St. Landry democrat., 1878-02-23

which had piled in our path, and which
must melt before our party could reach
it's destination. We found the snow
gulchts, and that, in our desire to be
among the first in this new country.
we were ii little too ls.sty, as the snow
will not melt before the latter part of
July.
And leaving the mountains apd strik-
ing into the foot hills, we travelled very
slowly to let our horses pick up, and
in fact we had no object in moving
rapidly, for we had formed no plans
regarding our future movements.
Some wanted to go one way and others
another. SO, upon the whole, we con-
cluded to keep on slowly in the d1rec-
ton we were then travelling, for a few
days, thinking we might run across tf't
" Roberts party who, we supposed.
We're then in the mountains to the west
OF lis. On the evening OF the 25tl two
OF our party, who had been out hunt
ing, came into camp and reported that
they had heard firing all the afternoon,
and that they believed that some one
was curlaled 10y the hostile, aud also
that they had struck two different trails
leading in the direction OF the firing,
and that neither of them apparently
was two hours old. Guards were posted
and we turned in early, fully expecting
that our aid would be needed in the
morning, and as fully determined that
we would give it, and on the right side.
Early morn found us III the saddle,
moving as rapidly as our laundering
gllides permitted. About nine O'Clock
We heard a number Of shots to our
right, about a half mile distant. Put
sl.,ir hnSt rnaaf
headed toward the point of a high
bluff, in the direction OF the firing.
We rounded the bluff, on IL dead run,
and came immediately IN view and III
contact with about thirty-tive indians,
some mounted and others ON foot. We
| saw each other about the same moment,
| but the savages had Il slight advantage,
and got the first fire, wounding one OF
our horses. The tiht ended as suddenly
AS it was abruptly commemorative In
dians retiring in haste, as they usually
do when getting the worst ot 1t. Up TO
this time We had been unable to dis
cover what had caused the firing
Moving to where we had first seen the
redskins, We found five dead ponies,
and in Il little gully still further on.
| this was not our wolk-as the bodies
were cold and had evidently been dead
for lourS-we commenced searching
for the men, or man, who had made
such desperate fight, Against the face
of the bluffs, three hundred yards away,
was a pile of rock, covering perhaps
fifty or sixty yards i'll space, and as this
seemed the most probable place for an
attacked party to take shelter, We
moved in that direction. When within
twenty or thirty yards of the rocks we
| halted, and called to whoever might he
there to come out, but receiving no
answer. Mr.. Travis formerly of your
city, and myself moved ON the rocks in
advance OF the party.
Di>mounting and hitching our horses
to the brush, we walked into this
natural fortress. The first thing that
horse with the. saddle and bride still
on. Pausing only moment. we
pressed on, looking for the rider. Ten
or a dozen steps further on We found
him-found him, but that was ALL, for
he was beyond all human aid. He bore
upon every Iigament of his cOuntenance
the marks of rank, intellectually and
manhood.
The dead hero was about 26 or q
years OF age, of splendid physique,
with dark hair and moustache, with his
brain blood. There he lay resting on
his right side, with his head resting as
though by chance upnn a stone-aS
though God Himself had laid him
there, in all his glory.
There laid this silent hero who, foi
two ,eyentful. desperate days, single
handed, han fought Il band of desperate
savages, and vaiuly scanned the plains
and canyons for aid. God only knows
what this silent western sentine
thought, He viewed death from the
beginning as inevitable, as no MAJ
could withstand s,,cl, an attack, and
from the evidence before us, we knew
that the struggle had been us terrible
as Clusters last fight Oh the Little Horn
Thirteen wounds proved it beyond 4
doubt. The laght hand Of this brave
stranger held that Which, in all pr0ba
bility, his gaze had rested upon whe,
the dcath-rattle sounded in his thl.m
the picture of very handsome yOuns
lady. taken by Il Cottage Grove avenue
Chicago, ph0tographer. ATTACHED tt
this picture was lock of light silk,
hair, tied with a small piece of blu'
ribbon, and written on the back wa
> the following verse:
For deep in his heart where the shadows fal
Is &c grave OF a love that is past recall,
) And ever a face ruse-wreathed, and fair,
Will rise FROM the shadows to haunt him there
, Whether this lady WAS wife, sister q
sweetheart, we could not tell, but
{ was very evident that his last thought
t on earth were at her. Written at Il,
bottom ct the picture was the nam
mamie" and again in plain gol
: ring taken from his finger was engrave
| "To Mamie" and opposite the WORD
t "Mizpah."
S We buried this stranger at sunris
: the following morning, under the shad
T. Of q mountain pine, close to- where Il
: died. The picture and lock 0f ha
We're buried with him. No head-b0al
marks his resting place, but befol
leaving the grave one OF the party q
in deep letters on the tree,