The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-10-16
VOLUME 2.

of various insects, seemed the only signs
of life: unless the lazy waxing of the
prairie-grass could be so called, and
felt very much alone. The sun was hot,
and feeling tired laid myself down be
hind large boulder, some four feet high
and rather overreaching, and fell asleep.
After l suppose an hours rest, l awoke,
ard getting up looked around 10 aseer-
tain the position of the train, and see II
they were making preparations to camp
The sun was lower, and the column OF
dust nearer than when l looked before,
but thev were evidently On the move
still: the rifles ofthe advance-guard giist-
ened al intervals. and in the rear the
corarnissariat beevcs, guarded by the
comnissa riat ''buu puncherS," dragged
their weary lengths along, Still looking
round I saw three or four black objects
on nearer hillside, and after hasty
reconnoitre discovered them at once,
form their appearance and manner OF
riding, that they were mounted men and
I Indians.
A "good" or friendly Indian is very
I seldom met with on the plains, and none
would be likely to feel well disposed
towards one of party who had an avow-
ed intention Of crossing their hunting
grounds: 50 Immediately made dive
fattened on the ground, and crawled
under cover of a rock, from which l
cautiously looked, hoping they had not
| seen me, and trusting to their going an
other way on the approach of the train.
The reader may imagine my feelings
when I saw them ride straight towards
| the bluff occupied. I am not cOyetous,
| but certainly never wished more for the
sole possession of any piece of land than
I did of that hill; still, never thought
they would ascend to the top, but mere
" felt they were too near to be pleasant.
From behind the stone l looked, ex-
posing as little of myself as possible,
when, to my intense horror, after short
conversation at the bottom, they began
to ascend. Carefully dragging myself
along, so as 10 make as little trail as poss
ible. I wedged myself in under the rock,
beneath which l had been sleeping
few minutes ago, hoping against hope
that the near approach of the troops
would prevent them making long stay,
and trying to imagine they would not dis
cover me.
What would not have given at the
time for nv beloved and trusty
Winchester repeating rifle; but, alas! it
was then, knew, carefully placed in
baggage-wagon; my only weapon was
French Lcfauchaux revolver-of the
pepper-box species, not reliable; and
rendered still less so by some horribly
bad German pin-cartridges l had pur-
chased in St. Paul, Minnesota, for it; not
to be depended on for moment, in short,
when accurate shooting was indispensa-
bic. However, at once took out all of
the cartridges, reloaded the weapon very
carefully, and cooking it, quietly lay
there, shadowed and sheltered by the
rock, and awaited the result.
Thoughts of all the cruelties l knew
were practised by the Sioux on their
captives, and the impossibility of making
ANYTHING like far and even fight Of 1t
as they all had rifles or carbines-ran
! through my mind; and even then, amid
5 all the horror of the situation, could
6 hardly repress a smile at the thought OF
the painful disappointment the red;
! would feel in endeagoring to diff" my
: hair, as, in accordance with a habit con.
n tracted in the East Indies, it was little
|. over three-quarters of an inch long, GER
a tainly not long enough to afford sufi-
Y cent hold for them to take my scalp.
4 I cannot say how long I remained il
V this position: perhaps few minutes, bu
it seemed hours Thoughts of home
, and places | should never see again
! flashed through my mind; and the ide;
v of dying in that way seemed all tn
4 more dreadful, as thought of the prox
: unity of the troops, and how little the.
V were aware of my fate. Vague ideas a
r to whether my body. would ever be found
\ hoated through my mind, amid q gener
+ al piling up of mental agony. coul'
w hear the footsteps nearer and nearer, ant
n, the cultural grunts of the riders wer
n more distinctly audible as they approach
II ed the top, and in few more seconds,
r was aware by the sound, they had reach
r ed the summit, and had, as / Judged
dismounted.
" Can a much more unpleasant situatio
v be supposed? Within few feet of III
10 savage enemies, who would certainly nc
le pay any attention to the etiquette of ci,
" ilized worfare, whose language was uniT
wv telligible to me, and mine to them, an
m the certainty of being discovered by the
III keen eyes the moment they had locke
of around the surrounding country. l cel
n tainly must confess to very bad scar
GO all sorts of wild schemes revolved thr
a my brain; rushing down the hill in
he desperate effort to escape and reach Il
he train presented itself, and was dismisse
es as vain and futile.
% Then the calmness of desperate
,h seemed to come, and with a vagu
he dreamy feeling of plying myself as OF
rv in bad way, 1 lay, revolver in han
.bt meditating whether it would not be be
or ter to reserve the last bullet for mysel
est so as not to fall alive into the hands
he savages.
ed, At last the climax came. An excl
nd nation from one showed an object of i
de terest, and / could hear them cluster t
rse gether and talk rapidly. From the i
mp Election of their voices l knew they hi
discovered something. What could
all be? In a moment remembered; in n
up haste had left a small metal match b,
the tan old travelling companion) where
on had lit my pipe, and it had been disco
in ed. Then, footsteps were heard
opI olOeo IN ,,,xr biJiprr al n M.