Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-20
AN INDIAN SCARE ON THE PLAINS.
By j. 4. VAIL.

An Incident I'm the Early History of
| the Kansas Pacific X. &.
| By j. L. YAH.
Early in the fall of 1868 the Kansas Pacific
railroad had reached to point on the Great
| American Desert called Sheridan. At least this
| appeilation had been given to What was then
the terminus of that railroad, although the SPOT
| selected for so famous name seemed to be far
| from deserving OF such an honor, and the site of
| that once familiar station to travellers across
| the plains can not now be recognized, except by
! those who have been frequently through the
| scene OF its former glory. Frequent exclusions
| had peen made to various points as the road
| reached out toward Colorado. and those return
| OF their experiences and such wonderful stories
or endless herds OF buffalOS and abundance OF
Wild game, that resolved to join party which
| was then forming at Lawrence Kansas where
was then residing, and avail myself of some OF
| the opportunities for witnessing these grand
sights and INDUCING In the sport of bringing
down some OF the large game, ii possible. Our
party consisted OF about go or 10 persons, among
| whom were few ladies. We were all well
| provided with arms and ammunition of the
most approved patterns, as well as an aDln-
| dance OF refreshments OF various Sorts adapted
| to such expeditions. We reached Ellsworth
| where we were to spend the night soon after
| DARK, and those who did not desire TO remain in
their seats the eutire night were at liberty to
avail themselves OF such comforts as were Of
| tered by the hotel which was close at hand.
Ny curiosity impeled me to join some others
| who had decided upon the latter course, with
| the hope OF rendering myself more comfortable
than l could be doubled mp In the seat OF the
coach. Murders and robberies OF frequent
| occurrence had given notoriery TO this town
| which left us in doubt as to where we should be
| safest; but having resolved upon taking the
| rlsks OF the protection which the hotel pre-
| sented, we made very straight and rapid pass
| age TO the same and avoided all places which
seemed to offer brilliant attractions for enter
tainment | was shown to my room in the
| second story, and upon investigation of the
| same l lacked confidence in It's security.
! as the partitions which separated me from the
rooms on either side were very thin. and ex-
tended perpendicularly but few feet above my
| head and thus left fine opportunity for my
! neighbors on either side to drop down upon me
| during the night. After assuring myself that
| there was no one else in the room retired to
my dismal couch, with my revolver under my
| pillow, and my eyes alternating from the top OF
| one partition to the other, and thus passed the
| greater portion of the night. / hailed the
| daWning with thanks for my safe deliyerance
| and after partakiDg OF breakfast calculated to
produce chronic melancholy, again boarded
| the train, and we were soon again on our Jour
| ney toward Sheridan. During the day we
| passed through several herds OF buffalos and
| prairie dog villages. and saw numbers OF an
| firing at the game from the windows of the
| cars as we passed along. Upon arriving at
| Fort Hayes large portion Of our party left us
for the purpose OF going out on horseback In
! them, but concluded finally to go through TO
| the end O the road. We arrived at Sheridan
| in the evening. and as the town then con-
sisted OF merely a collection Of tents. which
| were devoted principally to the dispensing OF
| terrible whisky, and the fascination of the
| seductive dance In the society OF Texas COW
| boys and abandoned females imported from
the eastern cities, we were not long In deciding
| that IL we valued our lives view OF this town
by night IT. should be carefully avoided. Acting
all the lights IN the coach, and having securely
| fastened the doors we waited patiently for the
coming DAY when we e., should d, start upon our
| appearance OF daylight, and am confident no
| regrets " ere felt as it vanished behind u.s. a
special train, consisting of locomotive and the
| paymaster's car, had been dispatched from
Lawrence after our departure for the purpose
| OF paying Off the employees OF the road, and
| this train was at Sheridan when we left that
| place vii orders to follow us on the homeward
| passage We had been out from Sheridan but
| few hours and were amusing ourselves In the
| usual way, by firing at game from the car WIN
dows, when sudden checking up and peculiar
motion was noticed by passengers in the
| coaches, and the discovery was made that the
forward part Of our train was off the track.
! The train at this time consisted Of some or S
empty freight cars, In the rear OF which was our
coach. AS soon as the discovery was made
that the train had left the track, we all imme-
diately rushed for the rear door OF the coach, TO
| make cur exit, and as we did so, we were
startled by the announcement that Indians
were in sight, and approaching the train. This
|
cause of cur accident was at once attributed to
| them. As We left the coach, each man grasped
| his rife, and all hurried forward to ascertain
the extent OF our damage and to assist in the
! dams had very 1ngentously removed the spikes
| from one OF the rails, and had then replaced
the rail In position, SO that as the train ap-
preached the spot no evidences of mischief
| would be observed by the engineer. The plan was
| highly successful, for although the locomotive
passed safely over, the tender had moved the
ND ha6 Ipff
| f., flowed by the seven freight cars, which were
! pied up In endless confusion in the ditch at the
| side OF the track. This performance had 20
| checked up the coach as to prevent its reaching
| the spot, and 1t remained on the track. While
| the work OF removing the wreck aud restoring
| the rail to It's position was being accomplished,
| the Indians, some dozen or more, mounted On
| ponies, were lowering near the Scehe. but at a
| distance just beyond the range OF our rifles.
In the meantime. two or three Indians
| had ridden to point on the track, about mile
| In Our rear and were rapidly engaged in TAX
ing up the track at that point, with the evident
intention OF cutting Off our escape In either d.
| forth, and making signals TO their c0ntederates
| In the ravine beyond our sight. Our anxiety
| during these proceedings was intense, and We
| felt that upon the completion of their work we
| should be attacked in force. With this prospect
| 10 view, we made careful estimate, and equal
division OF our ammunition and determined to
vanced upon us. and yet feeling that no mercy
| would be shown us should we be oyerpowereJ
| The weakening OF our party by the number who
| had stopped Off at Fort Hayes was now de-
| plored. Fortunately our condition had been
| observed by the guard OF colored troops sta
| toned at Grfnnell, some three or four miles be
/ y0Id u.s. and they had seized their rifles, and al
| the risk OF their own lives had hurried to our
| assistance. The Indians had made one or two
| dasheS toward them as they approached, but
| they defended themselves by lying hat upon the
| track and discharg1Dg their needle gu1S at the
| enemy, and finally reached us in safety. Before
| the operation OF cutting the track ID our rear
| had been completed, the pay train, which
| had left Sheridan soon afCer our own, appeared
| In sight, and soon reached the spot ana thus
| the Indians were driven away before they had
| finished their work. This train was kept run
ming back and forth for several miles In order to
| prevent any further work OF this kind. and in
| the meantime our own train was made ready
| for motion. When all was ready we Jumped on
| board and were soon Off, followed by the pay
! train and with grateful hearts for our rescue.
| After running several miles we met a train
| going out loaded with soldiers intended for an
| attack upon these very Indians we had en-
| countered. We were informed by the officers
| that the scouts had been In and reported some
| seven or eight hundred Of these Indians TO have
| been secreted beyond our sight In the ravlne.
| He Put His Arm Around Her.
LITTLE Rock GaZette.1
The other day several men were standing on