Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

50 of Bronco Mitchel as he sat on the hillside with his back againgt a live-oak tree; and after several struggles to keep awake, he finally dropped off. How long he had been sleeping he never was able to tell, but a shot awakened him. He opened his eyes in time to see the whole place swarming with Apaches. ‘The cook lay dead a little distance from him. The rest of his companions were making a desperate fight for their lives; and a half- dozen of the Indians, who had evidently just caught sight of him, were heading for him. There was one thing to do, and no time to lose about it. He ran as he had never run before, and after a night and day of wandering was picked up, all but dead, by a squad of scouting cavalry. One evening two or three years later Bronco Mitchel was freighting down near the border, and he made his camp at the mouth cf Bisbee Canon. The mules were grazing near by, and he was lying in his blankets under the trail-wagon, with a mongrel puppy, which he carried along with him for company, beside him. Just as he was dropping off to sleep the puppy growled. Being now somewhat ex- perienced in the ways of the Territory, Bronco Mitchel immediately clasped his hands over the little fellow’s muzzle and held him there, mute and struggling. He had hardly done this when the thud of hoofs came to his ears; and a band of Apaches appeared in the half-light, passing his wagon. There wasacompany of soldiers in camp within a mile or two, and the savages were in a hiry; wherefore they had contented themselves with stealing the mules and forbore from searching for the teamster, who lay there choking the puppy as they drove the plundered stock within three yards, of him. Now it so happened that Bronco Mit- chel’s team included a white mare, who was belled; for mules will follow a white mare to perdition if she chooses to wander thither. And, knowing the ways of that mare, Bronco Mitchel was reasonably certain that she would seize the very first oppor- tunity to stray from the camp of her captors —yjust as she had strayed from his own camp many a time—with all the mules after her. So when the Indians had gone by far enough to be out of earshot Bronco Mitchel took along his rifle, a bridle and canteen, and dogged their trail. He did not even go to Adventure the trouble of seeking out the soldiers but hung to the tracks alone, over two ridges of the Mule Mountains and up a lonely gorge—where, according to his expectations, he met his stock the next day and, mounting the old bell mare, ran them back to Bisbee Cajon. Other encounters with Victorio’s rene- gades enriched the teamster’s store of expe- rience, but his narrowest escape remained to climax the whole list during the days when old Geronimo was off the reservation. One torrid noon he had watered his mules and drawn his lead and trail wagons off the road over in the San Simon country. At the time it was supposed that no renegades were within a hundred miles, and Bronco Mitchel felt perfectly safe in taking a siesta under one of the big vehicles. Suddenly he awakened from a sound sleep; and when his eyes flew open he found him- self gazing into the face of an Apache walrior. The Indian was naked save for his turban, a breech clout, his boot-moccasins and the usual belt of cartridges. Even for an Apache he was unusually ugly; and now as he saw the eves of the white man meeting his, he grinned. It was such a grin as an ugly dog gives. before biting. At that instant Bronco Mitchel was lying flat on his back. An instant later, without knowing how he did it, Bronco Mitchel was on all fours with the wagon between him and the rene- gade. In this posture he ran for some dis- tance before he could gather his feet under him; and to stimulate his speed there came from behind him the cracking of a dczen rifles. He rolled into a shallow arroyo and dived down its course like a hunted rabbit. Once he took enough time to look back over his shoulder and saw the turbaned savages spreading out in his wake. After that he wasted no energy in rearward glances, but devoted all his strength to the race, which he won unscathed, and kept on teaming thereafter until the railroad spoiled the business. ,._] SUCH incidents as these of Bronco =a Mitchel’s, however, were all in the -——] day’s work, and weren’t regarded as anything in particular to brag about in those rough times. As a matter of fact the Weekly Arizonian of May 15, 18609, gives only about four inches under a one-line COmicloo CN Up) CO