Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-06-03
A YOUNG HERO.



| goes by in the Black Hills. A boy of sixteen
light built, woman's face, and one would
pass him by as having woman's courage.
| And yet neither Buffalo Bill, Texas Jack, nor
any OF the other historic Indian fighters ever
| displayed the cool courage and steady nerve
which that boy from Wayne county exhibited
| one day last November as he went out from
! DeadwOOd City to visit a brother in camp
seven or eight miles away. He was called
bOvthen, and now to tell you whythey changed
! his name to 1.-The Man from Michigan"
The boy, whose name is Willard King, was
| armed with Henry rifle, revolver and
| light Ratchet, and he set out to pursue his
Journey on foot. There were Indians above
and below and around Deadwood. They had
killed two men only the day before, and were
known to be lurking on the paths and trails.
/ Young King was strongly advised against
| leaving the town; but, having heard that his
| brother very sick, he was determined to
| go. lie left DeadWOOd about nine O'Clock in
the morning, there being three or four inches
| OF snow on the ground.
| " It's like throwing that gun and revolver
/ into the sea, tOsay nothingOf his being scalp
! ed" remarked one Ofthe miners as the boy
I set out and some of the men said it
shame for such good weapons to be carried to
! the Indians.
The boy felt safe enough until mile or two
! out of DeadWOOd, when he grew more eau
| tiOUS. His route lay over hills, through
! broken ground and along valley, being map
| ped bv compass and no trail to follow. Three
| miles from DeadWeod he heard the neighing
| of a horse. and he at once hurried from the
open ground to the shelter OF Timber Speed
! ing along for half mile at - dog trOt," he
! became certain that the Indians were on his
/ trail. He had seen no signs and heard no
/ thing but the neigh ofthe horse, but he had a
pre>entmeut, as it were, that the red men had
taken his broad trail and were after him.
King made for higher ground and soon obtain
ed the shelter OF mass OF rocks, which could
not be haudiy approached, except from one
direction. lie intended to sccrete himself
until certain that his trail was or was not fol-
lowed. He had not long to wait. In the
course of seven or eight minutes nine Indians
walking in single file, appeared III view, fol-
lowing his steps at fast walk.
King could have retreated had be SO desired
but the prospect of fight did not brighten him.
The odds were largely against him, but the
boy had nerve, good position and he delIber-
ateIy opened the battle. The savage did not
know how close they We're TO him until a bull
let from his rifle cut the jugular vein OF the
first one and buried itself III the shoulder of
the next. The trSt-leapcd from his feet and
fell back corpse, while the second went
down. but scrambled up agian and took !
cover along with the others, so badly wounded !
that he could not take part in the desperate
fighting which followed. The Indians at first |
thought the boy had Joined two or three hunt
erS, but after making a circle around his posi- |
ton they found he was entirely alone and |
they opened fire on HIM from tnree different |
points. He was safe enough in his retreat |
ton Asthcir fire sIackened he obtained sight |
OF one OF them and shot him through the head. |
Thei ola boy having killed two of their
number and wounded third. drove the |
remaining SIX SdNages TO desperation, and |
they left the cover Of their trees and charged |
on his position, yeUing terCey as they !
advanced ona run. He had not expected such
a mauu'uNre, but " as not taken altogether by
surprise. lie wounded one Of Them i'll the
wrist by shot from his rifle, and when they
were near him he threw down his gun and
peppered away with his revolver.
"They were right upon me, and we were
all blazing away at once,' he atterward
explained, but the boy WAS too much for
them. The cowardly reds retreated after a
moment, having wounded King in the side,
in the leg and in the check. In return two Of
them carried away some of his lead, but were
not too badly wounded to their rifles
The gang hauled OFT tor time,
then one of them CraWIed as near he could
and shouted in broken English:
{" W hite boy, come out me no hurt him y!
But the white boy was going to stay right
there for a while yet. He knew the treacher-
Gus nature of the savages around him, and he
believed he could whip the crowd, wounded
as he was. The Indian, finding that young
King could not be enticed from his position,
returned and reported, and for an hour all
was quiet. The boy was beginning to hope
hat they had Withdrawn for good, when
,avago appeared in view on the left and ,
wanted to hold talk. lie INDUCED in furious !
gestures, danced dTOuDu ana lDdut every
Effort to attrac; Kings attention to him and
leep it there.
White boy very brave-won't hurt white
}ov-like to talk to- brave white boy ~ he
"a led out as he danced around.
Meanwhile the rest of the band were sneak r
ng up from the other direction, calculating
III shooting King in the back he watched
he single Indian. He suspected the trick.
aw them coming, and, drawing a fair bead on
he talker, " he dropped the fellow as dead
5 a crOWbar. The Skulking four, being all
he indians left alive and unwOunded out of
line first sighted, did not rush as the boy
expected. On the contrary, they hurriedly
etreated, and but little time was lost by them
n getting out of the neighborhoOd. The boy
rated until three o'clock in the afternoon
efOre leaving his retreat:and then, his cloth 4
ng stiff with blood, he pursued his journey, 7
eaching his brothers camp about dark in
afetv. The men would not credit his story. n
lCugh bis three wounds were PLAIN proof of Z
IOOdy contest. The next day dozen went
yer to the scene of the fight, and when they
al taken survey they could no longer
oubt the boys story. They found trails OF
IOod everywhere around his position and
ais in the snow where the dead Indians
ad been dragged along, and the defense was
Oted one of the braVeSt ever made against
re s8vages. \ boy without a sign of beard
nj looked upon rs hardly til to carry a pistol
ad wounded or destroyed five out of nine
,dskins tho had anticipated securing his
"a p without firing more than one shot. 1t OF
as not enough for the miners to pat the boy
the back and give him all due praise but
further honor and distinguish him they
lied him THE Man from Michigan"
here are other men from Michigan there -
At young King has the sole honor of being L