Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-02-05

where / lay fat down, was an opening
through which l could thrust my Win.
chester and fire while fully protected. 1
expected the dog would be my first visitor, |
placed on the rocks directly over me, and
let go OF the rifle for the hunting knife.
had just turned my back when low ven9e- |
ful growl from the animal came up the
gorge. He had been let loose! Iheard his
saw the hat, growled sayagely, and next
instant was in, the air above me, the hat in
his teeth. 1planted the knife Just back Of
his fore legs, and when he struck the ground |
he hadn't life enough to roll over.
l Tanted to fill the dog without alarm, |
not more than, two hundred feet away,
were not disturbed. With the dog gone
the men could 20 longer trail US if we got
outside. Believing they would hesitate
some time before trusting themselves in the
strengthening the breastwork and i~ncreas-
ing the height, When l had used up all the
loose rocks within convenient distance, the |
defense was one which a company of in |
fantry would have hesitated to attack.
It was a long half hour before l detected |
any movement down the gorge, and then
che hrst thing seen was a flag of truce,
made by tying a handkerchief to a long |
stick. The man who carried it waved the
flag IN q vigorous manner, and came for
o. "AHN oIOW ollu uSSlUhLlUK 6V9DS, i I0L
him come within thirty feet Of the breast
work before showing myself, as l could not
be certain that it was not a ruse to expose
me to the bullets of his companions. AS he
caught sight Of me he approached to within
fifteen feet and halted.
"Who are you, and what's wanted?"
asked.
II am a friend, and want to talk with
The RAN was squat, broad-shouldered,
aud 1-:1 1@@ls~- >-L w. -
pleasant really distorted his features.
"Well, what do you want to saym
1.-THE Mormons are after you. There are
about fifty outside. They don't want any
fuss with you, Ifyoa will go on East they
Won L put q IS straw in your way, but they
What women and horses!"
"You have two horses belonging to them.
l can see them over there. The women you
took out Of a cave in the other valley"
and il l won'tgive them ups" asked.
prospector like yourself, and as one who
wants to live to get back to the States, I
horses.s
go back to yo@ gang and tell 'em to do
ties, and know YOU for the biggest villain
of all, and the next one of you who comes
within range will get a bullet"
He could see the women asleep on the
blankets, and the horses staked out beyond.
For a second or two his yes roamed over
the basin as il in search Of the dog, and he
then turned without a word and walked out
Of sight.
What would followi The men had located
me sure enough, and they were four to one.
Would they dare make a rush up the gorge
at my breastwolk! Ibid not believe they
would. Could they attack me from above?
would not give them credit for being
brave enough to make their way over such
dangerous ground. They had us penned up,
and could bide their time, and would be in
no hurry to bring things to a climax by OK
posing themselves.
about FIVE O'Clock without hearing the
slightest movement from the Danites. AT
that time the women awoke and Joined me,
and as soon as l had put them in posses
sion Of the news they brought the two car
bines to me, that I might explain the work
selves in a very short time, and then calmly
took their places beside me. Neither
seemed more excited than the average man
would hive been under the circumstances,
and both strongly. declared that, sooner
than fall into the hands of the Danites,
they would end their own lives.
Before it grew dark, one of the women
prepared supper and we ate it under
shelter of the defence. Then came tho
question Of preparing for the night: Under
cover Of the intense darkness in the gorge
at midnight The men might creep up to the
very breastwork without being seen. To
prevent this l climbed.over and constructed
an abattis from such small trees as I could
break downo or uproot. TIL women brought
me more material from the other side,
and l soon had an obstruction which
the Danites could not remove nor surmount
without creating an alarm.
The women remained awake until mid
night, but about that hour, the ~nighthaving
been without alarm, both dropped of to
sleep, sitting with their backs to Che breast
work. Fifteen minutes later l became
satisfied that the Danites were creeping up
defle that l could not hope to see them,
even if they reached the abattis, and III gave
my whole attention to listening. Now n
then I heard tire crack Of a twig as they
crept forward, and by and by knew that
they had halted at the, abattis. This was
an unexpected obstruction, and in their
chagrin they cursed in whispers loud enough
to give their presence away. They remained
in front of the obstruction a full quarter of
an hour, and then retired without having
made the least effort to remove it.
fhe remainder of the night passed with
out the least alarm, and the sun had been
up about half an hour before l heard from
the Danites again. The same man, with the
same flag of truce, appeared in the gorge
and shouted that he wished to make a
proposition, and added:
1--WE nave been reinforced, and it is use
less for you to expect to escape"
By way of reply 1 showed the rife over
the breastwork for a shot at him, and he
disappeared as if the ground had swallowed
him up
I then called a council of war. The
women were so brave that their opinions
were worth knowing, especially as they
knew the characteristics of the Danites
better than l did.
II will tell you what they will attempt to
do" said the eldest, in response to my in.
quiry. "It is their purpose to kill you and
secure possession Of us women and the
animals. They haven't the patience to
wait and starve us out, because we could
subsist here for months. # there were
only four of them yesterday, there are
only four to-day, although, if we ta1ry here
too long, they might summon reinforce
ments. They can attack US from above,
and they dare not make a rush up the
gorge. During the day they will cut grass
and make four large, tight bales. When
ing these bales ahead OF them. The wind
blows up the gorge, and if they set fire to
the abattis all the smoke and fame will be
driven this way, much to their advantage.
II we do not leave the gorge before night
we are lost"
"And 1 have been thinking of another
matter" said the other. yesterday you