, 1886-02-11
FROM LANDER.
A Couple of Horse Thieves Run
Down by Indians.

both of these men bore very fair charac-
ters. McKray was foreman, a few years
ago, for the large cattle firm Of Carter
Brothers, on the Sinking Water, and was
looked upon as an active and honest man.
His activity. however, has lately largely
increased at the expense of his honesty.
Armstrong has been n cowboy on these
northern ranges, in good standing, for II
number OF years. Last summer, late in
the season, the two men were out of
work, loaiing about the cattle
ranches Of the Upper Wind river.
About the LIST of September they
turned up missing, and a short time after
ward it was found that six head of horses
belonging to stockmen OF the section were
also gone. No suspicion seems to have
attached to McKray and Armstrong at
the time, and only recent developments
suggested that they and the missing stock
disappeared together.
On leaving Wind river McKray and
Armstrong proceeded to the Gray Bull
valley, in the Big Horn basin, and built a
cabin on that stream, in which to pass the
winter. Here they remained quiet until
about n month 400 when thew MANNED
and carried ont a raid on tho horses of
the Crow Indians. The particular herd
selected for depletion was that of
plantv Coos a wealthy and woIl
Known Crow cbief encamned At that t;me
with his large collov;ns on prvor's craeL
in tho sor,hern corner of tho Grow reser.
vation Tho raid was well nl,nned and
vioorous,v carried out 6Gv head of
monies be;rc tho s,o;ls Rrt tho thieves
had IN deal with \ cbie0oin who un;tes
the energy IF tbe white man IN tho cun.
ning of Tho Indian PLENTY Coos was moi
IN bo nlunderod with ;mnup;,v and bo
and his red riders were soon in swift
nnrsuit In ,be meor,;no tho thieves
had recrossed tho resorvat;on line and
were nrg;no their stolen monies 10 tho
sou,b Uol,;ng for an bo,r's ros,
on the hanks ot SAGE creek tbev ,radod
five head of ,bc Grow Monies IN somo
brn,ers They tbon movod ON eow
m;les and l;Iled Won ,l;ng stoer
helong;nc 10 Mason & Lowell tho veil.
known cattle kings Of the section While
butcherinp the animal thew were sur.
prised bv the hunters with whom they
had 80 recently traded horses. Taking
the hunters at first for some Of Lowell,s
outit he thieves stood their ground with
presented Wincbesters. They soon dis.
covered their mistake and snf fered tho
hunters TO anproacb. Armstrong who
formerly worked for the Lowell outfit
rrimlv exclaiming I'VE tbougbt old Low
ell was with Won. and if he had been. I
would have killed him sure." Packing
nm the fresh meat the thieves were
soon under weigh again. con~pratplating
themselves that no SIGNS of Indian nursp;t
had vet -anneared They looked the
wrong way however PLENTY Coos was
not behind them. be was in front oi them
Making n wide detour. he had thrown his
warriors into a clump of oottonwoods di.
rectly across the course of the fugit1ves.
and the cbueklinr thieves rode straight
into the ambush The cleaning barrels
and gan;ne mnzzles Of seventoon Win.
cbesters very suddenly and empbat;calIv
told Messrs McKrav and Armstronq that
tho game was nm plenty Coos shared
the lives IF his c~antivos and ave tbem a
couplo IF ,be;r own horses n r;dc o,yov
on II ,nne,rs that McKrov and Arm.
strong had talon seven ar c;cbt
horses With ,bom On tho raid II
ia now ,houcbt that tbese borsos
oro Identical Win those stolon from tbo
Wind river stocLuen in Santomhor las,
Tho Cr,w agent has hcen addressed IN
tho spbiect but as vet no answer has
been received nv the aptbor;ties here On
being released bv tbe Indians. the two
rustlers pushed on IN their GRAY Bull
cabin where tbev were almost immedi-
atelv arrested for the slaughter If LoweIrs
v~eorl;no Tbev wero scut in here
y" 80
! nlIA nnh nEn hnNU I'M IAH