Montgomery County sentinel., 1882-06-23
Original Sketthes.
ACROSS THE PLAINS.
BY REYNOLDS $. PATTERSON


| place or connection, because really do
not now know at what point on the trip
it was we saw il, but somewhere on the
south bank of the Platte, two or three
hundred miles from the border, we came
TO place called 1.-The lone Tree" de-
irving Its name from a solitary tree grow
ing there Of the size perhaps of fifty feet
in height and two feet in diameter OF
trunk near the ground Not another
tree or evenibesArwas In view then or
had been since our leaving Independence,
save on two or three occasions, shortly
after leaving TINT place some few small
cotton woods The kind Of tree this one
was | entirely forget, but we oncamped
near it ono night and il was not without
a feeling Of pleasure and awe mixed We
! visited and viewed it the next morning.
Somewhat similar feelings were awaken
ed in me, when one day, while in COM
pany with several Of the boys hunting
antelope, we came across pond Of water
Or lake (for it extended in. one direction
farther than we could 500 aud covered
the valleys lying between numerous
small hills) we saw lying on the edge
Of the water large log Of wood. appar-
emily the limbless stock OF dead cedar.
As there was no timber on any Of the
hills that we could see for many miles
distance, tho wonder was as in the case
Of the THE Lone Tree" How came
it there aud when?
/ will make place here for an item,
very triaing to be sure, except perhaps
to my children when they shall read this
record hereafter
When out alone one day hunting for
antelope. and perhaps milo off the trail
| became quito tired and laid down to
rest at the base Of precipitatc bluff,
the top Of which was some forty or fifty
feet above where l lay. thought it
possible some of these creatures might
come running around the bluff and pass
along near where | was, and was on the
lookout for them. except that | did not
keep my gun in hand or have it cooked
Suddenly | heard noise above me on
the bluff and looking up there stood
three fine antelopcs looking down upon
me, any one Of which might have
easily killed had been ready, but be-
fore could recover my gun, cock il and
take sight, the three, with simultane-
GUS snort or Whit. bounded back and
out OF sight and | saw them no more
The feeling Of disappointment and cha
grin ut losing so splendid IA chance to
procure such nice game was dreadful
and has been matter of regret with
me even since.
Although FIRST among the trains to
cross Laramie, it was late 10 the day be-
fore we got over and therefore did not
stop at the Fort, but drove mile or
two farther on. intending, some of US,
TO return to the Fort in the morning to
mail letters, Dc, we cncamped about a
quarter of mile off the trail
After supper some VI US went to sleep,
while others. myself among them, fin
ished up our letters, or already partially
written journals Of the trip. intended for
the folks at home Sometime late in the
night we were startled with the noise of
terrible Indian war-whoop, easily de-
tected as such even on the first occasion
of hearing it, and what was worse evi-
IDENTIFY making in the direction of our
camp Coming not from the Fort. but
from an opposite direction-the war.
whoop Of five hundred Indians--and there
was at least that number in this gang
is not only not agreeable. but TO the
stoughtcst. hearted and awfully scare
provoking thing, especially when heard
ut night, and under circumstances such
as VIZ did There were now fifteen men,
all told. in our party, and none Of u-,
even the Boss with all his experience Of
Indian habits and ways, able to divine
what this thing meant.
At the order Of the Boss we all got
our guns aud ammunition at once and
ran the wagons into sort of circular
baracade and awaited their coming upon
US, as we were certain they would do.
and with hostile purpose. The Boss,
evidently in earnest. said, "Boys, fear
we are gone up, but let us sell our lives
at the dearest" ="
| think I have somewhat traduccd
my character as brave maR, 10 far 10
this narrative and believe myself justi-
fable therefore in making tho assertion
here, that when driven TO the wall, or in
other words, brought suddenly into the
proximity Of danger, am as cool and
deliberate MS the bravest--the braycst at
least Of the crowd present in the encr.
geDcy am now rccounting--for if there
was any one Of the party, whom the rest
seemed To respect and pay attention TO
as leader, it was your humble servant,
made palpable to INC not only by their
actions, but also by the gratiuitous con.
fessions of all of them after the thing
was over. In the few hurried moments
left US to prepare any thing, | was the
first to suggest we should not all fire at
once, but only in proportion MS the In
dians came upon us, and Immediately all
the party. the Boss with the rest, re-
quested should give the word and to
WHOm, huu Jubb thcH ~ oCOutIcu W Uc
the devils we're not approaching us, but
keeping down the trail towards the Fort,
and as the night was not too dark fot it,
| proposed some Of US should 90 10 the
top Of the rise in the ground between US
and the trail aud SEQ which way the In
dians were gsing, and SO the Boss and |
did, and 10 our great relief found they
we're going TO the Fort.
The next morning, on going TO the
Fort, we saw this troop Of Indians, and
their oncanpment or village near the
Fort. We we're told by the officers Of
the place that these warriors were Of the
Sioux tribe, numbered about six hundred,
besides the old men, women and chill
dren with them that they had Just re-
turned from the war.path against the
Blackfeet and Snake Indians, occupying
the territory west and north Of Laramie,
or the country known then generally as
the Black Hills We also learned that
they were friendly to the whites, and re-