The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-09-07
Captured by the Indians.

ON the evening of July u, 1864, a
~ small party were encamped on the
prairie, near the Black Hills, being on
the road from Idaho to Kansas. They
consisted of five men, lady named Mrs.
Kelly, with her niece seven years of age.
They were on the familiar, well-known
trail from Fort Laramie, over which
hundreds and thousands had passed,
and there were other trains in front and
rear, so that none entertained thought
of danger.
1t was just growing dark, and the two
colored men were busy preparing sup
per. The Little Box Elder flowed at
their feet, its bluffs rising abruptly on
the opposite side. Mr.. Kelly had started
off to determine the best point for cross
ing, when all at once a couple of hun
dred Sioux warriors appeared on the
bluffs, and swooped down upon the
astounded emigrants.
The latter were powerless, and the
next minute three of the whites lay
dead, one vanished in the darkness, and
Mrs. Kelly and her niece were prisoners.
The change was as sudden as awful.
The two were forced to mount a horse
which was led by an Indian, the plum
dered teams and the dead being left
behind
They had not travelled far, when Mrs.
Kelly formed plan Of escape for her
niece. She began tearing into small
pieces number of letters which she had
about her person, and stealthily dropped
them to the ground as they rode along.
AT the same time she called the atten-
ton of little Mary to them, and directed
her, when the time came, to let herself
down from the horse, and run back
upon the trail thus marked out, until
she should reach the plundered camp,
where she was to await the arrival of
some of the other emigrant trains that
were not far behind.
This suggestion was carried out, the
girl slipping down so quietly that her
absence was not noted. She started ON
run across the prairie, there being just
sufficient light for her to detect the
white bits of paper which marked her
path.
The success of her niece in getting
away awakened hope in the heart of
Mrs. Kelly that she might do the same
thing, though she could not but know
that the chances were much against it.
She was not heavily-built woman, and
she managed, after time, to reach the
ground; and she, too, at once started on
the back trail as fast as she could make
her way over the prairie.
She was speedily missed, however,
and the Sioux rode out so as to form an
immense circle, when all began moving
in toward the center. The search was
not prosecuted very long, when the
crouching figure was discovered in the
grass, and retaken.
At the same time another party gall
loped on in search of the little girl, who
sped along with light step, until day
light, when she saw she was so close to
the trail that only narrow ravine in
tervened.
Just then she observed three soldiers
approaching, and with cry of joy ran
toward them with outstretched arms.
But the Indians were still closer, and
they spurred their horses forward on a
dead run. Mary ran with might and
main, and the soldiers hesitated at sight
of the redskins.
A minute later they shot the little
fugitive dead, and with her golden
haired scalp fiuttering from the girdle
of one, they cantered back to the war
party.
Mrs. Kelly did not learn this until