National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-10-27
The Prairie Police.

Iuc GTuIIuV OuNus
Co-opcratiye with the regular soldiery
OF the frontier forts in the West and
Southwest, for the pursuit and capture
of Indian depredators, halI-breed out
laws, white horsc-tbieves, and other
criminals OF the plains, are n class OF
civil officers known as Deputy Marshnls
of the United States, whose skill and
daring in the arrest OF desperate savages,
the recovery OF stolen stock, or the Stay.
ing OF defiant desperadoes, are often
worthy Of the most heroic song OF .
Joaquin Miller. Not long ago one OF
these emissaries Of justice, familiarity
known as "Joe Peavy, was gloritied in
u telegram to the press for having cap
Tired, single.handed, and brought into
Fort Smith, Arkansas, no less then seven
lawless white adventures, who had been
guilty OF slaughteriug and plundering
the friendly Osages. That was deemed
brilliant exploit but the Memphis
appeal thinks it hardly equal to the same
officers less published prowress with
the Indians in times not long past Once,
when noted chief OF the fierce Kiowas,
stalwart aud bloodthirsty aboriginal
called I" Leaping Panther" had brntaliy
murdered and scalped whole family OF
n settler on Canadian River, II strong
military force from Fort Smith secured
the country for miles around IN futile
search for the assassin, and IT was re-
solved to try what the individual track
ing skill Of deputy marshal cosld ac-
complish. Peavy, who knew Leaplng
Panther" and was familiar With every
rod of the Indian country, volunteered
to work the case up; with the stipulation,
however, that he should be allowed TO
prosecute the adventure alone. The
projected feat was full of mortal peril ;
the red slayer WITS with his warriors i'll
the heart of 1t country murderously hos
tile 70 the pale-faces and the idea Of at
tempting to capture him single-handed
seemed sheer madness /; but the indomi-
table praiI - policeman confidently I'M
dertook tie achievement, despite the
misgivings of his own usually dauntless
professional brethren. Armed with two
4" navy skies and well-worn bowie,
clad in a fox-skin cap, hickory shirt, and
buckskin pnntaloons, and mounted on n
tough little mustang, Deputy United
States Marshal Joe Peavy started forth
upon his deed of high surprise, MS sure
OF his foeman as any knigh.ly Orlando
of the oden times. Entering the Indian
nation on its northern verge, he made II
circle of the kiowa country, so as to en-
ter it from the extreme west, and come
into 'Leaping Panther's Woodland en-
campment as a waNworn refugee from
the fatigue of hunt. The wary chief
looked on him with suspicion Mt first,
but by skillful use of his whiskey-
flask, tobacco pouch, and the gutteral
Kiowa tongue, the more astute intruder
quickly lulled the warriors distrust,
aud even persuaded him into Il conf
dence not often exacted from red men.
After some days of tactical tarrylng in
camp the tanned Panther consented to
accompany his white guest on a visit to
n neighboring tribe, with no more Of a
train than two favorte squaws who clam
ored for the privilege The possibility
of this feminine complication did not
enter the calculations of the willy prairie
detective, yet he accepted it stoically
and was even able to turn it to emf
nent advantage. In his curious faulty
the chief allowed himself to be led by q
detour out of his own Kiowa country
into the neighborhood OF Fort Sill,
where without a moments warning,
he found himself halted in mid-road by
one of the pi tolls of his treacherous
guest, while another revolver held
the astoIished squaws at command.
Thus at the mercy of their suddenly
unmaeking enemy the terrined wives Of
the Panther were rutblessly compelled
to take from the entrapped chieftain his
now useless arms, bind his hands behind
his back with buckskin thong, and
place him a helpless prisoner upon one
of their own ponies. This accomplished,
the marshal turned the horses heads,
and drove his captives toward the
east The journey of captivity extended
over 200 miles through the heart of n
wild and hostile Indian country, and
lasted nearly two weeks. From the mo-
ment of his arrest the Kiowa preserved
n sullen silence. At night, when they
rested in the woods, the captor tied the
squaws to separate trees and bound the
fettered chiefs right arm to his own
left. Every hours march or halt was at
peril of discovery by rowing indians and
the exemplary dispatch OF the prairie po-
hceman; but on the twenty eighth day af-
ter his departure from Fort Smith the
deputy marshal reappeared there, bring
ing Leapng Panther" bound hand
and foot, to expiate the fearful crime
with which he stood charged. He had
practised for his purpose ii craft which
had seemed both cowardly and cruel,
but for the considerat. that it was his
only resource AZ one man again t II ma
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