Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1880-02-05

times noticed this, and once replied with
a smile. The lodge emptied. All were gone
except the girl She quickly came to my side
apparently to refold some buffalo robes, and
in whisper said:
"'YOu are to die tomorrow. Tonight
will have the best horse in the camp saddled
and standing on the outside of the lodge.
You jump through, mount, and ride for your
life. You may escape. You will burn if
you stay
"Then with smile:
1.-THE mare is mine. She is the fastest
animal in the valley of the Yellowstone. |
give her to you
''She left me and quickly resumed her
work. AS she woVe the hair of the many
Crow scalp-locks into the shirt, sat looking
thankfully at her. She never looked at me
again. AS | saw chance for my life my
heart beat SO loudly that thought it would
be heard, Gained my face and waited.
ate fairly of supper. [ smoked pipe. All
were very kind and attentive to me.
might was passing away, and still the In
dlans fingered, looking at the man they were
to burn on the morrow. leaned back against
the tent to rest myself, when | felt hand
| gently pushing me forward. Sitting whist
| ling, felt the point of knife come through
and strike my neck. did not finch could
feel the blood trickle down my back could
| feel the knife carefully drawn down until it
hit the ground. Still whistling waited, my
heart humping, my blood on fre-waited a
minute to give whoever cut the tent time to
escape Then grasping my heart and nerves
for an instant, gathered myself, and turned
backwards through tbs opening.
''Instantly jumping to my feet, l vaulted
into the saddle that was on the back of
white horse that stood there, and, in the
midst of yells, rifle shots, of pack of howl
ing dogs, we rushed out of the camp. 1t
seemed to me as though hundred horsemen
were in pursuit of me instantly. We galloped
up the river to bend had seen. Dashing
in, we fOrded it under a fire that made the
water boil around us, and were out of water
and on the level land to the north of the river
before any of the Sioux were half way across.
Striking the trail to the Bozeman Pass, |
took it, and knowing it, pushed boldly on,
and, though hotly pursued, my horse out
lasted theirs, and | escaped. l never drew
rein until I dismounted to the west of the
Pass
'sThe girl saved me- With any other horse
should have been recaptured and burned. l
have not got the girl. The love I have for
her the mare has instead l returned to my
post and made no trade in the Yellowstone
that year.
"Again. Last winter the snow was on
the ground in January, and for three days /
had been hunting or running antelope. The
sun was very bright, and my eyes hurt me. I
saw specks floating about. Little chains
with small links were constantly before me.
My eyes burnt smartly when l returned to
the Agency. Daily, while hunting, had
seen the low black clouds in the north that
sa2i fhof ION, oho1l Of
winds of the frozen north. Daily the south
wind swept them beyond the northern hori-
zon but the next morning found them loom
ing portentously in the northern sky.
On my return to the Agency [ found a
runner had just got in from Belly River, in
British America, with important news for
me. 1t was necessary that go at once. l
started the next morning. My eyes hurt
dreadfully.
81 always go to the Belly River, when the
snow is on the ground, by way OF the Sweet
Grass Hils, and there I camp one night.
One side of the hills is always bare of snow,
and there is spring of water on the north
ern side of the center hill.
ga strong south wind was blowing when
started, but by noon I saw the clouds of the
north suddenly rise up. knew that the mar
shalling of the north winds was completed,
and they were eager for the assault on the
soft south wind. On came the black cloud.
The south wind still bleW .fercely, but it
coul not stem the assault from the Arctic |
region. Birds flew south before the storm,
antelope and deer were running for shelter.
II had reached my camping ground, and
stood looking far off to the north, seeing the
landmarks disappear one by one as the head
of the blizzard reached them and shrouded |
q Shnv,, 70 low hroa la 0o1 FIVrQY yuifh
a mighty rush and loud noise the head of
the blizzard swept past me- The air was
filled with particle of ice that cut through al
most horizontally, and seemed as if they |
would never fall.
''COlder, ever colder, grew the WIND, and |
denser the air as the icy particles thickened. |
I sought shelter in the rocks. Buckling the |
clothing to the mare turned her loose, know
ing that she would not leave me. Then l lay |
down on my blanket, and, wrapping my
blankets around me, tried to sleep.
81 began thinking, and could not sleep.
The buffalo had not come south that winter,
and the wolves were gaunt and hungry. AS
they follow horseman over the plains in
summer, so they do in winter, only more of
them-and those great, gaunt famine breed
ers, the gray and black ones, go in largely
numbers. had pack of them at
my heels all day, and now they cropped up
in my thoughts.
s.Finally slept. When I awoke it was
dark. Holding up my hand. felt the icy
sweat of the blizzard strike sharply against it.
The roar of the wind still continued. I could
not go to sleep again, and lay waiting for
dawn. waited it seemed to me, for hours,
when suddenly felt my mare paw my breast.
l spoke kindly to her, saying she had made
mistake. Soon she paved me again, and /
arose to find that all was dark, that could
not see the white mare.
'Alarmed, struck match under my cloak
and looked down to see the blaze. saw