Show GUERILLA from the war veteran alio suspected guide A night march with a end ins innocent and awkward mexican gerders herders Her ders the two following episodes mexican war arc from the experience of a gentleman of this city who though unknown to fame nevertheless did a soldiers duty during the struggle referred to in the modest but honorable position of a private in the ranks upon one occasion the company to which our informant was attached was detailed to make a which led the party a long distance away from the camp into the country or at least into a district supposed to be occupied by roving bands of ma none was met with however and after a long march which consumed the greater part of the day the troop found itself in a abild and desolate section of couri try tryout cut up by canons and gorges through which progress was only possible by devious and wearisome windings while to add to the discomfort of the situation it was evident that night and darkness would poon overtake the belated troopers but there was yet another and still more serious cause for uneasiness the company had been guided during the entire days march by a aalfs breed native of the country a swarthy gulled brownd individual alio h ad hitherto been considered unflinchingly faithful but concerning whose Ji of intention in the present instance strong doubts had somehow begun to arise though no one could tell why perhaps the gloominess of the surroundings had its effects in awakening suspicion in the minds of the troopers trpo pers a number of whom as they gazed about them upon desolate and rapidly darkening landscape with its abrupt precipices and shadowy defiles could not re frain from expressing their opinion that they had been deliberately led into a trap where they might be ambushed and destroyed the guide had for the last hour 01 more shown manifest signs of uneasiness nd trepidation frequently glancing nervously around him and this action on his part did not tend to dissipate the suspicion with which he was regarded and which the commander finally thought fit to acquaint him with the immediate cause of the announcement no being made was a difference which roso between the odi cers and the guide as to which of the two diverging trails it would bo better to follow one leading apparently back to the camp though not as the party had come while the other which seemed to tend in u totally different direction was the one which insisted they should follow DISARMING SUSPICION lie was informed of taffe suspicions entertained as to his motives and alie change of color and manifest agitation with which he heard the announcement for a moment added to the suspicions of the soldiers in a moment however he recovered himself and approaching the officer in command drew the pistols from his belt and placed them in the others hands saying in spanish with touching earnestness captain follow at my back if I 1 betray you kill mel the words and actions for a moment disarmed the americans and the order was given to all the feeling rather aslia nied of their suspicions all but one a reckless young trooper froin one of tho southern states who suddenly declaring that he would riot allow td be trickled and murdered by any wheeled his and ru looft at full along the road which the guide had declined to alke the captain sternly ordered him to halt hut independently minded volunteers soldierly discipline wag not then maintained at the point usual in the regular abuy and the privates felt no very great awe of their consequently the trooper paid no attention but rode rapidly away soon passing out of eight the guide looked after him for in and then solemnly shaking is lead hut saying no word led the way along the other road the captain taking him at his word riding beside or very close to hirn fully determined that if any sign of treachery should manifest itself tho guides life should bo the first one sacrificed there waa no occasion for alio taking of such summary vengeance however as the halfbreed half breed led the party steadily on in silence and the pitchy darkness which eoon set in until atter a wearisome and the of their comrades gladdened their sight but they were not to complete their return entirely without startling incident for even as the lighta of the encampment came in view the gallop of a horse behind them was heard causing more than ono to exclaim that it was their wayward comrade alio repenting of his obstinacy had ridden after and overtaken them but the panting and foaming borso dashed in among them and the man who first laid his hand the animals mane in the endeavor to bieze the bridle drew it away with a shudder of horror for he had placed it upon a mass of clotted blood A GHASTLY DISCOVERY alie comrades of the missing man hoped against hope that what they most dreaded had not occurred and that he might at least be yet alive and at the earliest break of dawn a strong party was sent out to seek him the guide of the day before led the way unhesitatingly to a spot on the trail he biad shunned the night the roadway passed through a narrow gorge the steep sides of which were covered with bushes and scattered boulders affording admirable con abr a large body of men should they desire to ambush themselves for any purpose the place was entered with the greatest precaution but was found untenanted by the enemy that it had not long been BO however was proven by the manifest evidences of the late presence of a largo body of horsemen and more than all by the body of the trooper which lying lifeless and mutilated by the roadside bore grim and ghastly witness to the guides faith and honesty and his own mad and fatal folly that his last moments had been worthy of a soldier was abundantly evident all about were the signs of a desperate and deadly struggle bearing silent and clo proof that he had perished ns a man should die how the guide had become aware of the ambuscade was never defan bitely ascertained but bis faithfulness was not again doubted and he fell finally while fighting in tho american ranks in one of the last battles of alie war one other episode fortunately not so tragic though the chance by which it missed being so was ono of alie narrowest our ana 10 ahat division of the army commanded by the gallant general taylor and while the troops lay encamped in the debatable ba table on the frontier bis owa company doing outpost duty the narrator ono day obtained tho necessary permission to go outside the lines for a short stroll being accompanied by a friend a texan who had previously served in the lone star states struggle fur independence pen dence there was no reason to fear auy attack at this particular time no enemy being supposed to be in the neighborhood and it was thought to be perfectly safe to leave the confines of the outpost for any reasonable distance the few rancheris rancheros ran cheros who were to be met with g peaceable and apparently friendly the two comrades strolled about for some little time therefore in perfect easo and security entirely unmolested and amusing themselves by watching the move ments of u half dozen mexican gerders herders her ders alio were attempting to capture a few loose rou stings they seemed unusually awkward acine entirely lacking in that skill with the lasso which their countrymen generally display one of the loose finally galloped over in the direction of the camp close iv pursued by all the gerders herders her ders several of whom threw their lassos unava klingly ilin gly the mustang finally approached quite close to the two friedl fri eil who good attempted to turn the animal back in this they were successful and as the mustang stopped for a moment undecided which way to turn the foremost herdsman having his swung it round his head ag if apparently about to take advantage of the moment while his quarry was standing still LASSOING AMERICA the two americans awaited to the result of the throws and an instant later the lasso whizzed air settling with unerring precision about the neck not of the but of the astonished toni shed trooper who narrates tho adventure while the treacherous who had thrown tho wheeled his horie like 03 did also his dashed away n t full speed the victimized victimised trooper waa city born and bred and not educated up to the possession of that instantaneous presence of mind which was necessary in the present exigency and tho next moment would likely linao been hia last but for the frontier bred companion the batters lat bowie knife flashed from the sheath in an instant and iu abo very instant th f tightened about the snared oa soldiers neck it way cut aud alic foiled guerrillas guerillas gu erillas for such they really were rode off at full speed pursued by several revolver bullets whilo as soon an possible a mounted set out in pursuit and gave the probably the liveliest chase they had ever experienced their start was too great however to be over come and the chase was finally given up but the gentleman chiefly interest cil in the adventure was very careful thereafter how he trusted liim selF outside the lines without observing proper lions A J call |