Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-05-17
A SIX WEEKS FIGHT.
Willis.

Some years since, while on a tributary
of the Platte with party of trappers, says
the San Francisco Golden Era. Uncle
Zeke was dispatched to Fort Xearny,
some four hundred miles distant, for med
icines, the supply with which the compa-
ny started, having been lost in crossing a
stream somewhere in the Sioux country.
About midway between the camp of
the trappers and the fort the mountain
eers had made cache, in passing, some
weeks previous, owing TO the loss CT two
of their pack ponies. l cannot designate
the spot. The depository was a large
cave IN a range of low hills. not far from
the Platte, and the deposit consisted of
bag of beans. two launches of jerked
venison sack OF flour, some few furs.
and a five-gallon keg of whisky. The
trappers lef, the provisions without re-
gret. as they expected TO recover them in
their downward trip, whei after long
abs,inance from luxuries, they would be
doubly acceptable.
Although twenty miles out of his way.
old Zeke determined TO visit the cache in
returning from the for,-to look after the
provisions, he says, but probably 10 tap
the whisky keg. Arriving at the cache,
he fastened his pony TO stunted cedar
near the mouth of the cave, and rolling
back the stones secreiipg the opening.
was in the act of entering, when party
of poncas dashed up and surrounded him
SEEING his rifle, he dropped the nearest
savage from his horse. and then jumped
into the cave, Just In time 10 escape
shower of arrows sent flying after him.
The cave was large and the opening
small. The indians made a charge into
the cave, but two shots from his revolver
sent a pair of them bowling back, and
the idea of carrying the place by storm
was abandoned. So lark was 1t within
| that the hunter could not be seen from
without, and every attempt 10 dlslodge
him by dispa.ching arrows through the
opening proved unavailing.
AT length the red devils built large
| fire around the mouth of the cave, with
the view of burning or smoking him out.
This, also was failure, from the fact
that Zeke discovered a small opening
near the back par, of the cache, through
which he was enabled 10 obtain fresh air.
After keeping the fire up for an hour or
two, the Indians. presumlng that the
,rapper had been suffocated. hauled the
blazing faggots from the opening, and
commenced entering. A well aimed shot
| from Zeke's revolver stretched another of
The enemy across the mouth of the cave,
and the moun,aineer was still master of
the field.
Finding that he could not be smoked
nor driven from his hiding place, the saw
ages determined to starve him out, and
for SIX weeks they kept continual guard
upon the citadel. Zeke found the provis-
ions in good order, and, boring hole
through the head of the keg with his
| bowie. knife suosisted very comfortably
during that time on raw beans, Jerked
venison, whisky, and little water tha,
stood in pool at the bottom of the cave.
Once or twice the Indians tried TO sur
prise him a, night, bat he was too wide
awake. During the last week OF his I'M
prisonment, Zeke remained perfectly
quiet. Again believing him dead, they
prepared to enter the cave. Somewhat
desperate, the hunter determined 10 "lay
low " and give them warm reception
Accustomed to the darkness, he waited
until three of them were fairly IN, when
he killed two of them on the spot, and
wounded the third. Disheartened, the
savages now yielded the contest, and
withdrew. and two days after Zeke eau.
tiously left the cache, and week found
his way into camp on foot.
He informed his companinions that he
had been prisoner of the Poncas, and
with difficulty escaped. but avoided men,
,ioning the place of his incarceration (;
and some months after, when the trap
pers visited the cache. and found -four
and beans there, but no whisky, Zeke
seemed to be the most astonished member
OF the party.