The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-24
ALONE RIDE TO DEADWOOD
A SUN OoRREsPoNDB NT,s 10 URNEY
TO TILE RLhCK HILLH

TO THE BJACK HILLS.
Thirteen Days on the Prsirte- with n Pack II
Indians at his neeis-tIte iIatrbreadTh Be-
sasc from n Dozen Bieod,birstv snvages.
DEADwooD (Black Inls) September T.
After thirteen days horseback Riding through
heat. cold. and rain. during whioh passed sew
erai peaceable reds, had u few scrim m ages aud
al lhts from hostile ones, became lost In the
great wilds, exhausted nv soant supply OF RAJ
tons, enjoyed not over four hours 1leep dav.
and those lying upon the rough sands OF the
prairie. and a thousand other little "eplsodes,"
I yesterday entered this classic burgn OF 5000
souls. moro or iess-probabIy less-witn horde
Of Indians not very far from my heels. The
sight Of a friendly white face, the sound OF .
human voice other than NV own, and the rest
tn 1t received, were duly appreciated, can as
sure you: and now, VIII IN can look back on the
foolhardy trip and the weary experiences Of the
weary two weeks, I can and do earnestly non
concur IN Uncle Horace's advice to "sv West
There certainly is nothing that would induce
me to repeat the trip under the same ciroum-
stances. 1 will not occupy space concerning
much OF my Journey as ind II di N cult to pen
| q correct sentence, my prosration Is so great.
left Fort Sully on Aug. Is, travelling by day
until the nieht Of tho 29tb, and then, the moon
| seeming favorable, struck out by Its light, fol-
| 'N"mt INV httio Niitof or low Janus tudt DoFuok
| upon the Moreau river. / was heading nortb-
| west direct for Montana and Crooks army, and
| had averaged, should say. forty or nifty miles .
| day Up to this time had met no human
being. friend OF foe, OF seen evidence Of Indians
except the debris OF several wagons, evident
! " destroyed Intentionally bv come persona.
While sallopiDR along that uignt saw the forms
| OF hulf a dUzeu hOrsemen, Indians, supposed,
outlined upon the horizon AS they SLOWLY passed
| AN ~ n mo "A ri of ha
| low lands. with rife at ready sat until the
| mysterious cavaicade was far to my rear. This
WIS my hrst meet but rs | progressed De-
| came convinced that the plains over which I
must needs 40 were alive with savaees.
DANGEROUS GROUND.
| The next dayI discovered IN tny trails running
| In every direction, saw signs Of recent encamp-
ments. and once or twice | stw ponies grazing
In the distance. but by making vide detours
way, and went into camp upon the banks OF
| nttle unknown rtre an. here. sheltered BY
Was awakened ny the restless ess Of nv horse.
| On accommodating saw no less than dozen
lnuiAms ~ group upon une oun n4' I'VE e.nd.
Rir'. seized my rife. mounted, aud avail ed de.
velopments. The reds had evidently fol owed
my trail thus far aud concluding that i had
| crossed the stream at that point, were ~ cons
sultation as TO their course Of lion. They re:
| then SLOWLY made toward me. They were
! mounted upon fat little ponies, shd were
armed some with rifles, Others with long bows
| and arrows.
10 retreat was for me impossible. My only
| cnance VI escape lay In gaining the south bank
| Of the stream, and then t. lead chase. lime
was precious. took IN the situation at glance,
and clapping my heels TO my horses INKS md
| living low upon his neck, went forward with
| bound after bound into the shallow water and
through It. and reached tho land beyond. Ths
| and with yells that fairly cutdled my blood gave
instant pursuit l mad good lead the best
from my purs Iers, out l was IN great dread Of
running into some other band OF wanderers.
Sun mad To run my chances. Up the slopina
pIaIrie we went. the Duke anu ginning at every
leap, aud when reached the crest stopped To
take u survey OF the distance Nothing but one
eIpaDse VI rolling sand Land reaching as Tar az
vi ion fell upon the eye. but Denind me tear
ing up tue mi with hideOus cries ana terrible
antics tue bloodthiTsty sayages, Tney swung
around in their pecull r circular style OF APP
prOachiuR an enemy. and endeGvored to hem
ine In, but efore they could accomplish tneis
his rider chuCkling 10 defiance nd absolute
glee couldn't resist the temptation 70 nav
wheeled around. aud, aiming at tue foremost
savage, fred. My bead" must have been .
large one. for the bullet was Inc nectve, ana noe
caring to waste time or add 10 the alarm re-
sumed my fight, and did not stop for half an
Prairie, the enemy having given up iu disgust.
l changed direc ion TO the north, r,entered ths
unknown stream. and following the centre
thereof for two miles, returned TO the south
bank and continued my Journey until found Z
suitable place 20 encdmp.
