Show SAVED DY BY STRATEGY can aou ou guido guide me to nasons ranch senor very well I 1 expect to at sunrise to 1 I will bo be ready senor can you two good hones I 1 I 1 asked yes berben you is ly come at the at appointed time I 1 with a low bow tho the mexican guide turned and strolled down the street I 1 had just alrh cd ed from lod verges and waa was ou on my way to casona vasona Va sona rinch which lies forty miles to tho the northwest of that place it was just sunrise tho the next borr ing when cy mj guide manuel garvia garcia mado made bis his appearance at the hotel nith with two horsch bridled and saddled ready reads for our journey ito was armed with itla A repeating rifle and two pistols while I 1 had bad on one pistol a mull m all 32 which I 1 a carried with me in my ray travels seeing that manuel had bad thought it 11 necessary to be well r ruled I 1 procured a nulu and round rounds of cartridge cartridges before leaving the elation station it waa was in the afternoon we had traveled live miles at least and were making our way across a strip of barren plain when suddenly manuel lanuel reined in his hi horse and dismounted bonding bending down ho he examined the ground closely for sometime then cast cost a hasta bast glanco glance about us los 1 he said making a gesture to the west with his hadd hadde I 1 glanced glauce I down and could plaint see the marks of unshod horses in the sandy soil perhaps wo we had better turn back I 1 sug suggested gestal 11 1 I am not anxious to encounter a band of hostile sa savages ages but manuel assured me that such a course of action was not to be thought of there might bo be no danger after al all but t it if th there w were it could not be averted by returning it was just ast as probable that we rie might encounter the apaches by doing so go as bj by continuing on our course su after a few moments spent in considering the matter we resumed our journey wo we rode on three or lour four miles further when in crossing a little hill we came suddenly sudden in sight of a squad of perhaps twenty indians advancing from the north and not more than a mile away turning our horses quickly about and keeping under the brow of the hill we galloped to the south hoping to avoid an encounter with them there was a chance clance that our presence had not been discovered disco ered by the indians and it was our aim to put as much distance as possible between us before venturing across the open plain that lay jay to the south A few minutes gallop galop brought us to a stretch of sandy plain but sc scarce arcel bad had we reached this when glancing backward we nye saw the whole band of apaches lashing their ponies and corn com ing in swift pursuit however there was nothing left for us to do but to trist to the fleetness of our horses hones to carry us ont out of danger as a fight on the open plain with such a number of apaches would be worse than madness we bad not rid den a mile before it was plainly ev ei ident that our pursuers were gaining on us rapidly and must soon overtake us the sun was still high in the western horizon and there was no hop that we could keep up the race till dat darkness I 1 would d oner ua a chance of escape unless wo we could soon gain con cover er orsome kind heyy to stop and anti fielt oar our on oil the open plain and anti in that caso it wae was not hard t to imagine the OR outcome come on on we urged our ou ranting horses w with ith tho yelling savages pear er and nearer to us with every alp suddenly manuel turbid bis his horse slightly to the left and pointing across the plain said we must get got to tho the housed bouse then forthe first timo time I 1 saw a malt small building nearly dearly A mile ahead of ue us and toward this wo we urged our home houses at their greatest speed A few minute minutes rido ride brought ui us tr to the I 1 ouse which proved to bo on of A those small adobe structures so 0 o c win mon in new mexico exico 31 and arizona Arl rona erected for tho use of tho mexican sheep her gerders ders but long since aban dolled quickly we entered ho the cabin leading our bones horses after ue us A glance bowed showed ue us that 0 a were in a room about fourteen feet square with a sin glo bole hole in the tile western rail that ben cd ed As a window the dour door which WAS on tho the eastern aide was a rickety affair 1 rudal constructed of pine slabs nw showing cry plainly tho the signs of deca ices wo we had barely time to gain tho the in side bide and bar the door with the wooden bolt with which it was provided when tho the apaches with ells of rage dashed up to within sixty 3 ards of tho the cabin and began circling about it but not a shot was fired after some timo time spent in maneuvering neu vering they suddenly separated into two squads one going to the west of the house and the other