Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-21
The Stnry Teller.
TIE LAST SHOT.


les. The passengers, tired of the monoto-
nous surroundings of the journey, began
to drift into talk and story of the past ex-
periences of their lives. AS the train pass
ed three wagons that were slowly and wea-
rily following the trail, that ran for miles
by the side of the railroad, one of the pas
sengers remarked on the difference in the
styie of travel. ''It must be very hard"
said one, "to crawl along day after day over
these great plains" "You bet," was the
reply that came with emphasis from man
who had not taken any part in the CONVEX
sation. "Ever tried it?" asked another, at
tracted by the emphasis of the mans words.
"Well, yes" was the reply, and he added,
81 was just thinking over the hard time l
had Just a few miles ahead of this place"
All were ready for the story that seemed
to be promised, and they gathered around
his seat. "What made the hard time" ask
ed one, by way Of starting the story.
"Well,'' said the man, ''you see it was
some years before the road was built, when
took notion to 60 to California. had
not been very we'll through the winter and
I thought 1 would like to get rid of the cold
that seemed to pinch me up. So in the
spring-I sold off my stock and stuff ana
went to Omaha, and there 1 bought an out,
fit of a team and wagon and put in load
of stuff that I thought might turn little
profit on, when got on the other side OF
the Rockies, or else in the mining regions
of which I had dim notion. found that
q large train was to start in a few days, so
I waited over as / thought would like the
company, and besides I had such yarns
about Indians attacking the trains poured
into my ears at Omaha, that thought the
more Of a crowd 1 went with the better 1
would like it. While was waiting for the
nd
would not let him 60 with me. At first l
did not like the idea, but he was pleasant
fellow, and 1 began to think that it would
be less lonesome to have pleasant chum.
So agreed that if he would put in share
of the grub and take care of the team he
might 20 along with me. was very
thankful that I had consented when the
long dreary days came, and long before we
reached this part of the country had learn
ed to look on him as a brother. we had
got our plans all fixed for the future, and
day after day would talk them over till
we felt that they were AS sure as the sun
rising. Our train was so large that 1t was
divided into two parts, and sometimes the
head division would get several miles ahead
of the other. Somewhere along here we
fell in with company of soldiers that had
been out through the country, scouting. 1t
was quite an excitement to us and we were
glad to learn from them that they had not
seen any signs of Indians. The next day
we pushed on in very good spirits, for we
had learned from the soldiers that there was
good feeding place short distance ahead.
We pushed on as fast as we could, as was
ambitious I was at the head with my team.
Our division was strung out for long dis
tance, and the other division was some
miles in the rear, as we had started early,
while they had waited to see the soldiers
drill. Just as | came to the top of the hill
like that one yonder l heard burst of
yells and the report of several rifles. was
riding in the back part of the wagon,
watching the long string of teams. grab
bed my rifle and jumped out. AS got
square on my feet there came another volley.
sawmy chum drop dead from his seat and
nigh horse had been hit, and he dropped
dead. The other plunged and snorted,
when there came another volley, and he fell
dead, and I felt a sharp tingle on my cheek,
and putting my hand up l found it covered
with blood. This brought me to my senses,
for stood perfectly transfXed with surprise
after reaching the ground. picked up the
ammunition that fell to the ground when !
jumped from the wagon, and turned and
ran towards the the other teams. We were
so completely taken by surprise that the
ed over the hill. Some had sense enough to
secure their guns, but it seemed impossible
to make stand. A man who was in the
rear of our division on horseback gallOped
back to the other division, and they at once,
under the direction of an old soldier, put
their wagons in a circle and began to make
a barricade, behind which they could pro-
tect their women and children. They start
ed couple of men on horseback back on
the trail to call the soldiers to their help.
We had hard time. We only saved two
teams and into these wagons we had put
the few women that were IN our division,
and leaving the dead who fell under the
fire, we managed to reach the barrlcade
that had been prepared. we would not
one of us have escaped had not the lndlans
stopped to catch our teams and to plunder
our wagons. When we reached our refuge
we got over our fright little, and when
the Indians came up we were ready 10 make
good fight. After some of them had been
shot they pulled off and began to hight at
long range. We noticed that their leader
was urging them to charge us, ana twice
he got a lot of them and came up very near,
but we made it hot for them and they 1ell
back, not, however, before we had seen
that the man leading them was Whlte
man with long red beard. We had been
mad before, but we were hundred times
madden at that white fellow.
''Four times in the fight l fired at MIN
and missed him, and I had had good chan,
ces, too, so was veXed and puzzled. About
4o'clock one of our men yelled "soldlers,'
and we cheered as we saw the body OF
troops off in the distance. The Indians
~lN~,r n