The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-10-22
THE SCOUTS STORY.


How Tom White Treated Two Indians to
n Little Surprise.
81 was 3 scout and hunter for Fort
Stanton. in New Mexico, for couple of
seasons" said Tom White. The fort is
on one Of the upper branches of the
Bonita river, with spur of the SOledad
mountains to the north and east. In
juns were pretty thick and mighty mean.
though they made q pretense of being
at peace, and more or less of 'em were
lying around the fort all the time. l
had the first Winchester rifle ever seen
in that locality, and the redskins just
tumbled over each other in their efforts
to buy the gun. They offered me three
times the value of it, but it was pres
ent from an old friend, and / couldn't
let it 60. knew enough of Injun natur.
however, to feel sartin that some of the
bucks would lay for me and shoot me
down to get possession of the gun. and,
therefore, when went out On hunt or
with dispatches had to observe just as
many precautions rs if actual war
existed. 1 lodged two or three
put up jobs TO murder me, and
luck had made me sort O. reckless,
when was brought up with a round
turn. had wounded a deer in the
foothills airly one morning. and was
pushing on after him as hard as could
go, when q bullet knocked my cap off,
and heard two Injuns give tongue. In
about five seconds I was lying Hat on
my face behind big rock. and in five
more had made out that the two reds
were behind another rock, fifteen rods
away, with nary bush or stone between
us. Only one had fired at me, and he
had aimed ut my head. 1t was all out
and-out ambush. but as the chap who
fired had missed his target and allowed
ME to secure cover, the advantage now
rested with me in several points. l
had the most shots, l was on higher
ground. the bushes grew quite up to
my back, while they had open ground
all around 'em. l chuckled away to
myself when l had tiggered out the lay
of the ground. and made up my mind
in few minits that there was q sartin
tribe of Indians in New Mexico who'd
miss two bucks from its ranks before
he sun hit twelve o'clock that day.
ITO be sartin sure that they were lay
ing fur me l got hold of a stick and
pulled in my cap and elevated it, and
one of 'em sent a bullet through it
qu;cker'n wink. Then called out and
told 'em who I was, but they yelled
and jeered at me in reply. Their plan
was to keep one load always ready fur
me. while the other fellow blazed away
every minute, to show me that they
were in airnest. His bullets Clipped
the rock all around, but l was as safe
as if in the fort. l let 'em fool around
for half an hour, and then worked my
way backward through the bushes. took
. half-circle, and presently hit spot
not over three hundred feet behind 'em
from which could see the pair as plain
as day. Both were on their knees, the
one holding his fire for me to raise up.
and the other blazing away as fast as
he could load. had 'em foul. and the
idea of two thoroughbred Injuns being
jackasses enough to try to bluff me in
that way made me grin all over. l
could have shot 'em down at once, but
l waited awhile to enjoy the situation.
One of 'em was buck named Cloudy
Day. and the other was called Out-in-
the-Rain. Both were at tho fort tho
previous day trying to buy the gun.
and protesting the greatest friendship
for me.
Il waited about ten minutes. and
then l drew up and sent bullet into
Cloudy Days spine. He tumbled back
ward, and I'll wager he didn't kick
twice. The shot, of course, alarmed the
other, and he sprang to his feet and
looked around. He started tn bolt, but
| called to him to halt, and stood there
a fair mark and shouted TO him to shoot.
l didn't want to knock him over in cold
blood. you see. He drew up his gun
and blazed away, but the bullet went
wild. Then he threw down his gun and
started to run, but he hadn't gone ten
feet before l tumblcd him over. left
the carcasses lying there and overlook
my deer and carried him into fort.
There was a sub-ehief there named
Small Horse, and after bit asked him
if he knew where Out-in-the-Rain and
Cloudy Day were summering. He said
he expected to see them at the fort that
and told him to prepare his
mind for disappointment. The bodies
we're found, and a hundred different
bucks swore to have my life. but I'm
still living and in good health, and was
never even fired on again. IN y
Sun.
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