Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-05-16
A PERuOUS ADVENTURE.

A PERILOUS ADVENTURE.
In the month OF June, 1859. when
the grass and flowers on the plains of
Kansas and Colorado were nearly
knee-high, the result of unusually
abundant rains, which left clear pools
of water in all the little arroyos, a
corps of Kansas Pacific engineers,
under the leadership Of Howard
Schuyler, were engaged in making
certain preliminary surveys IN the
vicinity of the terminal town of Phil
Sheridan, near the border line of the
two States They had been out on
trip of several months in the direction
of Denver, and had returned to the
end of the track to begin the definite
location which we after ward carried
through to Denver. At this time !
had been with the party some two or
three months, taking my novitlate IN
engineering, and was occupying the
position of rodman. Prior to com
nencing the location, we were run
ming some rapid trial lines north of
Sheridan, and by the 10Th Of June
were fifteen or twenty miles out in
rolling country, where the heads of
the Smoky Hill and Republican Forks
of Kansas River nterlock Ga the
evening before our camp had been
brought up to the end Of our work,
and we started out bright and early
Oh this memorial @ Saturday morning,
so that by 10 o'clock we were several
miles away from camp. In all our
work we had been accompanied by IN
escort of fifteen infantry soldiers
under the charge Of Il Lieutenant,
acting inIthc capacity,,of a. campguard.
who, while they were very useful in
guarding our base of supplies. were Of
no protection to us III tho field.
Our party numbered thirteen all
told, two of whom remained in camp
rs cook and tcamster The working
party was therefore reduced To eleven
including Howard, whose custom it
was to ride several miles :hcad, look
ing out the line and indicating it by
building sod mounds twoor three feet
high with a shovel. We followed
from one mound to the next, measur-
ing angles and distances aud levcllng
the ground. Our progress was as
rapid almost MS a man would walk at
a moderate pace, aud We were exceed
ingly vulnerable to attack, us we were
all separated strung out over Il dis
lance of mile or more, while Howard
was always out of sight and several
miles ahead, but having been out Sev
eral months without seeing any In
dian signs we had no suspicion of dan
ger and did not dream there were any
Indians i'll the country. We after
wards knew that they had been watch
ing us some days and were simply
waiting for the most favorable oppor
tunity To make the attack, having ev
identity planned to kill Howard first,
and then come back along the line
picking oil the rest of the party one
by one.
In pursuance of this plan they lay
in wait until they had coruered HIM
in trap, when they tired Il ShCt,
striking his horse III the hip; aud
looking around he saw II long line of
the red painted devils Oh three si!es
of him, while on the fourth, IN the
direction of his party, was half mile
of broken ground cut up by deep, mar
row raviucs. 1t took but moment
to decide his limo Of action. Putting
spurs 10 his horse he turned to the
only loopholc of escape, and, To the
surprise of the Indians, weHt leaping
over the ravincs, one after the other
at the risk of his life, but with the as
surance that they could not follow
him, rs mono of their ponies were
equal to the work and to keep up the
pursuit they were obliged tO make a
long detour
Having once got clear OF the broken
ground, Howard, looking back, found
himself well ahead, and was cougratu
lating himself ON So easy an escape,
when he saw directly before him,
sprlnging out of the grass. a
formidable array of Indians,
interceptiug his flight; those
pursuing III the rear close up, and al
most before he could realize the situa-
ton he found himself again entrapp-
ed, this time by Inc of Indians that
entirely eucirclcd him, numbering
about 100, rs nearly as he could Judge.
They rapidly narrowed the llealtS of
the circle, and began tauutjng him
with all manner of insults. and tell
ing him of the fortunes that awaited
him, and Of the slow roasting that
they proposed to give him. For
several minutes he sat or his horse,
trying to reconcile himself to the GER
tainty that death WAS before hum. but
when the first struggle was over all
trembling ceased, and with as true an
aim as ever huntSman levelcd at a
reindeer, he drew up his rifle and fired
at the nearest man, killing him in
stantly. Earlier in the fight he had
realized that he was more lightly
armed tkan usual, having that morn
ing left his belt, with a brace of pistols
and box of cartridges, in camp to be
cleaned, taking only his Winchester
carbine, carrying twelve shots He
now determined To sell his life as
dearly as possible, aud, counting every
shot, 10 be sure that he saved one for
himself as n dernier resort in case of
capture, since death by his own hand
was preferable TO slow torture. Twice
more he shot in quick succession with
out fatal effect, when he suddenly
put spurs To his horse and dashed
through their line. At this moment
there was general scramble and rush
for him, some trying for him with
their spears, others seizing his leg and
trying to unhorse him.
He succeeded in the twinkling of an
eye in throwing them all off, and
even killed a second man riding at
his side, putting his arm against his
the Indian's) body and blazing away,
the blood squirting over Towards
buckskin leggins, saddle, and horse.
ground ahead of them, where they
were not in danger of killing each
other in shooting at him, they fired
volley of bullets and arrows at him.
None of them hit him, and up to this