The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-04-23
A PRospECToR.s STORY.

was prospecting for gold in Western
Washington, near the Idaho line and
about twenty miles north of Snake
river. Suddenly heard shot. follow
ed by several others. l turned, and,
much to my establishment, saw scarcely
200 yards away, fifty mounted Blackfoot
Indians in full war paint. InvOluntar-
lily took run toward the bluff, and
over it went. I struck twice going
down, and landed without being severe
ly hurt. The Indians came bowling
like pack of hyenas to the edge, and
shot at me over the precipice. The
bluff curved inwardly and took up my
station behind two large rocks and was
master of the situation. 1t was a nat
ural fertilization. The Indians went
down the bluff, and, concealinS them
selves, commenced firing, keeping it up
through the night.
The next morning they resumed oper.
atoms bright and early, and about noon
sent one to the happy hunting grounds.
would place my hat on q stick and
hold it above the rock and they would
bang away and then peer round to see
the effects of their shots. The fellow
plunked showed too much of his red
hide, and let him have it. / fired
about twenty-five shots that day. Twas
afraid, you see, that my ammunition
would run out. At z o'clock that eve.
ming they made grand rush, and
worked my Henry rifle like steam,
pump, and the way she threw the bull.
lets was q caution. / made dummy
out of my coat and hat, and they nearly
ruined both when held it above the
rock. Then l let it fall, and they
thought was goner, and made rush
to scalp me.
Three Blackfeet turned up their toes
before the rush was stopped, and when
the blood-thirsty wretches got back into
the brush the way they threw the lead
against the rocks sounded like hail
storm. and it actually made my haii
stand on end.
The third day of the siege thought
would try 'em all night and then try to
get away. This revived me to keep ur
the fight The moon came up bright
and clear, and was in their favor for
seeing my position, and at $50 they
made charge on me with all their
force. l fired thirty-two shots into the
advancing horde of devils, and am sure
made two good Indians before they
retreated. My position was almost i'm.
pregnable. They retreated sullenly,
and then remained very quiet. After
IL o'clock the only thing that told me
they were there was the occasional
cracking of dry twig as the weary
watchers slightly moved their positions.
BY II o'clock even this ceased. My
enemies had evidently become tired and
gone to sleep. BY o'clock the moon
had got behind them, which was an
advantage to me, and thought it was
time for me to mosey. 1t took me two
hours to crawl 800 yards, which was the
drawn in a semi-circle around the posi-
ton occupied. l had my gun cooked
and in such position that l could in.
stantly blow my brains out if / saw that
was about to be captured. The brush
was dry, and the slightest motion would
make it crackle. The minutes seemed
ages of torture. l PASSED within ten
feet of four Indians. Two were on the
ground in their blankets fast asleep,
and two watchers were sitting alongside
of each other, also fast asleep. The ex.
IRENE peril / was in almost paralyzed
me- but l glided like snake past them,
although could scarcely restrain an
impulse to kill the wretches right there
and then. This perilous crawl was what
turned my hair gray. l had never
known what fear actually was till then.
/ felt the awful peril of my position sc
keenly that it seemed at times as though
my heart actually stopped beating and
that the blood curdled in my veins.
Finally, thank God, l got far enough
away so that could get up and run like
a man, instead of crawling like a snake.
and how l did 60 it. kept up my lick
until o'clock the next day, when
struck q prospector's camp and got
something to eat. Then l pushed on
to Fort Colville. where found my part
ner, Logan, had preceded me. That's
how my hair turned gray in an hour
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