The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-11-02

dark % = starlight night for the ride
o. about thirty-fve miles. having every
reason 20 believe that there were two
hundred redskins proving between
the two points The first ten miles ]
made 1t = rattling pace, - my horse
was in fine fettle and scouting parties
had been out during the dry 20 intim-
idate the Indiana After that distance
had been covered checked the pace
and was alert
The best route lay along the bank Of
the stream. but as that would be the
route watched by the reds ! kept back
about mile. The post 70 which !
was going aad been attacked several
times. and i did not intend 70 APP
proach IL until daylight The sentinels
would be on the qui vive for Indians.
and the chances would be nine out OF
ten that they would fire upon me In
the darkness ! had plenty OF time.
therefore. and let my horse go Ut a
walk. We were In the open, and It
was nearly midnight when seven In
dians suddenly rode across my course.
My horse heard them coming and
stopped OF his own accord. aud they
passed 50 near that | could plainly
count the number. Had we been
broadside 70 them we might have been
seen, but rs we wcrc head on, and a.
they were going at canter. we were
undiscovered. just about mile further
on we walked right into the camp OF .
pioneer. who had pulled up stakes,
thrown his all into wagon. and was
bound for Kearney. The family con-
sisted Of seven persons, and every one
OF them were sound asleep. Talk
about luck. but they had travelled all
the day before without seeing an In
dian, and had campcd down here and
gone to sleep As coolly as the people
Of city 60 to bed. ! had TO get on
my horse to arouse the man. and when
IL told him that Indians had passed
within mile. and that he must hitch
mp and start out at once, he growled ut
being broken OF his sleep! He started.
however. and strangely enough. tho
whole outfit arrived safely at the fort
rode on to within two miles OF the
springs. and then dismounted and
waited two hours for daylight A
mist rose from the grass, and 1t had
| Just cleared and l had mounted and
advanced to the brow of rise. when
IL caught sight Of nine Indians on
horseback not over a quarter OF q
mile ahead. They had halted. and
were in consultation. and ! was not
seen. What followed is matter Of
frontier history. Singing my Win
chester over my back. and pulling my
reviewers / sounded my war-whoop
and charged the crowd. Three shots
were fired at me as charged. but in
five minutes had cleaned out the
crowd. killing three, badly wounding
| two others. and causing the rest TO
rattle away as II the devil were In
pursuit The dead and wounded were
carried into the post BY the men.
where one warrior died and the other
was later on sent to Fort Leavenworth
as prisoner. Had l made any other
move than what did / should have
lost my scalp
That same fall. late in the season.
while was scouting from Fort Larned
in the direction Of the Smoky Hill
fort Of the Kansas river. having a
pioneer with me. we suddenly came
upon signs OF a camp. As we turned
hill l saw an Indian pony picking at
the dead grass As he was saddled
knew that his master was near by. and
| il was likely that small party had dis
mounted to rest and eat their meat In
deed. we soon discovered the smoke Of
their fire. and there was no longer any
doubt about it. The hostiles had then
broken up into small parties and
we're heading for winter quarters.
and did not believe there were over
six or eight reds in this one. The
pioneer had begged to come with me
to secure revenge. rs all his family had
been butchered that summer. and
up TO this moment I had not doubted
his courage. Now that danger was
near his nerve went dead back on him,
and he even cried in his fright have
seen this happen to . truly brave man.
IL Is because his mind Il not strong
enough to control his nerve. II Il rs II
he had met with fall. and produced
nervous prostration. He would be no
good for . day or two. and although
he begged Of me to retreat. felt that
our safety required me to scatter that
band. He agreed 10 hide among the
rocks and let his horse charge with
mine, and he had his face to the earth
when / left I proceeded at walk
until close upon the pony we had seen.
Beyond him were five others. and be-
yond them was the camp fire. As soon
A. the pony saw Us he started on at a
trot. and then drew my rcvolvers
and charged. The pioneers horse gal
loped beside me, and the Indian ponies
made dash right through the camp.
! was indebted to them for this action.
for 1t threw the redskins into con-
fusion. The affair did not last three
"a