The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-06-22
The ShddOsC IN the Fallen.
A STRANGE MYSTERY OF THE CUSTER MAS
sACRE-1s 1T A SPECTRE OR CRAZY
SOLDIER ?-sUPERsfITIONs
OF THE INDIANS.


| OF THE INDIANS.
| Up and down that valley through which
Custer made his last charge-aIong that
creek where so many of Reno's men fell
dead from their frantic aud struggling
horses-in the tbickets and along the ra-
vines, shadow luIks day and night. The
last scalp had hardly been torn from the
head OF the cavalrymen who had crept into
the tall grass to die, wher this shadow
skulked into that valley of death and be-
gan dealing out retributIon.
The chief, Dull Knife, had much to say
about itrthe other week, when he surren-
dere6. He spoke in whispers when he re-
| ferred to it suddenly, and he looked around,
| as If fearful that it was softly stealing upon
| him 10 sab him in the back.
Crazy Horses men had something to say
| about it when they surrendered, and when
! white men asked them who or what they
thought the shadow was, they shook their
! heads and whispered
1--WE killed 'em all, bet there is one left.
1t is a white man. There is blood on his
! face and clothing. He carries a saber and
two revolvers. and the night wind blows
! his long, yellow curls over his shoulders
1t is spirit sent by tie great Manitou to
watch over the graves of the white sol
| diers ~
| White men have seen the shadow. Hun
! ters, trappers and scouts, who. have tbuilt
! their camp fires near that valley, through
! which the blg mountain wolf skulks and
! prowls all night long, have felt the presence
! of the mysterious shadow or have seen il.
! They have fled from their blankets at its
| soft step, and they have fired at it when
only ten feet away. aud yet seen 1t glide off
unharmed.
1t is not shadow of sentiment, but be-
ing which demands vengeance for the awful
| butcbery of the little band of heroes-for
! the brave brothers who grouped themselves
around the noble Custer and fought to the
death, each one lying within arms length
of him who fought fiercest and longest.
Nhen.t he, soldiers moved but Of. the valley.
leaving nearly three hundred graves behind
them, the wolves rushed out from canon
and ravine and den to dig up the fresh
earth and feast on the brave dead. The
shadow was there before them-a solitary
and vigilant sentinel-to guard those
cred mounds. 1t screamed aud gestured
at the fierce beasts-it fired upon them
with rife and revolver, and struck at them
with a bright keen saber. The wolves ran
here and there, from grave 60 grave. gnash-
ing their teeth in anger, but the shadow
closely pursued. They formed in groups
in the midnight darkness. aud waited for
the shadow to tire out. but it paced up and
down over the graves, vigilant and un-
wearied, and daylight came to hurry the
wild beasts to their lairs till another night.
Hunters and scouts have been there and
seen the sentinel beat over the graves
seen it in the light of MONDAY, when men
could not be mistaken. Ii is a well beaten
path, which runs from grave to grave,
curviug aud winding to take i'll every one,
aud now and then 1T comes close to the
creek for the strange sentinel to hear the
babble of the waters. Scouts say it is
path beaten by human feet. The red
Ii, g y. II
alone remain there In that lonely spot. hav-
ing only the company of wild beasts and
the graves of butchered men.
Once, when Dull Knife and a trusty few
were scouting to learn the whereabouts of
their white foes, they encamped IN the val
ley for the night The shadow stole among
them as they slept, and when a fierce
scream aroused the band from slumber five
of the red men had been murdered-eaeh
bronze throat slaslIed across with keen
knife. The shadow stood a little ways off
and ieered and Knocked the living, who
huddled together like frightened children.
When they fled for their lives it pursued
them with drawn saber, and the chief hes
a scar on his shoulder to prove that he was
struck by the blade. Next day when a
full band of Indians marched into the val
ley to solve the mystery and secure revenge
they saw no living thing. The bodies OF
the warriors were cut and backed and
gashed Five of the poor cavalrymen
whose brains had been beaten out and
limbs 6ismembered had been avenged.
Before the crown of a single grave bad
sunk down Crazy Horse started to cross the
valley at midnight with his lodges. The
! shadow confronted his band and moched
| them and as the red men hurried along i'll
the darkness, vivi,lly recalling the mad
charge of the cavalry and the fierce desper-
alton of the surprised villagers, the strange
shadow skulked along with the column and
fired shot after shot iuto the band. They
fired at it, and pushed out to capture II,
| but the shadow disappeared as shadows do.
| Two squaws child or two, an old man,
and two warriors fell by the bullets tine
shadow fired. From that time the red
| men avoided the valley as white men avoid
pest houses. They would not cross 1T or
skirt it. even at high noon, when the sun
shine beat down upon the graves aud ON
the waters of the historic creek.
If the shadow was shadow-a mist,
nothing-it could not beat paths nor laugh
and ieer, nor cut throats and fire rifles;
and yet, if it was not a shadow, how does
it live? is it. some crazy hunter, whose
befogged mind darkened in the story of the
awful massacre and conceived this wild
plan of vengeance ? Perhaps one of that
little band of cavHlrymen escaped death IN
some strange way and recovered his
strength as he wandered about among The
rocks and valleys and hills-recovered
strength of limb and not of reason. Be
lieving himself called apon to avenge his
comrades, he Turks in the valley, living like
the wild beasts around him, and missing
no chance to strike blow.
1t is not month since two army scouts
Crossed the Iuuely haunt, and halted long
enough to see that the graves had not been
disturbed. They saw the path oil the sen-
tinal leading from grave to grave. Ihey
saw the skeletons of the red men slain by
the shadow. They were leaving the val
( ley when their ears were greeted by
! mocking laugh, and from bed OF rank
grass and dry weeds quarter of \ mile
! away they saw the shadow beckoning them
to come forward. The shadow seemed to
be mana gaunt. long haired human oe-