The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-10

stood all the talk. Yes; had. Then
why not answer the maiden when she spoke
to youp 4 came not to talk to squaws, but
to trade with men, No use; could do
nothing by soft talk, and, having played my
hand, finally resigned myself to my fate II 5
noticed that the girl who had first spoken
to me in front Of the lodge was watching
me- She would quickly glance at me and
then drop her eyes on the buckskin shirt she
was embroidering with Crow hair Several
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 10
die tomorrow. Tonight | will have the
best horse in the camp sadded and standing
on the outside of the lodge. / will have the
ent cut from the outside. You jump
through, mount, and ride for your life
You may escape. You will burnt you stay
Then with a smile, The mare is mine. She
is the fastest animal in the valley OF the
Yellowstone. [ give her to YOU She lett
me and quickly resumed her work. AS she
wove the hair of many Crow scalp locks into
The shirt | sat looking thankfully at her,
She never looked at me again. AS l saw a
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. Night was passing away,
and still the Indians fingered, looking at the
man they were to burn Oh the morrow l
leaned back against the tent to rest myself,
when | felt a hand gently pushing me 1or.
ward. Sitting whistling, | felt the point OF
a knife come through and strike my neck. L
did not finch; I could feel the blood trickle
down my back could feel the knife care
fully drawn down until it hit the ground
Still whistling, | waited, my heart thump-
ing, my blood on fre-waited a minute to
give whoever cut the tent time to escape.
Then grasping my heart and nerves Tor an
instant gathered myself, and turned back
ward through the opening Instantly jump
ing to my feet, vaulted into the saddle that
was on the back of white horse that stood
there, and, in the midst of yells, of rifle
shots, of pack of bowling dogs, we rushed
out of the camp. 1t seemed to me as though
a thousand horsemen were in pursuit of me
instantly We galloped up the river to
bend had seen. Dashing in, we forded it,
under fire that made the water boil around
us, and were out of the water and on the
level land to the north of the river before
any of the Sioux were halfway across.
Striking the trail to the Bozeman Pass,
took it, and, knowing it, pushed boldly on,
and, though holly pursued, my horse out
lasted theirs, and | escaped 1 never drew
rein until dismounted to the west OF the
Pass. The girl saved me. With any other
horse [ should have been recaptured and
burned l have not got the girl. The love
have for her the mare has instead. L re-
turned to nv 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. saw
specks floating about. Little chains with
small links were constantly before me. My
eyes burned smartly when l returned to the
Agency. Daily, while hunting, had seen
the low black clouds in the North that indi-
cate the formation of marshalling of the
winds Of the frozen North. Daily the south
wind swept. them beyond the northern horl-
zon; but the next morning found them loom
ing portentously in the northern sky. On
my return to the Agency l found a runner
had just got in from Belly River, in British
America, with important news for me. 1t
was necessary that | should go up at once.
started at once. My eyes hurt me dread
fully.
[ always go to the Belly River when the
snow is on the ground by way of the Sweet
Grass Hills, and there l camp one night.
One side of the hills is always bare Of snow,
and there is a spring OF good water on the
northern side Of the centre hill. strong
south wind was blowing when l started, but
Wy mum ID" oIiE eioouo VI 'ii0 ioi ~ 81, Hcu
denly rise up. l knew that the marshalling
of tie 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 fiercely but it could not stem
the assault from the Arctic region. Birds
flew south before the storm, antelope and
deer were running for shelter. had reached
my camping ground, and STOOD, looking lar
OF to the north, seeing the LANDMARKS dlsaP
Inv o1,n &c ba n shIiZZ1rd'
reached them and shrouded them III It's icy
breath. A calm. Then with a mighty rush
and loud noise the head OF the blizzard
swept past me. The air was flled with partl-
cles Of ice that cut through almost hozlzon-
tally and seemed as II they would never iail;
Colder, ever colder, grew the Wlnd, ana
denser the air as the ice partlcleS thlckened.
sought sheltef IN the ROCKS. Duehli1s the
clothing on the mare L turned her loose,
knowing that she would not leave me. Then
lay down on my blankets, ana wrapping
my beaver cloak around me tired 10 sleep.
| began thinking, and could not sleep. Inc
buffalo had not come south that WINTER,
and the wolves were gaunt and hungry. AS
they follow horseman over the PLAIN III
summer, SO they 90 IN Wlhler-ohly more
OF them; ana those Sreat, Satht laihliiF
LARGELY Increased nuib a IaGh fIrv 9lss ~ ~
+baT, Of NV heaIs ali dav. and now they
oro,1raJ ny il, NV tbonohts
WAN FipsiIv ~ T slen} When awoke it was
dark Holding ND INV naked hand felt the
lev sweat of The blizzard strike sharply
aGainst if The roar of the wind still con
Timed 7 conld not 90 to sleep again, and 1 |
low waitino for dawn I waited, it seemed |
TO- toy nv, m' for Ionrs> when suddenly felt my
mare naw NV breast. I spoke kindly to her,
saving She had made a mistake. Soon she
nawa5 me- again and T arose to find that all |
p was Jar llo hat hat could not see the white
mare MAR s'''' Alarmed. / struck match under my
nIoaf~ and Looked down TO see the blaze.
saw notbino Int the match barned INV fin
oe a~ With a desolating despondency 1
STea lIi The fact that the clare Of the snow
a rc,, for the mast few days had made
me- snow-blinG. that I was fifty miles from
the nearest house. and unable to see; that
f an stor,,, JTas raoing.
Ct,,,1;d ol,eost wild with horror. I thought
oo" i, 49, H. a,,,f4;,,r Of tba ,volvas and