The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-03-20


"After two days talk 1t was de
cided to burn me. was in strange
condition mentally; | would listen to
a plan of torture as though it were
some other man they were talking
about; and l would comment to my
self on that plan as giving the char
but little chance for his life. Blu,
when the dusky brave who talked
Blackfoot told me that l was to die
by fire the next day, l understood
perfectly that l was the man they
had been talking about, and re.
piled:
az know it."
"Clustering around me, they asked
if l had understood all the talk.
"'Yes: j had
"'Then why not answer the maid
en- when she spoke to youY
al came not to talk to squaws, but
to trade with men,
mo use; could gain nothing by
soft talk, and, having played my
hand, finally resigned myself TO my
fate.
81 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 l noticed this, and
once ] replied with smile. The
lodge emptied. All were gone ex.
cept the girl. She quickly came to
my side apparently to refold some
buffalo robes, and in whisper said
"'You are to die tomorrow. To.
night l 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:
".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 1t would
be heard, | Gained my face and wait.
ed. ] ate fairly of supper. / smoked
pipe. All were very kind and at
tentiye to me.
"Night was passing away, ant
still the Indians fingered, looking a
the man they were to burn on tn
morrow. leaned back against tn
tent to rest myself. when / felt a han,
gently pushing me forward. Sitting
whistling, felt the point of a knit
come through and strike my neck.
did not finch; could feel the bloot
trickle down my back. ] could fee
the knife carefully drawn down unit
it hit the ground. Still whistling
waited, my heart humping, my blooc
on fire waited a minute to give who
ever cut the tent. time to escape
Then grasping my heart and nerves
for an instant, ] gathered myself,and
turned backwards through this open
ing.
Christianity jumping to my feet,
vaulted into the saddle that was or
the back Of white horse that stood
there, and, in the midst Of yells, rife
shots, of pack of bowling dogs, We
rushed out of camp. 1t seemed t,
me as though hundred horsemen
were in pursuit of me instantly. W.
galloped up the river to a bend / had
seen. Dashing in, we forded it under
fire that made the water fairly boi
around us,and were out of the water
and on the level land to the north O.
the river before any Of the Sioux
were half way across. Striking the
trail to the Rozemann Pass, took it.
and knowing it, pushed boldly on
and, though hotly pursued, my horse
outlasted theirs, and / escaped.
never drew rein until ] dismounted
to the west of the pass.
"The girl saved me. With any
other horse l should have been re
captured and burned. have not got
the girl. The love have for the CIR
the mare has instead. / returned
to my post, and made no trade in The
Yellowstone that year.
"Again. Last winter the snow
was on the ground in January, ant
for three days / had been hunting OF
running antelope. The sun was very
bright, and my eyes hurt me. ! saw
specks floating about. Little chains
with small links were constantly
floating about. My eyes burnt
smartly when l returned to thu
Agency. Daily, while hunting.
had seen the low black clouds in thu
north that indicate the formation OF
marshalling of the winds Of the fro
zen north. Daily the south vino
swept them beyond the northern hor
lion; but the next morning found
them looming portentiously in thu
northern sky.
On my return to the Agency
found runner had just got in from
Belly River, in British America, will
important news for me. 1t was nee
essary that 60 at once.
! started next morning. My eye
hurt dreadfully.