The Red Cloud chief., 1886-02-05

valley suddenly broadened or de-
bouched into another. This larger val
ley opened in from the broad plains.
and was . mile long. l had no sooner
rounded q mass Of rock and earth and
brought the larger valley into view
than my ears were greeted with a terri
bic yell. Right before me. and not
over a quarter of a mile away. were
seven or eight Indians surrounding a
small camp fire. with their ponies graz
ing nea by.
At such a time as that men think and
act quickly. II I ran back up the val.
lev such action would my
camp and lose my animals. There was
no place at hand to make . successful
defence, with the odds so much agains:
me. As the Indians sprang to their
| feet / turned to the right and dashed
into . ravinc opening into the mount
| ain Itself. There was a stream running
down it from the melting snow. but
presently l found q fairly beaten path
running along the ravinc and winding
through the trees and around rocks.
Knowing that my life was at stake. I
put forth every effort to reach q de-
fensive spot.
When l had gone up the rav;ne three
hundred feet l found further progress
impossible. Right before me was an
opening into which = man horseback
could have entered. while the width
vas all Of twenty feet. l dashed into
the place to find myself in a large
chamber. The light was very dim. but
I saw WI drifts leading OIL from this
into the mountain. Twas after a secure
hiding place. and dashed into the right
! hand drift without q moments hcsita-
! ton.
The Indians were so close on ms
heels As 1 entered the dark drift tina.
the foremost n opened fire with his
revolver, and the whole pack yelled
like fiends. The reader who has seen the
entrance to a coal mine, slanting into
the darkness from the start, can form
an idea of the drift l had plunged into.
The grade was very steep, and the bot
tom so rough that I fell down twice in
going twenty-five feet. That was as
far as I went. The drift was not over
three feet wide. and only one Indian
could come in at \ time.
They did not exactly understand the
situation anG Were eager to overhaul
me-. As turned at bay, the foremost
Indian was entering the drift. While
he was looking into the darkness l was
looking toward the light, and the first
sl:ot from my revolver pierced his brain
and killed him as dead As 4 stone. AS
he fell / fired again, and wounded the
warrior behind him. knew this from
the way the fellow yelled out. 1t was
wonderful how quick their enthusiasm
cooled down. They had i,Oled me up.
but at the same time discovered that Twas
not defenseless. Their safety obliged
them to get out of range. and in doing
this they could not shoot into she drift
and hit me with a chance bullet
All now became as silent ~ death.
and MOI a move was made for a quarter
of an hour. l had made \ temporary
escape. but by no means congratulated
myself that they would abandon their
efforts. How far back the drift eX-
tended l had no means of knowing.
and instead OK seeking to ascertain. l
crept to within ten feet of the mouth.
l had 4 Winchester and two revOlvers.
and could have killed Indians ALI day
long had they sought to enter the drift.
But one warning was enough. Fhey
knew of \ safer way to get at me.
Nv and by l heard the crackliAg of
flames and smelled smoke. and directly
after that = he.D of burning brush was
pushed to the entrance of the drift
with n long pole. They Were going to
smoke me ont, l confess to making
up my mind that my hours were num-
bered. but 1 had given way to despair
too soon. The draught of the DRIFT was
outward into the chamber. AS might
have been expected. and not a Whit of
smokr could be driven in at me. The
! came was soon abandoned FOR another.
A rock large enough to furnish cover
! for an Indian was rolled to the mouth
of the drift. and a redskin got behind it
and began firing into my cover. BY re-
treating a few feet and lying Hat down
l was safe from his bullets. He fired
sixty-eight times before he hauled of.
They couldn't say that l had been
killed. and the proper way to prove
that l hadn't been Was to send a war
rior in with a lighted torch to ask me.
He had scarcely entered the drift when
l banged into him. and dropped him.
He fell so near the mouth that his COM
panions sought to draw him out. and !
wounded one of them in the arm.
had killed two and wounded two.
and knew that not over four sound
ones remained. l was wondering II i,
wouldn't be the best plan to dash ont
a: them with my revolvers. when a
series of yells. shouts. screams and
growis filled the chamber beyond me.
Then followed five or six shots. more
growls and yells. ard rs KEEP; my eye
on the opening l caught a glimpse OF
a grizzly bear and a warrior s.rug-
Cling. In five minutes from the first
sound there WAS no other noise than
that Of low growing and the click o!