Arizona Nights

LE VI

quoise blue of the Arizona sky had filmed. Storms in the dry co

tain in the wildest parts of the territory. The cattle were winding leisurely toward the high countr

ion. "I have a ranch over in the Double R. Charley and Wi

r, followed it into box canons between rim-rock carved fantastically and painted like a Moorish facade, until at last i

r beds on the floor, filled our pipes, and squatted on our heels. Various dogs of various

ing," announced th

aid Charley, a

tonwoods. He had on a battered broad hat abnormally high of crown, carried across his

, flung him aside, and pounced on the next. During the ensuing few moments that hound was the busiest thing in the West. He satisfactorily whipped four dogs, pursued two cats up a tree, upset the Dutch oven and the rest of the soda b

s no more trouble to make. The hound returned leisurely, licking

he sadly, "is

in to welcome Uncle Jim with

had remained in the Galiuro Mountains, spite of man or the devil. At present he possessed some hundreds of ca

pped to slumber, he held forth on big-game

ve any very clos

d his pipe with some awful tobacco,

nd Ju [1], and old Loco used to pile out of the reservation at Camp Apache, raid south to the line, slip over into Mexico when the sol

rom Mexico with all my warriors, if you will e

neral, being only too gl

buck in camp, but next morning they shows u

se hosses?" asks the

d in the hills,"

es with me; I believe they'r

o without their hos

ere's fifty-two frantic Greasers wanting to know where's their hosses. The arm

a hurry about that time that they never stop to climb up and collect me. Often I've watched them trailing down the valley in a cloud of dust. Then, in a day or two, a squad of soldiers would come up, and camp at my

down about sixty feet, all timbered, and was thinking of cross-cutting. One day

see by the sun it was getting along towards noon, I put in three go

ou. I never did get used to it. You keep thinking, "Now suppose there's a flaw in that fuse, or something, and she goes off i

hty tired hosses, was a dozen of the ugliest Chiricahuas you ever don't want to meet, and in addition a Mexican renegade named Maria, who was worse than

rom below. At that my hair riz right up so I could feel the breeze blow under my hat. For about six seconds I stood there like an imbecile, grinnin

I'd had a stiff neck; but I managed to do it, and I see that my ore dump wasn't more than ten foot away. I mighty near overjumped it;

up any arguments against that notion-at least from their standpoint. They were chattering away to each other in Mexican for the benefit of Ma

ne of my shots went

he scenery. I got one little one in the shoulder-blade, and found time to wish my ore dump had a roof. But those renegades cau

ells I, which

Ole Virginia pr

ets a chance to look, the Apaches has

z!" yell

ys the Ole

things from a safe distance, but I wasn't. Lucky for me the shaft was a little on the drift, so she didn't quite

ore, as bold as if I could

ornament. But it did. Those Chiricahuas give one yell and skipped. It was surely a funny sight,

and then to pull out for Benson. Johnny Hooper wasn't expected till next day, which was lucky. From where I lay I could see the Apaches camped out beyond my draw, and I didn't doubt they'd visited the place. Along about sunset they all left their camp, and went into t

, right into the bands of those hostiles. The trail looked pretty fresh, and Benson's a good long day with a pack animal, so I thought perhaps I mi

. Of course, I expected to see everything up in smoke, but I nearly got up and yelled when I see everything

ck in their camp, and haven't discovered

r they'd had lots of time to put in on him. That's the reason they'd stayed so long up the draw. Poor old Johnny! I was glad it was night, and h

o, though, my wi

yself, "and why is the hoss and the mu

r THOSE conundrums. The whole thing was a trap-for me-a

dark-and listens. Sure enough, I hears hosses.

eard more hosses-ahead of me. And when I looked back I could see so

back-there was those Injins building the fire. So I skirmished around till I got a bright star right over the trail head, and I trained old Meat-in-the-pot to bear on that star, and I made up my mind that when the

ing to be caught alive, and this miss-fire deal had fooled me all along the line. They surely had a lively time. I expected every minute to feel a knife in my back, but when I didn't get it then

ar

ican, and what I'd heard bout him,

alf-dozen more fell on me, and in less than no time they had me tied. Then they

ipe. From the open mud fireplace he picked a coal. Outside, the rain, faith

est call I ever ha

chorus, "how did you get away? What did

Jim ch

" said he, "was Lieutenant Price of the Un

ks, and Horn talks to

aught Maria,' transl

ieutenant Price. 'This i

eems the troops had driven off

ght you, Uncle Jim? You

explained the old man-"gover

nounced