NARROW ESCAPES.
tina. day after leaving the water course. struch
across the open country. with nothing but nj
cOinpass for a GUIDE. l mad riduen lar into I'll,
uIght and very nv, and concluded to RESI-
Tor AN hout or 50. Finding a little hollow tha
gave some shelter, l dismOung ed anu threw my
ser upon ue Hiuuh chreie-hIY hollng mi
horse 10y the relns nv iitie being strapped To the
saddle. Thus slept for an hour or s., when
! 10 h"aAeued " rail- ana the chluy atmosphere
| Tue darkness was intense. ana 10 odd To ths
/ pfeulcameu'' my ""'so was gone. ,..,,o.
lie pat me On tne alert at once, and. cIutchina
1 4 1 Il al | aIfN mad
distance. occasion lily giving the low wnistle-cai Ill
for eaunes. anu was At last rewarded oy nndins
v Tue Ddke' gfdLiug upon a slOUe. Ali ~ nt
Tong tn rain fell ia the line, misty, penetrating
way 50 REGULAR 10 tue plains, anu, rather than
waste time huuttu[ Tor shelter, | rode on, all
though my horse AID | were about exhau ted,
ana nisht travelling was very risky. Mhen uay
broke | Was IN rulged, Wild country
Knew not where, win heavy timber Just
a"ead ana to- k, all around. | rode beneath
tue shelter OF great bowlder. and there
PREPARED breakfast mot coffee "nd crackers)
ahd ate II, unconscious Of tne fact tn At a God y
81 not less tnn hity rcds WAS passing not a
quarter Of mile way. As mounted TO con-
tlnue my journey, tue rear strtgEiur was moving
out OF sight Aiter long elaboration deler-
mined to alter my course anu make at once for
tue uis. lhe events Of the past twO days con-
Ntuced me That mo country was indeed iull OF
sayages, nd there seemed no tnIy onAnue OF
my getting through ailvr, even had | been
iatuil,t with thc land. knew that Deadwood
could not be over two daSs' journey, and there
could receive sucn Information, ana perm aus
COMPANY. as woulI enAUie ne to tnact ms pur-
pose. consulted my maps and compass, and.
- Gle tr coast, agtn mounted and reached tue
Cheyenne river Uorth fork) tne DAY following.
ENCnAAGINO suoTs.
On the 9th l ran into two bucks who
were skulktng along little stream tudt l waa
following. ana, decoyin2 thcm out upon he
open pritle ny rue, as though IN retreat,
sDdIehy turned dnd Ch.rged upOn them. Like
doss, l. eY He'd 10 ana crossed the water, ana az
tnv, were emerging on the other side slrana
from tn saddle aud, klug sure ala a tha
mnst conspicuous, fred Tue bullet evidently
milne q, Ii not Anled, tue horse, for h nnd lts
rdtr tel M TO lpd uuwn the UlHk into tue
water. WAS answered nv suot from the re-
naming savage, CUT IL ull n damage, and tmid
| al, ycls Resumed mY onward ride. ! ate my
.st cracker at noon, aud resolved to make q
continuous ride untl snoud reach this %
some uther h"s.it Die place. iesleldal morn-
ing. early, | sfuck A wagon trhil aud after rid
INK ~ hOur came uuOu a may ranch ocr upi Il ~
an Iowa man, named thompson, wnu andy
provided food, anu directed me 60 pcadwood.
arrived mere abOut uouu, very needy and cum
| llrtely used az. lue clb 10 ia tho gulch
frpu winch It takes it, name. and Is composed
OF the Iuuest kind of sla ties. mere are about
200 lnhaolt,utsI "a the town, ana business ~ Ill
kluu, 3, well Represented. Pieces are mpuerdte,
and law auu order sren % prevail. Inefe ~,
AN tulu, cuu-ide hpls utuIus going On IN the
| immediate htIghDuruOod, and mucu money nda
| been made bot Ot tn, moro anon. l.. Il. w.