Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1877-09-13
A FAMOUS SCOUT.
The Man Who Led Gibbon into the Hiding
Place of the Nez Perces---The Model
of Western Frontiersman.


of Western Frontiersman.
THE story as told below we hesitate to mar
by amendment, though some minor correc-
tions might be suggested as admissible by
those of our Territorial readers familiar with
the exact facts.-ED. HERALD.
From the SedaIia \Mo) Bazoo]
The dispatches from Helena, Montana, re-
ceived last week, report that among Gibbons
wounded was the famous scout, Beidler-X,
for short-known far and wide as the most
daring scout in the mountains. 1t was he
who piloted Corners in the freezing cold of
Utah winter up the Bear River Valley to the
encampment Of the Snakes, and enabled him
TO gain his remarkable victory over the sava-
ges. 1t was he who tracked the Piegans into
the Teton Mountains, and marked out the
route which Bakers column pursued when
he surprised Long Horses band in the gray
dawn of winters morning, aud literally
swept them from the face of the earth. He
followed Gibbon last year to the Yellowstone,
and tracked for him pathway across the
Big Horn Mountains up TO the scene of the
Custer massacre. When the battle-ground
had been reached, and scattered around it lay
the bodies of the slain-when all the particu-
lars of the dreadful slaughter had been
gathered $50 far, indeed, as they were to be
obtained from that savage waste OF desolation
and murder), messenger was sought to carry
the news to Fort Ellis. 1t must be understood
that this was a terrible undertaking. The
mountains literally swarmed with hostile
Sioux. There were ninety-nine chances out
of hundred that the messenger would never
reach his destination. 1t was an even chance that
los l,o1 l. l>lo hof0 ho
out of sight of the command. But still, the
necessity of sending the message was i'm
perative. To order any one to take it was
like signing his death warrant, and even the
brave Gibbon shrank from this. He called
up u half dozen men and proposed to them
the undertaking. The bravest OF them shrank
from the trial. "Boys," said Gibbon, II can't
order you on this desperate hazard, for l be-
leve in my soul it is almost certain death, and
yet must do my duty and eend the message.
If none of the scouts will 60 will send my
nephew" The person indicated was brave
young officer just from West Point, and this
was his first experience in warfare. What
chance had he? Sitting few PAGES apart
from the group of officers and men was
Beidler, cleaning his gun and polishing his
equipments-a stout, heavy-built man of
forty years of age Hard service had rem
dered rugged his set, determined face, and
exposure had grizzled his beard and hair.
But there was frank and manly look in the
full, black eyes, and about the finely curved
mouth touch of tenderness. His voice was
sweet as a woman's. Even the rugged nature
symmetry of his hands, which were clean
and taper as girls But in the slender fingers
dwelt the strength of giant-a deadly hand
for his foes, but cordial and kind as charity
for all upon whom he looked in friendship.
AS Gibbon ceased speaking the frontiers
mans voice rose clear and distinct:
''Never mind, General, I'll carry your mes
sage!"
Gibbon turned towards him in surprise
"What, you. x! Why, man, couldn't ask
you to do such thing-besides, you are our
pilot"
eyes, know, but l don't mind the ven-
ture. Anyway, I'll carry the message"
Iou know better than do, x, that it's q
deadly venture. l wouldn't have dared to
ask you."
''i,'s all right, General Get your letter
ready and let me have it at dark"
Then rising to his feet, he limped away,
for x Beidler was lame An Indian bullet in
one of the wild forays of the border had
shattered his hip, and although the wound
had long since healed, it had left him lame
for life Two hours later, when the shadows
of mountain twilight were falling thick and
dusky over the valley, he cautiously rode
down the canyon of the Little Horn and dis
appeared from view. About the incidents Of
that desperate ride of 400 miles-of his hair
breadth escapes-of his desperate adventures,
it would be impossible in the limits of an ar
tcle like this to give anything like an ade- |
quate description. 1t will suffice to say that |
the message was carried, and when the wri-
ter saw him two weeks later preparing for
his return trip down the Yellowstone, he
seemed as careless and talked as unc0ncerned-
ly about it as one might speak of trip to
Boonville or st. Louis. And yet be had just
performed deed which the boldest frontiers
man would have shrunk from in dismay.
When not on duty as scout, he can gener-
ally be found around Helena; ct night in
variahly in newspaper Offices reading the ex-
and listening eagerly to the news of
the great outside world, which he has not
seen for twenty years; always genial and
kindly, and taking faithful interest in the
pilgrims" as the newcomers are called in
The mountains.