Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-01-26
Markhead's Exploit.

1t Is the same Markhead who, FIVE OF
six years later, was treacherously mur-
dercd by the Mexicans. near Taos. At
The time Of his death he was not more
Than twenty-seyen years old, aud he
could hardly have been more than
TWENTY-FIVE when he had this Blaek-
loot adventure.
The old pioneers OF the upper Mis-
ssuri speak Of Markhead as a most re-
narkabls boy, so muscular aud Of such
powers Of endurance, that he would
run fifteen or twenty miles without
apparent fatigue. Indians he held
held in trihing regard. aud delighted in
a .kirnish with them though he bore
the scars Of not less than a dozen Of
their bullets and arrows.
At the time alluded to he had gone
on trapping excursion for beaver, up
one Of the head creeks OF the Yellow
stone; a locality not much rssOrted 10
by other trappers, on account Of the
deadly hostility OF the Blackfeet, who
were very jealous Of the white hunters,
and killed every hunter they could sur
prise.
AS was his custom, he had his horse
with him, for carrying traps and pro
visions. and at this time had made his
camp in clump Of cottonwoods, on the
bank Of the creek. near the foot of q
range of bluffs which fronted stream on
the east side.
That morning-it was in the month
of October-he had set off early to look
TO his beaver traps, of which he had a
line both up and down the creek. He
had proceeded but a short distance.
when he found one of his steel traps
missing from under the bank where he
had set it.
There were bear tracks 10 the mud
about the bank; very large ones, lead.
ing back into the cedar bushes, to.
ward the bluff.
The trail was fresh. and MarkheaC
followed it cautiously through the cedar
Coming at length 10 the foot OF thi
bluff, he found TINT the animal hac
turned aside. and gone further up TN
bottom. But ju't at that moment Ia
thought he heard it thrAshing about IN
the cedar a little way ahead.
So he carefully mounted the side o
the bluff. twenty or thirty feet, hoping
to catch sight OF The aulmal over tie
tops of the bushes. From this pOiu
he saw a large grizzly, sitting on Z
broad fat rock, not more than forty ol
fifty yards distant.
Watching the creature moment, h'
found that It limped painfully, and that
it walked a short distance on three legs.
Finally, it turned about and limped
back 10 the stone again; aud Mlrkhead
now perceived that the grizzly had hi
beaver trap hard and fast on one OF hI:
forepa IS.
The bear vas much ANNOYED by The
trap. 1t sat down cu the stone again,
aud from where lie lay, Markhead could
see bin examining 1t atteutvely, hold
ing il close up to his nose aud gravsly
turning his paw over aud over. Then
it would Zip It's head TO one side aud
look at the trap from out the corners OF
its eyes, in most co nical manner, a.
if at an entire loss 10 make out whal
the novel aud painful appendage coulC
he that had got such iast hold OF hl'
toes.
Anon the puzzled animal would try
10 step on its loot but Insanity took
it up from the stone again, with 10"
whinper and would then commences
licking the trap, as If wishing to appeast
its anger and coax ii into letting. 90 it
grip.
This pantomlme so interested the
lrapper that he could scarcely tak'
aim with his rife. But not W shins to
lose his good steel trap, he Was on the
point OF shooting the bear, when he was
startled from It by the neigh Of a horse
Glaucing out over the tops OF The
bushes, he saw, some four or five hun
dred yards down the opposite bank o
the creek. party Of six indians, sitting
on their pouies. They had rcined up,
and stood among some little saad hill
locks, looking across, directly toward
where tls camp was, 10 the cotton
woods, 1t then flashed to his mlnC
that 1t was his horse which had neighcd
That was why the Indians had pulled
up SO suddenly and We're staring across
the creek.
Markhead saw that. even could he
himself escape them the Indians would
inevitably discover his camp and cap
ture his horse aud provisions, together
with all the pellrles he had trapped. =
That was bad. but what was worse there
was a heavy dew that morning. and bis
own trail through the grass along the
hank of tie creek must, be knew he aS
a plke-staG.
He knew that the Indlana would no.
tlI to discover his trail, aud that they
would follow han Ike bloedhounds to
his death. IS not strange that ouI
hunter thought no more Of tho bear.
and that his merrimeut was cut short
by this by no means laushable aspect
of affairs.
But Mlrkhead was a qulck-wilied
fellow, not easily alarmed, and while
ne Law there watching the Blsckieet as
the Y stealthlly approached The place
where his horse was plcketed. he hit on
A ruse for outwitling them at their own
tactics. n