The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-03-27

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swarms Of .Blackfeet about there an
they surrounded the young Crees an
killed all but two or three on 'em' who
managed ter get away an'bring the news
back home.
The father of one of the young men
that was killed-his name was Ps-wa-
ka-we-f}en, or Flapping Wings,-got q
large party of Crees an Salteaux to-
gether, the follerin' fall, an determined
to find the Blackfeet wherever they
was. -s-
They found them on the Belly
River, about where Hoop-up is now;
but their scouts only made out one large
camp OF 'em,-not too large, they
tho'ight, for 'em ter wipe out. There
was two other camps of Blackfeet near
by, however, an they all fined togeth-
~ an drove the Crees inter the river,
KILN an drownin' seventy seven OF
'em.
''The Crees did have little luck,
though, bout six years before that. I
remembered that they ketched party
OF Blackfeet, bout as they was ketched
themselves.
They was winterin' at Vermilion
Hills, in large wooded coulee Gavine)
near the Saskatchewan. Five lodges
was placed SO that they could he seen
by anybody comm that way, but most
of EN- was out of sight in the coulee.
A party Of bout a hundred Blackfeet
come ter steal their bosses, an seein
only the five lodges, thought they would
wipe 'em out before takin' the HOSES.
'"The Crees focked out of the coulee,
several hundred of 'em, drove the Black
feet into deep hollow near by, an
shot down on 'em from both sides,
drivin' 'em down to the river an KILN
about seventy of 'em. The next day
they followed 'em up, an killed quite q
number more that had been badly
wounded.
But about the tightest fix I was
ever ketched in myself, was up near
the Lime, bout twenty years ago.
''Three of us-a French half breed, q
Canadian an myself was actin as scouts
for largo party of half-breeds. We
was three or four miles ahead of the
party that day, travellin' through a
hllly country, when almost afore we
knew it, We was surrounded by Sioux
that had been hid in q deep coulee.
''There was so many of 'em, an they
come upon us so suddenly, that we
didn't fire shot; an I guess it was jest
as we'll We didn't, for if we had killed
one of 'em thev would prob'ly hev made
short work of us.
"They tied our hands with shagnappi
(rawhide) an took us to our camp, bout
two mile from there. Then the chiefs
held powwow right away, an it was
decided ter burn lis at the stake.
1T happened, luckily, that one of the
sub chiefs was friend of mine. found
him one time on the bare prairie with a
broken leg. His cayuse(pony) had run
inter badger-hole. thrown him over
his head, an then run off. Igive him q
pack-hoss, that wasn't much account,
helped him onter it, and he rid off. .
HE knowed me the mint he set eyes
on me,-which was jest after they had
decided to burn us,-an' sail he would
do what he could to git me off, He got
the chiefs to talk it over agin, an bout
an hour afterwards he come and told
me that he had induced 'em ter change
the sentence to runnin the gauntlet.
1--WE was ter be surrounded by braves
break through the ring, we might, if
our bosses was fast enough, get away.
We knew twas bout the same as sure
death, though it was little better than
bein' burnt at the stake. We didn't
really expect ter git through the linc,--
airy one of. us,-for some of the Sioux
was we'll mounted, an most of 'em was
we'll armed, though some few had only
bows an arrers.
"Our bosses was gin to us, an the
braves, at least a hundred of 'em, began
ter form circle round us. I had my
buffalo boss, a cream colored stallion,
an the French half breed-Baptistew was
his name-had his buffalo boss, little
black one, as quick as a cat; but the
poor Canadian had regular buzzard-
head of boss; there didn't seem ter be
any chance fur him at all.
ave told each other what to say to our
niles, in case any one of us got away,
an then got inter our saddles, an wait
ed fur the signal, which was ter be yell
from the chiefs of the party. I'll never
forget how it sounded! Shoutin' ter
our hosses, we dashed ahead, the Iniuns
commenced closin round us. Those
behind us come at full speed,
but those at our front an sides come
more slowly, watchin' ter see which way
we would turn; an they didn't dare ter
shoot for fear of KILN some of their
own crowd.
"After my boss had taken few jumps,
l gave him a snddcn turn an darted of
in the other direction. It was my
only chance, for the Injuns Was already
bunched,at the point towards which we
were first headin'. Flattenin' myself as
close as I could ter my hoss's neck,
dug my heels inter his sides an yelled
at the top of my lungs.
''He jest flew, tell yer! an thirty
yards from them passed between two
Sioux SO near that one of 'cm slashed
me with a knife as I went by. See
this"
Here the old man rolled up his sleeve,
exposing long scar near his right
shoulder.
'":rhat's where the red rascal struck
me.
Jest as soon as got outside the ring
bullets an arrers whistled round my
ears for a mint right lively, but not one
hit me, though a bullet went through
one of the ears Of my stallion.
'Not more'n seventy-tive yards out.
side the ring the firm stopped, an ]
Strengthened up in my saddle an looked
back. Off ter my left, bout two hun.
dred yards away, was the French half.
breed, ridin' as if death was after him
but not an Injun chasin him. The poor
Canadian though, they had already
hacked him to pieces with their knives
an was THROWN strips of his flesh up in
the air an yellin' an laughin' as if they
was havin' fine sport.
"The French half breed an didn't
waste no time. even if we wasn't fol.
Tered; an we didn't feel easy till we had
found our camp, which We did after 9
hard ride of bout five mile.'
According to what is alleged to be ar
authentic memorandum of his wealth
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