Bismarck tri-weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1881, 1877-09-07
COURIERS DRIVEN BACK.
Their Horses Shot and they Return
Home ON Foot.

Home on Foot.
George w. Elder and James Gunder
VINO left Lincoln on the 9th Of last
month, returned last evening almost worn
out, they having come in contact with a
few noble red men and got'left.
They left Fort Lincoln about o'clock
in the evening, riding by day or night
just as they felt disposed until they struck
Knife River, on tile goth, about eight
miles from the bad lands, on Stanley's
old trail. This was about S o'clock, and
after resting awhile, they concluded to
crsss the bad lands and the Little Mis-
sou1i before daylight the next morning,
thinking that there might be Indians to
impede their progress should they wait
until the ns8t dat and sttempt to make
it in daylight. They had only gone four
miles vhsl they SAT- eight Indians di-
rSctly in front Of tAen, and absut three
quarters Of mileo6. The Indians and
the couriers both stopped for probably 4
minute, watching each others movements
closely, vheA the boys, kaoving that it
vas impossible to run away from them,
rs their ponies we're very tied, made for
"a butts some 900 yards sway. A.er lis
nsunt1ng and Picketing their ponies on
the side Of tho bluff, they We 1T on top to
shelter themselves behind some rocks,
which they did efectually, the Indians
charging directly at the0. They fired
several shots at the Indians, killing one
pony and ~ounding an Indian, who man
aged to crawl out of range and into a
ravine. At this the Indians divided and
rode on each side Of the butte until they
were within 600 yards of the boys, when
they disrnounted and opened a regular
skirmish fire on them, but seeing the Sc
cure position they were in, the Indians
commenced firing at their ponies, killing
Gunder's aad wounding Elders in the
shoulder. The Indians kept up a scat
tcring fire till dark, when they withdrew.
Gunder then went to where their ponies
lay, and cut off their rations and their
ammunition. He returned, giving Elder
his coat to wear So as to hide his white
buckszin shirt, and they started off on
foot, hut occasionally having to crawl
for 3 stErt distance, for fear the
1n1ians might be =,atchiz & for them near
by, until they were out of elca Of the
rcd skies, es they thought, when they
s:opp>i to rest svhiss. They waited
there 1atil a. rorni.E, 50 1s to get their
course, vtea trey stxted on. Had only
sors hz1 . e;ss VIXEN <hey dicovercd
svo Iadisss sittis6<n their ponies On the
tsp cf biaf a1ost 0iic distant, chen
,eyo1t:red e3c :hersoyia> and re1ai2ed
in it 1atil dark. Toe cay was spent In
sskiae st,stretipns in order to know the
,v,uts .2s>z ai3ht cana@ 'Just at dusk
theY eTxtea OF IA an easter,, direction,
sHiki-g <y<sj 81 iza4 as.il they pssched
tn, 1aesos1i xivcr s.bssz Twenty-Five OR
tairty zsiiss / low G.eveessE. On the
sa7k. sf IT,, Zig s1udds s:oJ boy, aindled
ID Ore, roasted . piece Of zntelops they
has kii'sl tts <17 tsfsw, I'D while par
takiesxe eh:s ue!a oe re cast, the Fontc-
eiio ho.n isisat, ens aas soon hailed,
1sscn shy gallant Capt. craith~aite maze
a tnsiz. eI24ono Lxa1red yards above,
vhsa the seys lost go time in boarding
her, end apens tbs tiac while going to
Stevenson il telliad Of their hsir-breadth
adventure.
at Stesec.os ts,sy acre kindly cared
for by t.ss <osasar ling officer, Who Sc
cured til ,n passage Oh the cha1l line to
this place. Tis boys certainly had a
nssrs~ escape, end deserve much credit
fer tkeir bravery.
Thsre are ether ec1riers out, and this
incident CAUSES eoas anxiety in the minds
of their frisads, rs they hav' not as yet
been heard fTozE