The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-05-04
CHASED BY THE REDS.

Lets see-you were in California
yourself at that time. if am not mis-
taken?"
..Yes; and had been for some half a
dozen years. What's more, wish
were there now: or. at least. in some
other of the far Western States or Ter
ritories." responded my old friend.
thoughtfully.
"Ah! you like the new country like
the climate; the grand scenery, and the
excitement. suppose?" said l.
'Well. yes; the climate is good
enough for me; the scenery amt bad,
and the excitement is all very well-un-
less you happen to have too much Of
it,"
. good thing?"
perhaps you would have thought so,
Charley, if you'd happened to have been
with us on the twenty-third day of June.
1866"
you met with quite an adventure
then. I take it. Now, was it with the
miners, or Indians?"
1T happened to be Indians, the time
/ am thinking Of. Yes" he continued,
AS if thinking aloud, lit was on the
twenty-third-the twenty-third Of June.
But thers"-rousing himself-.you've
heard all about it at least hundred
times-never mind repeating the story"
But did mind. and told him 50; and
after great deal of trouble, succeed
ed in extracting from him the following
narrative Of the Indian attack which was
made on the United States Overland
Mail-coach, while passing through the
Territory Of Wyoming, in the month of
June, 1866"
1T WAS glorious day." he said, "and
We were spanking along at the rate of
fourteen or fifteen miles an hour upon
the hard road that winds through the
valley between Fort Bridge and Blacks
Fork of the Green River.
1--WE had team of six horses-splen-
did fellows to go-the best, in fact, that
we had picked up anywhere on the road
since we left Carson City.
There were nineteen passengers,
most of us inside; and, as the Indians
were known to be hostile. there was n
guard of ten United States regulars.
armed with rifles, on the roof of the
coach. SO that. with the driver. and
Wells. Fargo & CO.. agent, we made up
q party Of thirty-one.
1--WE had no lady among us. and, l
must say, it was well we had not
1--WE were men mostly in the prime OF
life, returning after efforts. more or less
successful, to make our fortunes in the
land Of gold.
Besides the arms borne by the SOL
iiers. we each Of us carried revolver.
some of us two, and there were ut least
three good rifles among Us.
II am afraid we were rather a noisy
party.
1.-The air was bracing and invigorat-
ing, and we were in the best of spirits
singing snatches of old songs, roaring
out the choruses of the first tune that
came to hand, and greeting every good
thing that was said with shouts of laugh
ter that made us fairly hoarse.
"A running fire Of chaff was kept up
between the passengers inside and the
soldiers on the roof. and the driver and
the express agent joined con amore in
the fray.
The only silent man of the party was
the old sergeant in charge OF the guard,
who sat by himself, just back Of the
driver. looking grim and immoveable
as well-preserved mummy.
Suddenly his voice rang out clear
and loud above the din:
"'Look to your arms, men! Out with
your shoOting-irOns, gentlemen!
whats the row, Cap'n?" asked one
of the inside passengers-a regular
down-easter-poking his head out Of
the window, and screwing his body
round to get a sight of the person he
was addressing.
"'Row! there amt any row just yet:
but there's going to be lively one
mighty sudden, let me tell you,' re-
sponded the old sergeant, coolly, look
| ing to his rifle and revolver the while.
:" What is it. pard?' asked another.
anxiously, also poking his head out Of
the window.
Nothing but Injuns. replied the
old man. imperturbably.
Wharf
Everywhere
Great snakes aliver and the head
was withdrawn.
ut was perfectly true. The Injuns
were out, and they were everywhere.
We were careering along a part OF the
| road which runs between two long low
mounds, such as are frequently met
with in that part Of the country, and
| over the crowns of which, about q mile
off, mounted Indians were pouring
| down upon US in every direction.
There was very little time for delib
Grafton, as you may well suppose; but &
hasty council of war was held, neverthe
less. The main question to be decided
was whether we should stop the coach
and. turning it into kind Of fortified
ton, defy the attack; or whether. look
ing upon discretion as the better part o
valor,' we should slash the horses intt
their highest speed, and fight flying. Ii
the latter case, whoever fell wounded
from the coach, must be left to his fate
in the former we might be overwhelmed
by numbers, and not man be left Il
tell the tale.
1.-The Indians themselves solved ou
difficulty. They poured down upon u
in swarlns, all splendidly mounted, ap
parently. To make stand would hav,
been madness.
$50 .Hi-hi, there! and away W,
went at race-horse speed, followed b,
the dusky hordes that were gradual.
closing in upon us on every hand, ex
cepting on the road that lay straight be
fore US.
Their yells were appalling, the glar
Of their eyes terrible, tse merciless ex
preston Of their countenances diaboli
cal. They were gaining upon US too.
ut was true that we were outdis
tancing many Of them. but those VIII