Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-03-01
FOUR YEARS WITH sAvAGEs.
A Texas Youths Adventure With
the .COmancheS.
From the San Antonio Express. ]

From the San Antonio Express.l
Afew days agoa man o n years
of age called ut the express Office aud
stated that he had but recently es-
capped from q four years captivity
among the Apache aud Comanche
Indians, aud was on his way home to
Fannin county, Texas, where re had
parents living. He was 0 8 feet
in height. well proportional, had an
Intelligent countenaucs ahu easy,
self-possessed manner, although tor
years under not the most refining ILL
huences. His garb was Enthusiastically
frontier In its character.
He gave his name as 5. NJ. Wits,
and said that four years ago. hearing
|glowing accounts of frontier life be
became II of a party OF Du1alo
hunters on the Staked Plains. Game
was plenty, aud they were making
money fast,slaughteriag bison Tor
it's hide. This was IN 1874, the sea-
son SO many thousand buffalo were
Becoming more
the party penetrated to Inc heart OF
the plains aud in close proximity to
the Indians engaged in the same bu-
siuess. Que day, four of the party,
among whom was young Wills, gave
chase to a very fine herd of buffalo.
and followed them a long distance,
and many q fins bull fell q victim to
their unerring rifles. On q sudden
they came on q party of Apache u
dians in the same business, who, up
on seeing their natural foe, left-the
chase aud attacked the white men.
Wills was away from5the other men,
and seeing them shot and scalped,
surrendered at discretion. without
resistance. His youth saved him
from immediate death, aud he was
taken TO camp. and a pow-woW was
held as to his future fate. He being
a fine-looking boy, it was decided to
give him a chance for life by allow
lug him the doubtful privilege OF
running the gauntlet.
The savages arrayed themselves III
two long lines, armed with arrows,
spears, knives, tomahawks aud clubs.
Wills was stripped of his clothing,
and, being placed ut the head of this
almost certain avenue of death, start
ed on his terrible race for life. Each
savage, yelling at the top OF his
voice, made a deadly pass with his
weapon as the poor boy fairly hsw
along tue blood-thirsty pathway. The
one who succeeded i'll hitting the
prisoner was to have the disposition
of his fate, which Is usually that OF
death by the host horrible slow tor
;ure that could be conceived in the
breast Of the brutal American savage.
On, OH sped the fated youth, aud a
hundred deaths had already been
passed, while the end Of the terrible
lane was rapidly approaching, when,
his strength failing and pace slack
ening, a tomahawk buried itself lin
his leg and be fell 4 victim to savage
barbarity.
Demonical yells filled the air as the
'noble redmen" surrounded their
fallen prey, eager TO finish their hell
ish work. Fortunately the lucky cap
tor conceived all admfrltion for tie
brave white boy, aud resolved to
spare his life, attHe saIno time clailn-,
ing him as his especial property. He
was alfred III Indian sarb, u~nderWeni'
the ceremony Of initiation as a
"brave," war paint was applied. and
he W IS now u cheap big warrior"
Although o%stensibly one of the tribe,
nevertheless he Was a prisoner, aud
the strictest guard over his move
ments was never withdrawn. He
was privileged to hunt aud fight, but
always acknowledged ownership TO
the warrior who tumahawked him In
his race for life. They were always
OH the move, and they Travelled hun
dreds OF miles up aud down the plains
aud III the Rocky Mountains. Tue
Apaches aud Comanches at this time
were at war, and his band meeting q
party of Comanches a battle ensued.
He entered fully into the fight with
his siriends," and having his pony
shot, " . captured by the Comanches.
Being already considered virtually
All Indian, he was spared the terrible
Experiences of his first capture, aud
was, without further ceremony, adj
mitted into the band as q Comanche
warrior, aud DOL he became a great
favorite.
He had now been among the Indians
over q year, and had been Injured i'll
the hardships of Indian life. His was
a band of what is usually term, d
among frontiersmen "dog soldiers"
being composed principally of young
men who refuse to come under res
friction, and consequently are out
laws before the law, aud are SO treat
ed by the military authorities. Cou-
sequently they must be constantly Oh
the move, aud the band with whom
was the hero of this sketch, in the
three years that he vas with them,
travelled from Texas to the British
possessions. His varied experience
-privations aud hardships-would
fill a volume, aud are altogether too
long 10 embody here.
Last summer the band got back to
the Indian territory and on the Texas
border, aud the hope of seeing his
home again took strong hold on his
mind, and he determined to make
an effort to escape. Were it not for
again meeting father, mother, broth
ers and sisters, he would have
entered civilization again, as he had
become perfectly c0ntented with life
among the lndians-in fact, rather
preferred it. Some time in August
the band was on the buffalo hunt in
Northwestern Texas, and, becoming
separated from them in pursuit of q
fiue herd, he continued his way south,
riding until his horse fell under him
dead.
He knew that if he rested the In-
dams, discovering his absence would
probably overtake him, and, there.
fore, he put as great a distance, as
possible, between himself and pur.
suers in the early stage of the pursuit,
which he knew would be sure to fol.
low, and that his recapture would be
horribly fatal. His plans were laid
and, after the death of his horse, ht
continued his journey. Finally il
the latter part Of August, he reached
Fort Griffin, the first settlement h,
had been i'll tor years. Being entirely
destitute, he engaged as a teamster
.. and as such has since been employed
A couple Of days ago be arrived a
san Antonio, having earned suff
Gent money to take him comfortably
home.
. An article written with much fervol
is now going the rounds of u es
teemed republican contemporaries
which clearly points out that thu
: democracy throughout the coun,r,
are breaking up into so many ali,
tiercely-warriDg factions that no mat
. ter who may be the nominee in 1885,
the nominations will be bolted by 81