remaining oa on th east casl they had now withdrawn out of rifle range and reined seemed to bo be debuting tho the question what they should do next was wis evident that they did not mean to attack us but doubt doubtless leza intended to wall wait until nightfall when the could do to eo so under cover of darkness scattered about tho the room were a few pine boxes and several articles of castoff clothing and in one corner orner a pile of coarse black wool and straw which had as done lone service as a bed hed in tho the past wo we must mako make an attempt to escape from the klalo before tho the attack came but how were we to proceed there was only one plau plan so far ae as I 1 could see and that was to wait for night and ahn steal from the cabin and try to elude tho the enemy in the darn darkness ciss calling manuel to m side I 1 hastily ly laid mj pita plen before him but ho he out shook his head no isenor ho lie said 1 I have just been thinking ort way g it t I 1 asked ea eagerly esger gerl lj walt wait and see he replied briefly then theu signaling for me to keep watch upon the apaches he walked oi 0 er to tho the far end of the room the horses were standing presently I 1 saw that be he was busily engaged at work on some object in the corner but the scant light alibi airm ded by the window pre anted my seeing what he was doing tho the sun was just throwing its last golden b baze ue across the sandy plain when manuel came forward leading the two horses in front of the window what do to aou ou think of that he lie asked pointing to the animals for a moment I 1 was too surprised sur prized to speak glancing at tho the horses I 1 saw what at first appeared to be two men sitting in fa saddles fastened securely in their peats seats by ropes and straps bit a second glanco glance told me that these fig urea ures were only dummies mado made to closely resemble men what does this menti 31 anuel I 1 I 1 questioned wondering it if the guide had taken learo leave ot of bis his senses will twill the apaches take these for men lie hea asked aked pointing to and appearing not to notice my sur prise via a u why do 3 ou mean I 1 stopped short shore for alight had suddenly dawned upon OPO itaru Ity rU m me e to turn the horses loose upon the plain so aa a to t deceive the apaches into that it is we who am tro r F asked ayou you arc are right senor I 1 held out my hand 1 I ece see I 1 replied yoa aro are wiser th I 1 in these ma matters aters and I 1 believe your plan will work gilt it Is our only chance he eald said in a cal calm M tone giant and I 1 if it it falls wo we kro are lost tho tile twilight over the plain I 1 could see that tho the indian drew draw closer together as its if holding a final council it a time now benor said manucl in a it low tone keeping in tho the of the house no noi led tho the two horses to the outside then turning their beads to tho tile north wo we truck struck them several harp sharp blow blows they reared i violently and plunged cil alwa in the darkness at tho the same moment wo we threw throw our aches seli es in at tho the door and nail laj lal flat upon the ground wo we held hold our breaths ne as tho the bound of rapidly retreating loofe broke tho the still stillness ress then rose a fierce tumult to tho the cast and west with a of torri terrific flo 3 ells from a coro of amago ago throats the apaches had aisem cred the two retreating horses and had gone thundering fj 1 pursuit I 1 hi ough tho the open door I 1 could eco see aline a lino of dark forms mn moving ing to tho the north against the eastern horizon and know that our ruso ruse waa was lis iving tho the desired effect 9 conae come eaid said manucl hanuel wo we must not loso lose a moment wo we must be as far awaa awa ne as possible before they discover tho the trick and return to search for us carrying carr ing our rifles in our hands ready for quick use wo we darted from tho the cabin and ran with all speed wo we could command to iho the southwest while from the north caroo came tha fierce 3 ells of the apaches as jhc thc evi ept an in pursuit of our two flying horses we inn ran for nearly a mile and then being almost exhausted by the talent exercise and hearing no bound of pursuit wo we dropped into a walk we trai traveled cled steadily etea atea dlly dily for or three hours until wo we found ourselves among a range of low sande hills and there secreting ourselves la a patch of mosquito bushes that grew grow la in a small cannon wo we for dearly nearly an hour then wo we resumed our journe jour nc and by traveling la in a circuitous route reached laeone ranch at sunrise the following morning in thus ended one of the roost moist dangerous adventures ad ventures of my life and but for the shrewdness of a Blex mexican ican boy I 1 not bo be ain e now to tell the story golden dans dalls |