Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-07-02
A NIGHT UPON TBEPLAINS.
BY W. L. JONES.

NY name is Jack Ward. I am an old
man now, and many years have come
and gone since the time of which l
write but a century could not blot
from my memory the fearful scenes
through which l passed on that terri
BILE tight, twenty-one years ago. My
father and mother were residents of
Kentucky, and it was in this proud old
State that first started on the journey
of life but at the age of thirty-three L
was married, and removed to the Far
West.
It was new experience to Laura
and me-this living among the saw
ages but my little, blue eyed wife
never showed, by word or action, that
she was tired of the great garden of
nature, where human life has no high
er value than that of the brutes. We
were very happy In our new home; the
Indians appeared to like us, and for
five years We lived III peaceful con-
tentment with naught to mar our plea
sures, save an occasional report of In
dian hostilities. These never troubled
us, however, and during this time
others settled near us, and with them
we kept up a neighborly friendship.
Thus time went on until, as L have
said, we had been living in the west
for about five years. The Indians had
never molested us, though they came
to our house very frequently. Among
those that came was chief who called
himself "Rolling Thunder" He was
a veritable savage, wicked and mali
cious, with not particle of good in
his composition. He was a thief by
nature, and anything that he wanted
he never hesitated to appropriate to
his own use. After he took to coming
to our house, we missed sundry arti-
cles from our sideboard, and at last [
resolved to put a stop to his petty
thieving.
Among other things that we missed
were several bottles of wine of an ex
cellent quality, which IIhad bought for
our own private use. knew, of
course, that Rolling Thunder had
stolen my wine, SO one day I drugged
some with ipecac and placed it where
knew the Indian would get hold of it.
In a short time I missed the bottle,
and after that it was sometime before
Rolting Thunder paid us another visit.
He came at last, however, and there
was look of suspicion on his ugly
countenance that made him uglier than
ever. He said nothing about the wine,
but could see that he suspected me
of having played trick on him. and
from that time onward he appeared to
hate me. As time passed on the Indi
an ceased his visits altogether, and [
had almost forgotten the incident
when it was again brought to my
memory in a manner meyer to be for
gotten.
One beautiful moonlight night in the
latter part of September, my wife and
I had started to visit one of our near
est neighbors, Mr.. Thompson, who
resided a mile from our house. We
had gone about half the distance be-
tween our house and Thompson's
when a large body of Indians sudden
ly rode up and surrounded US. They
were led by Rolling Thunder, whose
hideous countenance looked more
hideous still, aslhe dismounted his
horse and commanded his braves to
make us prisoners. In less than time
it takes to record the fact we were
bound shand and foot. Then their
chief came forward and said:
"Let the dog of white man pale
and tremble, for the chief of the
Pawnees is great and powerful; the
white traitor give Indian poison, much
poison, make Indian heap sick, but
Indian got we'll to take vengeance on
the white man. Rolling Thunder has
spoken; let the white man hear.
Having said this, the Chief COM
manded that we should be placed on
horseback, and this having been ac-
complished, the whole band mounted
and struck out over the plains, taking
MS with them. Not once did they halt
until they reached a point about ten
miles west of our homes. Here the
whole band dismounted and turned
their horses loose on the prairie. L
knew that they meant to have some
fun out of me, and that, if left to
themselves, a terrible fate of some
kind would be allotted me, but [
dreaded still more the fate OF my
darling wife. Meanwhile some of the
Indians had proceeded to a small belt
of timber, near where we had halted,
and soon returned bearing lot OF dry
wood, which they threw on the
ground. That they meant to torture
me was apparent at a glance but /
knew not, at first, what deviltry they
l.
that they meant to pursue method
not at all compatible with my views.
They first drove q long stake into the
ground, and having done this they
brought forth very spirited horse,
haltered it with long, heavy rope,
and tied the rope to the stake. Then
/ was put on the horse and my feet
tied together under him.
This having been done, the Indians
began TO whip the horse around the
stake, shouting, and making
all kinds of hideous noises to frighten
him. The poor animal reared and
plunged with all his might, trying to
get away, but the rope held him so
that he could do nothing but galiop
around the stake. Some of the Indl-
ans lighted torches and brandished
them at him, aad so terribly frighten-
ed was he that his shrill snortlngs
could have been heard a quarter of a
mile. AS for me, 1 was jerked from
side to side until was nothing but d
mass of bruises, and almost uncon'
cious. The Indians threw sticks and
tomahawks at me as the horse passed
them in his wild galloping, some OF
the latter coming dangerously near.
At last, however, the horse was stop
ped, and was taken from his back, Ill
half dead condition, and laid upon
the ground. After the Williams had
tortured me in various ways until they
were satisfied, or, at least, until they
were tired of looking at me, they dug
hole in the ground, and, having tied
my feet together, planted me like 6
post. When they had completed theil
work I was in the ground up to my
waist, and unable to move. The
scoundrels then tied my hands behind
my back. and having caught theil
horses, they departed, taking my wife
with them. I struggled to release my
self, shouting with all my might, but
it did no good. I was unmistakably
| there.
In short time after the Indians had
left me, I saw light to thesouthward
which appeared to reach the sky. II
seemed to be coming toward me, ano
to increase in size and brilliancy every
moment. 1 watched it curiously fol
some time, being unable to make ou