The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-10-26
A Famous Scout.

Montanians III Oregon and Washington
Territory. He was q prominent mem-
Der of the terrible Vigilance Committee
which struck terror into the road
agents who infested Montana III early
days, and was one of the few who
caused the apprehension and execution
Of Boone. Helen. Slade and other noto-
rious desperadocs He was Deputy l..
5. Marshal of the Territory, and bos-
ON friend Of George NJ Pinney. who
Is now having such lively time in
San Francisco, and we believe was pres.
ent when the latter murdered Governor
Beal III Helena
The dispatches from Helena, Mon
tana. received last week, report that
among Gibbons wounded WAS the fa-
NOUS scout. Beidler-X, for short
known far and wide as the most dar.
ing scout in the mountains. /. was he
who piloted Conners, in the freezing
cold Of n Utah Winter, up to the Bear
River Valley. to the encanpment of
the Snakes. and enabled him to gain
his remarkable victory over the savages
1t WAS he who tracked the Piegans into
the Teton Mountains, and marked out
the route which Bakers column pur-
sued when he surprised Long Horses
bad in the gray dawn of Winters
morning, and literally swept them from
the face OF the earth. He followed
GIbbon last year to the Yellowstone.
and traced 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 sain-when the pat culars Of the
deadly slaughter had been gathered (so
far. indeed. as they were to be obtained
from that savage waste OF desolation
and murder, II messenger was sought to
carry the news to Fort Ellis. 1t must
be understood that this was terrible
undertaking. The mountains literally
swarmed with hostile Sioux. There
we're ninety-nine chances out of u hun
'ired that the messenger would never
Reach his destination. 1t was an even
chance that he would oe killed and
scalprd before he got out of sight of the
c mmand. But still. the necessity of
sendmg the messenger was imperative.
To order any one to take it was like
signing his death-warrant, and even the
great Gibbon shrank from this. He
called up half dozen men and pro-
posed to them the undertaking. The
bravest of them shrank from the trial.
Boys" said Gibbon, II can't send you
on this desperate hazard, for / believe
in my soul it is almost certain death.
and Yeti must do my duty and send
the message. If none of the scouts will
90 will send my nephew" The per-
son Indicated was brave young officer
just from West Point. and this was his
first experience in warfare. What
chance had he? Sitting u 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. Hard
service rendered rugged his set. deter
mined face, and exposure had grizzled
his beard and hair. But there was q
fearless aud manly look in the full.
black eyes, and about the finely curved
mouth touch of tenderness. His voice
was as sweet AS woman's. Even the
rugged nature of this desperate service
had not destroyed the symmetry Of MS
hands. which WAS Us clean and taper as
n girls But in the slender fingers
dWelt the strength of giant-a deadly
h,.nd for his foes. but cordial and kind
as charity for all upon whom he looked
in friendship As Gibbon ceased speak
ing the frontiersman's voice rose clear
aud distinct:
Never mind. General; I'll carry your
message"
G,bbon turned toward him in sur
prise.
What, you. X. Why, man, ! couldn't
ask you to do such thing-bes,des,
you are our pilot
Yes, know. hut don't mind the
venture. I'll carry the m. ssase."
"Yuu know better than do. ", that's
a deadly venture l wouldn't have
dared to ask you"
..lt's all right. General; get your let
ter ready. aud let me have it ut dark.
Then rising to his feet. be lmped
away, for X. Beidler Was lame. An In-
dian bullet in one Of the wild forays OF
the border had shattered his hip. and
although the wound had long since
healed. il had left him lame for life.
Two.hours later. when the shadows OF a
mountain twilight were falling thick
and dusky over the valley. he c utiousiy
rode down the CANYON of the Little
Horn and disappeared from view.
About the incidents Of that desperate
ride Of four hundred ,niles-of HIS hair
breadth escapes--of his desperate sd-
ven,ures-it would be impossible with
in the limits Of an article like this to
give anything like an adequate descrip
ton. Ii will suffice TO say that tue
message was carried, and when the
writer saw him two weeks later. prepsr-
ing for his return trip down the Yellow
stone, he seemed as careless and talked
as uuconcernedly about it - one mient
speak Of trip to Boonville or St
Louis. And vet he had just performed
q deed which the boidcse front'ersmAo
would have shrunk FROM in dissnsy.