.
A cockatoo In a faroff country waa a
cheerful old pet when he was eighty­
fl ve years old. He would have lived to
be older if he bad not grown so cross
tb»f he would tight and hurt himself.
j’isb are such selfish creatures that
ley ought to live long. They never
get hot
Carp are said to live hundreds of
years, and pike are also hardy old fel­
lows.
There are some Insects that live but
a few hours. Some live but a day, and
all of them are short lived.
The wild beasts do not live long, but
elephants are sometimes very old, and
then they grow helpless, just like old
people, and cannot do anythiug for
themselves.
T* My Friaada.
It Is with joy I tell you what Kodol
did for me. I was troubled with my
9tomach for several months. Upon
being advised to use Kodol, I did so,
and words cannot tell tbe good it has
done me. A neighbor bad dyspepsia
so that be bad tried most everything.
1 told him to use Kodol. Words of
gratitude have come to me from him
because 1 recommended it.—Geo. W.
Fry, Viola, Iowa. Health and strength
of mind and body, depend on the
stomach, and normal activity of the
digestive tonic, cures all stomach and
bowel troubles, indigestion, dpspepMa.
Kodol digests any good food you eat.
Take a dose after meals.
If you want tbe latest in furniture,
call at Norris’ shop In Jacksonville
and see one of his folding Daven­
ports. They are superior to anything
In that line. Every body should have
one.
REFERENCES GIVEN.
Hl* Useful Ha*.
The average boy is a person of in­
finite resource and never loses an op­
portunity to Impress this fact upon bis
friends of the gentler sex.
"Huh! I wouldn’t be bothered'wear
Ing my hat to a picnic," said a little
curly haired damsel contemptuously to
her brother as they set off together,
baskets in hand. “And your beet one,
too! I should think you’d have known
enough to leave your hat at home, Jim­
mie Lane!"
“Would you, now?” said Jimmie,
with swift but tolerant scorn. “Well,
you just listen to me. I wore this bat
because it's got a nice, stiff brim, end
when I sail it in the brook I can stand
my soldiers up on It. And I shall catch
butterflies and beetles In it and some
red cuffed moss for Aunt Jennie and
some pebbles for Ned Summers’ col­
lection because he's lame and some
birch bark strips for mother, and then
I can put the pepper and salt shaker
In It, too, when we come home, and
your basket Is small enough to go In­
side mine, so we’ll each have just one
thing to carry, and If I can jam my
hat into your basket you won't have
anything, miss!’’ added Jimmie, seised
by a brilliant afterthought
■salrrela Playins Ta*.
While in Central park one day I was
much amused In watching two squir­
rels which were plainly enjoying the
game familiar to children as “squat
tag." One squirrel started off over the
grass, closely followed by the other,
until the fl rat “squatted" upon its
haunches, or “berkles," as the young
people say. Then the parts were ex­
changed, the second squirrel now l»e-
ing "It.” By aud by, with a whisk of
the tall, they were off for the nearest
tree, where they amused themselves by
playing bide aud seek.—Youth's Com-
panlou.
Look Pleasant, Please.
Photographer C. C. Harlan, of
Eaton, O., can do so now, though for
years be couldn’t, because he suffered
untold agony from the worst form of
indigestion. All physicians aud med­
icines failed to help him till he tried
Electric Bitters, which worked such
wonders for him that he delcaresthey
are a godsend to sufferers from dys­
pepsia and stomach troubles.
Un­
rivaled for disease of the Stomach,
Liver and Kidneys, they build up and
give new life to the whole system.
Try them. Only 50c. Guaranteed
by City Drug Store, druggists.
WlthnoltlinK intormatlou.
The Filipino renegade. Buen Ca­
mino. who was evidently Induced by
the administration tn come on and give
testimony against his own people, has
turned out to be n boomerang. The
iduiinistraikm champions in congress,
who are bound to suppress any evi­
dence that will hurt the Republicans
by withholding information and brow­
beating witnesses, have created tbs
Impression that there is much more
ugly evidence In existence If the Dem­
ocrats were allowed to introduce It
Henry L Shattuck, of Shellsburg,
Iowa, was cured of a stomach trouble
with which he had been afflicted for
year, by four boxes of Chamberlain’s
Stomach and Liver Tablets.
He
had previously tried many other reme­
dies and a number of physicians with­
out relief.
For sale by City Drug
Store.
Blue-print maps of any township in
Roseburg, Oregon. Land District, show­
ing all the vacant lands, for 50 cento
each. If you want any information
from the U. S. Laftid Office, address
Title Guarantee & Loan Co., Rose­
burg, Oregon.