Show CAMPFIRE TALES TIY GASKELL V I V THE SURPRISE You see I was a young fellow in those days and hadnt much sense not that Ive overmuch nowand I was a dreamer to some extent though I was restless and had a devil of an unquiet feeling that would never let me rest I know I was the cause of many a sigh and many a heart ache to my mother poor womanfor she was a good kind soul God bless her and she sought honestly to do her duty lovingly affectionately to her children and her husband If I troubled her peace it was not inten tionately for 1 loved her dearly though the effect was to her no less painful But who can put thoughtfulness thought-fulness judgment and understanding understand-ing into the mind of youth and not every parent knows what is best for the young somo being over kind oversolicitous and others again overstrict and continually faultfinding or preaching But I didnt start out to moralize boys though moralizing is good enough in its placebut to tell you of an adventure I met with on the plains that nearly cost me my life and for a time made me think if the end of the world hadnt come for others my end of it had Id strayed away from home and led a sort of yagabnnd roving life for a long time with no settled plans for the future when I found myself on the plains one of a small party of teamsters not over a score all told taking supplies to a distant government post We didnt know the Indians were out on the warpath war-path when we started from the frontiers so we had no escort and were in anything but good trim to make very much of a fight When we did hear of the unpleasantness we had no alternative but to push steadily ahead for our orders were very precise as the supplies were very much needed Besides all this we knew not on which side nor in whieh direction danger lay and we understood it was no more perilous to advance than to retreat There is a certain excitement in danger arousing a-rousing of the enercies bracing of the nerves and a general awakening awaken-ing altogether this is more especially i espe-cially thp case with a youngster I i though I must confess I felt a little lit-tle shaky more especially when in our journeying we came across the bodies of two trappers stark and stiff and filled with arrows like a porcupine with quills Some of us changed our feelings in regard to the poor Indian the noble redrvian Why theyd left the bodies un scalped and full of arrows we could only conjecture but thought theyd had a surprise party of trappers or soldiers who had driven them from their prey before finishing their attentions In the midst of such dangers we had to be very circumspect and cautious cau-tious in our movements but in spite of all our care we were surprised sur-prised one night and our camp was carried at a single rush We made as good a fight as we could but I stood little chance against their overwhelming numbers and in less than ten minutes all our party were down and dead excepting myself and another and we were badly thou h not dangerously wounded We had but little hope of escaping death as we lay bound upon the grass helplessly the buckskin thongs eating into the flesh of our arms and legs and causing us intense in-tense pain The Indians seemed overjoyed at their easy victory andcomplee success suc-cess and at the wealth they had gained though the struggle had not been to them an altogether bloodless blood-less one for our party died hard if it was suddenly and more than one greasy savage would follow the warpath no more But in the first flush of their success they did not think of this and after being tightly bound they left me and my companion com-panion lying there and hurried to the plunder of the wagons There was untold wealth to them there and their shouts of gladness and exultation were loud in conse quence i Knew mere was several barrels of whiskey as freight and T feared the very devil would be let loose when they discovered them and I thought my hold upon life was about as uncertain as it well could be and mentally gave up in despair in consequence But what could we do Though momentarily unwatched we were as helplessly trussed up as so many fowls fixed for roastingand roasting 1 feared would be our portion as soon as they were full of whisky with all their worst passions pas-sions loused into full playthough there may be exceptions I It was very dark when they struck our camp as there was no moon though the distant stars gave forth a sort of silvery radiance and the air was quiet and still and only the chirp of insects or the quick whirr i of the nightbirds wings the hoarse croak of bullfrogs in the slough below our camp was heard until the fierce shrill discordant yells of the Indians broke upon us But we did not lack for light or sound long as anything that would burn yokes harness parts of wagons i and fuel gathered lor the morning fires were thrown upon the blaze and the scene soon was almost as light as day with a background of opaque blackness for setting Noisethey yelled when they first attacked us but that was feeble in comparison to what it became when they were filled with whisky which they soon found and drank as though the lives of each depended upon getting full first What Uore saw now took place and we were lying in the midst of a crowd ofi I II dancing yelling struggling reeling inhuman demonstoo nleased at first with their prizes to kill us outright but reserving us for the more honorable fate of gracing their return to their villages when we were almost certain to be burnt at the stake From gladness and rough play they soon got into an angrier mood and in defiance of the authority of their chief more than one quarrel took place and blood was drawn thougp life as yet was not taken But our danger was increased and kicks and blows were rained upon us by drunken braves as they passed us as they hurried from one point to another inquest in-quest of plunder I dont think I was ever very brave and I certainly quaked with fear then the moments seemed leaden laden and my sufferings were intense in-tense AS much as possible we hid our pain and fear under a mask of indifference for we had heard enough from old plainsmen to know any exhibition of weakness and apprehension would rather incite in-cite them to fresh barbarities But it was hard work to conceal all feeling when a tM inge of more than usually excruciating pain came and tor my part even death with all the uncertainties of an after life would have been welcome My companion was even in a worse plight than I was myself for he had been more grievously wounded 1 which added to the cutting bonds upon him slowly wearing into the flesh the cramped position in which he lay all combined wore heavily upon him As day broke most of the Indians were beastly drunk and fit for any deed of vengeance and I blood and the scowling looks of hatred the drunken wretches cast II upon us spoke plainly of their desperate intention I Its all up with us Jack said my companion 1 fear it is for the drunken I devils seem fit for any kind of bloody work Better far for us had we died with our poor friends there they at least feel no more of their cutting and hacking If we could