Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-09-06
Wonderland
SCENES Or sLoopsAED.
Two Narrow Escapes From
the Clutches Of the Red
Devils,
Ben. Stone Interviewed bv a
Courier" Reporter.
His Own Story.

: On leaving Helena. Mr.. Wilkic was elect
: ed Captain, l.. Duncan. Lieutenant. ant
: myself commissary. We reached Boze
man few days after. where we stopped
but 4 few hours. when We proceeded OF
our way to the National Park.
Nothing Of interest occurred until W,
reached the Mammoth Hot Springs. W.
calnpd here one day, when We wer,
joined by MIR. Chas. kenck. john Stuart
and August Folier, of Helena. We re
manned two days longer, viewing tire mag
nificent scenery, etc, when we were
joined by party of four, and started OF
into the Park, our party now numbering
!, ten persons.
The first night we campcd at Tower
. Fails, which we viewed that evening, the
next day going to the Grand Falls of the
Yellowstone. We camped here two days
and then started for Sulphur Springs, nine
, miles distant. We viewed the Springs and
had Il very pleasant time.
We were just on the point of leaving the
Springs, when Duncan came running down
from the top Of Sulphur Mountain, ex-
claiming, There's a d-M big party OF
tourists, CT ease:s big band Of elk, ahead -
Wilkie saiu-~Yes, your elk will turn out
to be trees, hike :ln the rest of the game
you see"
After travelling 3 or miles the boys be-
gan to grow uneasy. We could see some
thing alive coming, bat did not know
what it was. llenck, DIETRICH and M.ilkie
Went on ahead to reconnoiter We were
all suspicious they were Indians but
Thought they night be tourists.
We travelled on in the rear mile or a
mile and half, and, On reaching the top
of small hill, saw a large camp across
the Yellowstone. Drncan exclaimed:
Indians Indians! My God, it's Indians!''
and ordered us to halt. lie wanted us to
take the back track. but was oVerrgJled by
the rest of the party, who wanted to wait
1lntil the scouts came in and reported.
kenck was the first one in, snd reported
THAT it was Il large Indian encatnprncnt.
Dietrich came in next and made tile same
report. We told him that was~' old',-we'd
BEARD that before. Wilkie came in and con-
firnIed the reports of the two Others. We
then held council in which the majority
agreed it must be the NcZ Perces, and de-
Uitled to RETURN We travelled back ut a
very lively rate for five or six miles to Sub
phur Springs, where otr scare seemed to
subsidea little. kenck got off his horse.
sfnclIed ZIP his saddle, jaTTpea aboard, and
said Inc was going to ride @ut of there as
flstas he could, and me kept lis word We
followed as f:tst as possible, hut in a few
minutes he was entirely out of sight. We
rode three or four miles and waited for
scfle of the party wire had f;iflen behind
When they came np We held another coun-
Gil and determined to again go forward to
some safe place and send out scouts to
ascertain whether the Indians were friend
~ or hostile. We turned and went back
two miles to a creek. then the party t,iNid-
ed 80 ms to make a Hind trail Pert went |
up t!se rsleeak stpd pant down. msccTins each
other quite a distance from tile creek on !
the other side. We then found baalstifuI t
;srrt safe caHnp wahHc There was plenty of
feed, water AMID wood. Wlkie then went
out a!sesl to see il the lEtEilns had followed
ms. Soon NIfkie cried epIt that kmck
was coming. NenA had gone en- to where
we had c:Mnped two days before, and on
our rot coming had returned to meet u.s.
Wewon,erea at Iris having found owr camp
as we Thought we Were comp etely hid but
he claimed to have seen our smoke. and we
had to believe linn, though we could hard
y believe it possible.
We then held a censultation. Stewart
though there Wars ne danger-said his life
vas rs sweet to him rs :nybody:s, wanted
some one to 60 with him to the Indian
amp with a flag of truce. kenck said.
4 ont want any more of that in mine.' |
We finally agreed to wait until tile next .
lay when two of lis would go and ascer-
ain If the tHilfp had nE we'd. and If so, l
which way, &c. Me then went to bed.
Duncan, not feeling safe, took lis blankets &
nd made his bed half a mile from camp in j
Ire timber. iii of rs laughing ut him and s
cling him lie was like Potiplin::s wife
ad Joseph on the brain. :,
After breakfast next rnerning Stew :,
1T wanted Kenck, If he did not feel
fe, to take airy two horses in the outfit,
pturn to the Hot Springs and then take the q
'agum train fl,em there hoMe; said he was
ne only malriedman in the party ana could i,
ct afford ITO take the risk the others
'o.tld. Kenck refused, saying he would y
,ay with them and see them through. l.
'ilkie and W.akart saddled up and started u
ut to find or ..il they could about the "
ldians, the rest staying In c.tmp .amns-
z ourselves in various ways and trying
cheer up some who were dOwn-hearted.
Re ssaid weld bake u good hatGh of hread
Id wash the dishes, and If the Indians
ID come, they would find something good
eat and clean dishes to eat off of. Dun D:
n seemed especially dcwn-hearted. a,
ked him because he WAS not married; told G,
IN man of his age ought to be thinking hi
lis girl nstcad'of Indians. H
Joe Roberts spoke lIp and says, 1.Ben, II,
"a re casing go much, what worlldycu do ba
the Indians do come .en usy7 said ':Jc, le,
III look cut for yourself, for when the Fl,
UNI taps I'LL he there hi
| again joked Duncan, and got an the =
ys to laughing, when kenck rose up TIN
IN Ills he'd aad asked us '.what has Ben ba
en- saying now to make you all laugh? in,
id he had been trying to read but could iii;
t get interested. Now ten ME Ben so | fr,
a laugh too l was repeating what l be-
d been saying when Bang! Bang, How! in
w. Bang! Ezinges zIew! Hew. Bang! ri,
ny. How! Hcw. xarg apon our ears {
mean sprang up We n deer and We were VIC
long IN following suF- Fafa nement ing
were an confused, not kspMhs what dol
s up. Then Duncan lit out, Dietrich s;o- !
next, and MS following. l1seked back Low
I saw what Booked to INe like a Mexican