The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-04-19
6 The Man from Michigan. -


Black Hills. A boy of sixteen, lightly
built, wo.nan's face, and one would pass
him by as having only wOman's courage.
And yet 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 Coun-
ty 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 boy then, and now to tell
you why they changed his name to 1.-THE
Nan from Michigan"
The boy, whose home name is Willard
King, was armed with Henry rifle. re-
volver 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 broth
er was very sick he was determined to 60.
He left Deadwood about nine O'Clock in
the morning, there being three or four
inches of show on the ground.
Its like throwing that gun and re-
vOlver into the sea, to say nothing of his
being scalped," remarked one of the
miners as the boy vet out, and some of
the men said it was q shame for such
good weapons to he carried to the Indians.
The boy felt safe enough until mile
or two out of Deadwood, when he grew
more cautious. His route lay over hills
through broken ground and along val
ley, being mapped by compass and no
trail to follow. Three miles from Dead
wood he heard the neigh of horse, and
he at once hurried from the open ground
to the shelter of timber. Speeding along
for half . mile at q dog trot," he be-
came certain that the Indians were on his
trail. He had seen no signs and had
heard nothing but the neigh Of the horse,
but he had presentiment, as it were,
that the red men had taken his broad
trail and were after him. King made for
higher ground and soon obtained the shell
ter of mass of rocks, which could not be
handily approached, except from one di-
rection. He intended to secrete himself
until certain that his trail was or was not
followed, and he had not long to wait. In
the course of seven or eight minutes nine
Indians, walking in single file, appeared
in view, following his steps at fast
walk.
King could have retreated had he so de-
sired, but the prospect of fight did not
brighten him. The odds were largely
against him, but the boy had nerve, a
good position, and he deliberately opened
the battle. The savagcs did not know
how close they were to him until bullet
from his rifle cut the jugular vein of the
first one and buried itself in the shoulder
of the next. The first leaped from his
feet and fell back corpse, while the
second went down, but scrambled up
again and took cover along with the
others, 80 badly wounded that he
could take no part in the desperate fight
ing which followed. The Indians at first
thought the hoy had joined two or three
hunters, but after making circle around
his position they found he was entirely
alone, and they opened fire on him from
three different points. He was safe
enough in his retreat, and waited to let
them exhaust their ammunition. As
their fire slackened he obtained sight of
one of them and shot him through the
head.
The idea of a boy having killed two of
their number and wounded third drove
the remaining six savages to desperation,
and they left the cover of their trees aud
charged on his position, yelling fiercely,
as they advanced on run. He had not
expected such q mancuver, but was not
taken altogether by surprise. He wounded
one of them in the wrist by shot from
his rife, and when they were upon 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 after
ward explained, but the boy was too many
for them. The cowardly reds retreated
after q moment, having wounded King in
the side, in the leg, and in the cheek. In
return two of them carried away some of
his lead, but were mot too badly wounded
to use their rifles afterward. The gang
hauled off for time, and then one of them
crawled - near a. he could and shouted
in broken English:
"White boy come outline no hurt
himr'
But the white boy was going to stay
rieht there for . while vet. He knew the
treacherous nature Of the savages around
him. and he believed he could whip the
whole 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
that they had Withdrawn for good, when
. savage appeared In view on the left and