The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-04-19
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Black Hills. A boy of sixteen, lightly
built, woman's face, and one woule
pass him by as having only woman.
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 County exhibited one day last
November ashe went out from Deadwood
City to visit brother in camp seven OF
eight miles away. He was called boy
then, and now to tell you why they
changed his name to "The Man from
Michigan"
The boy, whosehome name is William
King, was armed with Henry rife, a
revolver and light hatchet, 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 was very sick, he
wasdetermined to go. He 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 re-
volver into the sea, to say nothing of be-
ing scalped," remarked the miners as the
boy set out, and some of the men said it
was shame fer 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 cautious. His clay overhills,
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 a horse, and
he at once hurried from the open ground
to the shelter of the timber. Speeding
along for halfa mile at " "dog-trot," he
became certain that 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 OBJ
tanned a shelter of mass of rocks, which
could not be handily approached, except
from one direction. 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 be so
desired, but the prospect of fight did
not frighten him. The odds were largely
against him, but the boy had nerve, a
good position, and he deliberately
opened the battle. The savages did not
know how close they were to him until a
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 a corpse,
while the second went down, but
scrambled up again and took cover along
with the others, so badly wounded that
he could take no part in the desperate
fighting which followed. The Indians
at first thought the boy had joined two
or three hunters, but after making cir
Gle 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
ofone of them and shot him through the
head.
The idea ofa boy having killed two of
their number and wounded third drove
the remaining six sayages to desperation,
and they left the cover of their trees and
charged on his position, yelling fercely
as they advanced on a run. He had not
expected such maneuver, but was not
altogether taken by surprise. He
wounded one of them in the wrist BY a
shot from his rife, and when they were
upon him threw down his gun and pep
pered away with his revolver.
"They were right upon me, and we
were all blazing away at once" he after
wards explained, but the boy was too
many for them. The cowardly reds re-
treated for a 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 not too
badly wounded to use their rifles after
wards. The gang hauled off for time,
and then one of them crawled as near as
he could and shouted in broken English:
"White boy come out-me no hurt
himl"
But the white boy was going to stay
right there for awhile yet. 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