only get out of these cursed bonds wed still give em a fight for itbut confound it its hard to go under bound up and trussed like a turkeyto How What for talk said a hideous looking brave as he gave the poor fellow a brutal kick in the face No talk me kill and the wretch drew his tomahawk and whirled it aloft to strike And it seemed as if he would strike too but Bobs blood was up and likely enough he would have welcomed the blow that would put him out of his misery However it may have been he was not cowed and gave back look for look and covered with blood from the fierce kick he had received he seemed about as mad as a man could be with no idea of flinching from any struggle strug-gle or danger that might be You go to grass you loping greasy scoundrel he yelled Shut up for such a stinking pole cat as you not much What might have been the outcome out-come had no one interfered could easily be foretold but the altercation alterca-tion had been heard and the chief coming up sternly ordered the warrior war-rior to put up his weapon But it was not compassion nor any thought of mercy that actuated him it was only that others might not be cheated out of their share of the sport of torturing him to death Daylight found us still at the same place and it secured us if the savages sav-ages had decided to make long stay ot it The camp was somewhat some-what off the main traveled road and accident alone would discover it to others and parties strong enough to attack the present band were not to be expected in that locality lo-cality Consequently the Indians were as much at home as anywhere outside their villages and set themselves them-selves down with the full intention of having a carouse and a general good time of it But we didnt think that would improve our chances for escape any as we were so securely bound and so strictly watched that evasion was out of the question Besides we had already had more than one intimation that we were to be put to the torture Shortly after davlieht we were re leased of our bonds though we I were still guarded and a piece of raw meat was thrown to us like we would to a hungry dog to make a meal of For the life of me I could not then have eaten any of itI was not hungry enough We were terribly ter-ribly stiff and sore at first from our bonds but gradually the circulation was restored and we oegan to feel better When the sun had attained its meridian we saw from the commotion com-motion among the Indians that something was upnor were we left long in doubt as to what it was Two lines of warriors were drawn up armed with sticks clubs whatever what-ever came to hand and we knew that one or both of us had to run the guantlet Mercy there was none we must face the inevitable My companion was led forward firsthe was pale but determined he was weak with hunger and wounds yet his eye flashed with a determined purpose He must have felt that he could not get down that living line alive Good bye Jack said he in a low voice but without a quiveras3he wasled away from me it will soon be over now He was weak and exhausted yet I saw his soul was as fearless fear-less as that of a hero I had no intimation of his purpose Taut what purpose coald he have but to be kicked cuffed and beaten out of semblance of man to afford sport to the howling demons ranged in parallel lines out there on the flat 1 felt that I had heard the last of his i words and had seen him face to face for the last time lie asBellas I myself had been stripped entirely naked and every blow given would leave its mark upon the quivering flesh I saw the chief lead him to the head of the lines and shout something to his braves then with push he sent the doomed man upon his way He sprang away with a speed I had not thought him capable of but blows feli fast and furious and he did not go far before he was beaten to his knees and I thought all was overbut no I saw him rise again to his feet snatch a tomahawk from the belt of a brawing warrior and commence to lay about him like a madman I saw little else all became confusion the lines were broken and melted away and a heaving dusky massof mingled and struggling forms was all I saw But they shortly fell apart and there were four forms ly ing stark and fast stiffening on the green sward lIe had not died alone I was led away even the Indians had had enough of running the gauntlet for one day and there was j for a short time at least a reprieve It required all the authority of the chief to protect me from instant death as the furious drunken warriors war-riors surged around but I was finally fin-ally bound to a tree and left under the guard of two braves The rest of the day was passed by the savages sav-ages in eating and drinking a very lose guard being kept up as they did not expect any danger where they were The day passed with me in a stupor of pain and exhaustion The night that followed was avery a-very dark one there being no moon and the atmosphere though not cloudy was in a sort of hazy nondescript condition which made even the twinkling stars in the bending blue above indistinct The loud yells and boisterous exercises ex-ercises and sports of the Indians had ceased and excepting two or three who were on guard duty all in camp were in drunken stupor or asleep Oh the misery of those hoursminute after minule came and passed in anguish almost unsupportable un-supportable of both body and mind 1 had entirely given up hope of escape I sincerely wished as death was inevitable it might be speedy and certain Midnight came and all was silent even my guards had dozed off for filled with food and whisky and seeing me so securely bound they relaxed their vigilance Only the occasional howi of the coyote wolf or the angry snarl of an Indian dog over a bone was heard I had dropped off into troubled sleep myself my-self and things were forgotten forgot-ten around when I felt a hand over my mouth and a faint lUst was whispered in my ear I was much startled and had the hand not been there must have shouted out in surprise and alarmyou see I was not soused so-used to surprises in those days as I am now 1 felt myself at liberty a few seconds afterwards but I was so weak and sore and stiff that had I not been supported I could not have kept my feet and must have fallen to the ground Courage man whispered my rescuer Courage or you will never see home or friends again During this time it was so dark that objects around were in distinguishable dis-tinguishable but I had sense and will enough to do as I was told The numbness gradually left my limbs under the silent but vigorous vigor-ous application of his hands and by a supreme effort of will I found it possible to move Come said my unknown friend It will not do to linger here any moment may discover us a snarling cur at any moment may upset all our plans The drunken red skins may wake up and bother us This was spoken rapidly in a whisper as I felt myself being led away through the darkness Next morning found us far away mounted on two of the best ot the Indians horses Enough to say I escaped their drunkenness was my safety for had they been in their usually vigilant mood I never could have been rescued |