During the summer of 1870, Jno. M. Elkins lived in one of the old government buildings at Camp Colorado, in Coleman County. After being two or three times disturbed, he again looked to see if the Indians were stealing a horse, tied, for safe keeping, in one wing of the building. He plainly saw something dash away and hide behind some weeds. John M. Elkins then fired his six-shooter, which failed to even awake his faithful wife, accustomed to such frontier conditions. Shortly afterwadrds, he also heard firing at a cow camp, a short distance away. It seems the frightened Indians ran into the camp before they realized their mistake. The next morning Jno. M. Elkins found much blood on the ground, and could plainly see other Indians had dragged away the Indian he shot. Several years later the remains of a savage were found on a hill, about two miles from old Camp Colorado, and the local citizens supposed this was the same Indian shot by John M. Elkins. Reference: Eighteen, Hunter's Magazine, December 11; and Life on the Texas Frontier, by John M. Elkins. The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell. |
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