Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-01

which he lay. and / knew that it was his
voice had heard calling. There were
NO Indians about us except hostlles,
and Just before the snow came they
had killed two men belonging to our
camp. We had no fear of them after
winter set in. knowing that they stuck
close to their villages. Here was a
redskin, however. and in full war
paint; but had no sooner found him
than I saw that he was dead. though
his body was still warm. He had been
mauled in q terrible manner. both
legs being broken, his head all bloody
from an injury. and his right arm
doubled under him as if broken. ]
could see the butt of his rife sticking
out of the snow, but when pulled at
it found the barrel missing. 1t had
been w-enched off got his tomahawk
and knife, however, together with pow
der horn and bullet pouch, and when
had pulled the body along aud crept
beyond it. I caught sight of mecca
sin in the snow and dirt 1t took me
an hour to unearth the body. which
was that of second warrior. The
life had been crushed out of him in a
second. The mass of rock which had
come down with him had broken every
bone in his body, and a great share of
his face had been ground of. His
rifle could not find. while both knife
and tomahawk were broken. While
searching his cold and battered body l
found buckskin bag containing about
three hundred dollars worth of small
nuggets of gold. and this gave me a
hint to overhaul the other. l also got
from him bag containing about two
hundred dollars worth of dust and
nuggets, and in the search / found at
tached to his belt a white mans scalp.
which had not been off the victims
head over two days. They must have
been in ambush part way up the
mountain. intent upon taking the her
mit's scalp. and but for the avalanche
they might have had mine as we'll
The day had gone by the time I had
overhauled the second Indians body.
Being at work the hours had passed
swiftly away, and had not given my
self any time to brood over the horrors
Of the situation. After supper sat in
front of the fire for awhile, then wrote
up my daily journal. and when went
to bed l left the door wide open. It
seemed to me that the air was getting
foul down there. and by opening the
door the room was greatly purified. 1t
was midnight, as l afterward came to
know, and the fire was all out, when
some noise in the room startled me. /
sat up in bed and was soon convinced
that some one or some living thing be-
side myself was present l could hear
a labored breathing. together with
sounds as of some one pulling himself
along the floor, and climbed over the
foot of the bed and lighted the candle.
What was my amazement to find third
savage in the cabin! He had quite
reached the side of the bed. and had got
out that way, as usual, he would have
at least wounded me, for he had his
naked knife in his hand and was bent
on murder. The Ratchet was at hand,
but did not need weapon. The
warrior had been dreadfully hurt, and.
as Investigation had proved. had been
buried just beyond the other two.
Wien left the ,dics he had dug his
way to my tunnel, and then pulled
himself along to the door, intending to
have my life as l slept. When bafiled
in this, he glared at me with all the
hate a human heart can betray. He
was crushed at the hips, and none but
Il savage could have accomplished
what he did. could have killed him
at a single blow, but the horrible work
was spared me. Death was already
Deside him. and as I stood and looked
down upon him. candle in hand. he
uttered faint war-whoOp. and fell
over. dead. When was sure that life
had departed l dragged him into the
tunnel and shut and barred the door.
and SO upset had my nerves become
by the adventure that did not sleep
again that night
In the morning I excavated a hole
near where the two bodies lay. and
pushed the three into it, and packed the
snow over them. Then began running
a tunnel for the ledge in front of the
cabin. and had gone about twenty feet
when the second night came. Early
in the third day I had to abandon this
tunnel on account of a cave-in which
nearly smothered me. Then turned
to the right to come out down the val
ley. and 1 was still at this work when
the first week closed. Early in the
second week Twas stopped by q bank
of rocks and earth. and when tho
second week closed / was drifting . |
tunnel to the left 1t was slower work |
than you would think for The snow
was packed very solid. and all ! dug
out had to be thrown behind me, and !