The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-10-06
OUR STORY TELLER.
THE WIDOW MAJOR.GENERAL.

The man wasn't drunk, and he didn't
want to pick quarrel, but one would
have thought so as he made his way
into group of seven or eight men sit
ting in front of Bismarck hotel Just
after shutdown, and called out:
Is thar a man in this crowd says
that little Mrs. Weeks isn't the purtiest,
bravest, sweetest, incest, coolest widder
woman in America ?'
The crowd looked up in surprise, but
no one answered
:" so thar hain't nobody here as wants
to say anything agin little Mrs. Weeks ?"
he continued. oval, that's good and
all right, and I'll jog along aud let the
doctor have another twist at this Injun
bullet in my leg"
Little Mrs. Weeks had left Bismarck
that day for Omaha, and dozen other
people around the hotel knew her story.
She was short of stature, had dark
brown eyes and wavy brown hair, and
weighed less than a hundred pounds
She had three flesh wounds, but none of
them severe, and she told her story in
that hesitating, half-frightened way
that evidence is given in court by
child Her home is few miles out
from Omaha, and her only child, a son
twenty years old, was one of the found
ers of Deadwood. One day word came
to the widowed mother that her son was
slowly dying, and that she could be with
him in his last hours if she could reach
that city of shanties in the far-of' Indian
country. She went. Alone and unpro-
tected, but yet cared for and respected
by all travellers, she one day rode into
Deadwood and found her diving boy.
The hope that she would come had kept
life in his body after death stood beside
him, and within few hours after her
arrival there was need of coffin.
The route from Deadwood to Bis
marck, leading across Centennial Prairie,
past Black Point, Devils Woods, and
through Crook City was not traversed
by stages last fall, and none of the pres
ent ranches and posts had been located.
Well-guarded trains could make the
Journey in safety, but the Indians at
tackled every squad and detachment,
and the trail could be followed by the
remnants of burned wagons and the
skeletons of the unfortunate gold seek
ers. Within week after her arrival at
Deadwood, Widow Weeks had chance
to return to Bismarck with train COM
ing out. As at first made up, the train
consisted OF ten wagons, thirty men, five
or six women and eight or ten children
Owing to some misunderstanding the
train divided, and four teams started
off alone. This detachment numbered
five men, a boy sixteen years old, two
women and three children over eight
years old. The widows son had
Henry rife, revolver, watch and other
personal property, part of which was
exchanged for horse for Mrs. Weeks
to ride to Bismarck. She was trained
in the use of firearms, and the sympa-
th1zing miners made her as comfortable
as possible in the matter of a saddle.
The first day and night passed away
without unusual incident; but at nine
o'clock on the morning of the second
day, as the party were hauling off the
prairie, band of Indians numbering
thirty-six came riding around Black
Point, mile or so away, and halted di-
rectly in the path of the white men.
The Indians could see at glance that
the train was small and its defenders
few, while the white men where thrown
into the greatest CONSERVATION. One
suggested a retreat, another parley and
a third was ready to cut his horses loose
and gallop away. The little widow was
the only one in the band having the
GOODNESS to comprehend the situation
and make a plan. Knowing that the
Indians would soon attack, she also
realized that the few white men must
have cover or they would be swept away
at the first attack. While the women
and children were wailing, and the men
calling to each other, she unfolded her
plan.
Three OF the men were mounted, like
herself, and the other two and the boy
were on foot. Forming in line ahead of
the wagons, she ordered an advance
straight upon the band of Indians mean
ing to secure shelter for the wagons in
the broken and timbered ground at the
point. The boldness of the plan was it's
salvation. The awed and mystifed In
dams moved back slowly as the seven
advanced, and in short time the little
widow selected a position for the wag-
Ons. They were driven to the left of
the trail over the broken ground, and
to the crest of the highest knoll for half
a mile around. There were three or
four scrubby trees on the knoll; the
soil was a stiff clay, and in the cavity
OF dip between that knoll and smaller
one sixty feettaway, was pond of water
containing perhaps five barrels of sIimy.
ill-smelling liquid, collected there from
the hillsides, but yet wet enough to
prevent thirst from destroying the party.
Three months ago an army officer stood
on that knoll, marked its advantages,
and said:
" l could hold this place with one hun |
dred men against whole division of
yeteransw
Even before the teams were unhitched |
from the wagons, and while the seven |
defenders faced the Indians, the widow
ordered the women and children to col |
lect the water in every dish which would
hold spoonful. The pond was nearly |
drained and the wagons parked before |
the Indians made move. One of the |
savages afterward told an agency Indian
that his band suspected trap, beliey-
ing that large force of white men had
come up and secreted themselves the
night before, and that the four wagons