Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-17

midsble mode of attack. One OF
the men was soon severely wound
ed, and May Maxwell got an arrow
through her foot. About noon an
Indian, who had been observed
smoking all forenoon on hill near
the fort, suddenly rose up and
walked down toward it. He kept
on until within sixty yards of the
breastworks when he suddenly fell
dead, pierced by bullet from old
Maxwesl's gun. He was probably
q medicine man who had lied so
long and so much to the Indians
that he came to believe his own
lies and thought that the white
men could not hit him with bul.
let.
AS soon as the medicine man
fell the Indians drew of and held
council. They seemed to think
the only way now was to watch the
garrison and starve it out. Creep.
ing up close to the works and pick
citing the stream they began their
patient siege. Not head or hand
in the garrison could be raised
without a bullet beng fired at 1t.
The besieged had to lie close but
old Maxwell raised the devil about
midnight by making sudden at
tack, and the Indians, thinking he
was coming sure enough, ran OF
a little. Next morning Maxwell
surprised the sayages by building
q large fire, showing them he had
wood and water. Mrs. Maxwell
had also had tent put up and
the Indians observed the condition
of the garrison was much improv-
ed. as II they liked it and were 60
ing to stay there and fight it out,
if il took all summer. Dashing
down on the fort, they fired over a
hundred shots at the tent, but
Mrs. Maxwell bravely stood her
ground and quietly went on with
her cooking. The Indians circled
around the besieged for nearly an
hour, but il was observed they did
not fire much.
"They are getting ont OF amuni-
ton, )" said Maxwell. "Let US give
them q bluff" and, jumping up, all
the men poured in a steady and
rapid fire for q few minutes. The
| reds tell back and cOunciled again,
and then one of them came down
and called out: "Good.by; we are
going now"
"Don't,r cried Maxwell. "Give
us one more good fight before you
go; do" The Indian could be
heard laughing as he called back:
"Highl high You are heap
much too brave !"
"Who are you people 2" asked
Maxwell.
"Sioux and Nez Perces,' he re-
piled, "good men, but you are too
tough for US. Good-by."
'Ts it on the square :" asked one
of the men of Maxwell.
81 guess so,r he said, shut we
will take no chances, and keep
close"
The Indians then rode off. Max
we'll and his little party kept close
to the fort, but never saw an In
dian again. They had killed eight
reds in the fight, and only two Of
their men were wounded. During
the battle Mr.. Maxwell had a close
call, a Dall cutting away a lock of
his hair, and another one grazing
his Jaw. Mrs. Maxwell had q ball
wound in her arm another carried
away part of her shoe.
The man Maxwell sent out on
4 the first night Of the siege reached
Fort Keogb in safety, and Col.
Baker with a party of cavalry was
at once sent to the relief of the
beleaguered little garrison. He
reached there the day after the In.
dams left and found Maxwell and
his party enjoying themselves. He
brought them back to Miles City,
where they were Toasted by the
citizens and made much of. Mr..
Maxwell gaveup all idea OF settling
on the Little Missouri and. became
a citizen of Miles City. He was
the pioneer in starting a line of
stages from Miles to Deadwood by
way of the Tongue river, and l
think is running them STILL
Chicago Times.
Moses Williams, of Brooklyn