Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-10-26
A PERlL0US RIDE
Experiences Carrying Dispatches.
Jack B0b'S Thrilling Narrative of a
hairbreadth Escape.
San Francisco Examiner.

fighter, Jack Bob" ana informed him |
that the readers of the Examiner would |
be pleased TO hear of soms OF his sdvau-
turss.
wal, mister" he said, puffpg vigor-
ously at short, black pips, = hev had |
some tolahle tough times and go mis- !
take. The wGst or EN- was IN '6S, when |
the Sioux was on the warpath. I Was to |
Fort Casper, Wyoming, in the arly |
part OF the summer, and Commander |
Freelynghysen engaged me TO carry dis
patches from thar ter Fort Phil Kearney |
an back. 1t was allowed ter be a mighty |
resky job, fer Red Clouds war parties |
was jest tU- rim themselves lsose ana |
he'd killed no end er dispatch-cafriors |
and COW -punchers thes spring; but he |
greed ter ne so ib'cai eff ! made on ter |
do it, tibet told him fn'iy thet wss his |
huckleberry; I'd make y try fer it, any
how. he'd ny pick er the bosses at the !
fort, an took rattler-ez fine q piece ev
boss flesh ez ever draw'd breath. KCow'd |
morn a man! 1t was g bright mornin'
when l Euk leave on EN- at the fort
reckon they didn't ever 'sPect ter see ms
agin-an' sot out on my triP. Jest back
ey my saddle l packed Q little chuck an
canteen ev ~ater, rolled mp in q Navajo
blanket; an l kerried Springfield rife
an siI-sh0oter.
Il made bout 55 miles afore sunset,
'thout SEEM no Injun sign an made
camp at AIkali Springs, in g little arroyo
or gully, what folks calls a coalee in this
part ev the country. Wal, hedn't more'n
tux off my saddle an' staked out my boss,
when two IUjuas, ell paint and feathers.
what he'd been hid in the tail grass on the
other side ev the arroyo, popped up their
heads an begin cuttin' loose on me. 1t
kincer ratified me, tell yo, it was SO sud
dint; bat [ throwd myself down benin
my saddle, brung my gun 10 bar on 'em,
and let 'em have it. They dropped out ev
2ight qUicker'R HI ever scorched q
feather an crawled away, for l could see
the grass m0vin' like snakes vas a goin'
through it. l waited bout half e minute
20 see If they showed up agin, then sad
died up an lit out fer Crazy Womau's
Fork. Bout two hours ridin' bringed ne
ter the foot er the hill, jest this side of it,
an thar-in course it was plumb dark
[ run right or ter big Injun camp
bout rs lodges of 'eU, I reckon-not
more'n 500 yards from me. Their dogs
begin TO bark, an l turned an rid back to
the top er the hill ter make e trv at
r0undiD' the bluff. A few hundred yards
from thar, in the creek bottom, some
lniUus what had run out from the
camp afoo: begin yellin' an firm
cius TO me, an I give my boss the
cElsV an KEEP along ciu5 ter the bluff,
iist saiin', some er the varmints
folleriL' me Eve miles or mare, I shud
say, KEEP on 10 or II mile more, reckon,
aforo stopjn' more'n so mile I'd rid since
leavin' the tort-then stgked nv boss
':hout takia' eff the saddle; stretched out
he l,.sr on sIO
The sun was Jest 4 comm Cy when ! sot
out agin, eatIn' my chuck-bread and
dried vents an-ez I rid along. Nothin'
with speakin' IF happened that day, an
bout 10 O'CLOCK in the eyenin' rid inter
Forth Rene. The people at the tort he'd a
Idee thar was sey'ra! er Red Clouds war
parties 'twix thar an Phil Kearney, an
the commander would not let me star.
on ag'in till o'clock the next day.
knoRed my scalp rested ii my boss bein'
good trim, an bout Is mile from
Reno, COMM ter O. fine putch o. buff
faler grass, cluster deep rayiue, l made
camp. [ hedn'6 been thar but a few
minutes when six 1njuns-a Ute kuntin'
party, lreokon they was-rid up out err
the rayine, an begun maxim signs that
thsy was friendly. 1t was terrible lucky
for me they was, fur they wasn't more'n
so yards away when L just ketched sight
of EN-, an if they'd been hostile I'd he'd
hard work gettin' clear of 'em. [ let 'em
come up, an though l could not I'M
derstau' jest what they said. | made out
tibet I'd better look sharp arter my scalp,
ez thar was lots er bad Injuns bout.
l felt tol'able sartin in my own
mind they was right, and in a few
minutes sitter they left, saddled up on an
KEEP on. l rid kinder mod'rate till day
light, an then made camp, my boss show
in signs er bein' tuckered. Ez fur myself,
! was plumb wore out, an stakin' my
boss, l lair down on the open per-airie-I
dursent camp near water--an' was asleep
less II no time. The sun was poorly high
bout 10 O'Clock, I-rekou-when [ rous-
cd IN saddled up. Long bout noon I
he'd ter climb high butte-it I'D hev Tux
mo g consid' able out er my way ter 90
roun' it-and jest ez come ter the top
l come in sight er six NUNS bout q mile
away, chasin' a herd er buffaler bulls.
They kitched sight er ms ter onct, an
sep'ratin', three on 'em went round the
bluff an three come straight fur me.
sent my boss down the steep hill ez lively
ez l dUrst-It was all covered with boEl'
der an loose rocks-and reached the bot
tom all right; then pushed on hopin' ez
how I'd give 'em the slip, but less n
mile from thar-jest ez | was comm ter
little bluff covered with scrub pine-the
three Injuns what had gone roun'
the bluff come right out in front er
me. 1 couldn't turn back an motion
cd FIR 'em ter keep off, but they
made break fur me with their
guns skinned! When they was within
about so feet er me, I let 'em have If, twict
with my six-shTOter, wingin' one or 'em
l think, ar checkin' 'em up little. Then
I give my boss the spurs-I moant it,
you bet yer sweet life!-an' went by 'em
on tAe dead jump, one on EN- Jest mis-
sim my boss foreshoulder with lance !
ez [ went by. It was q narrer squeal. |
you hear me-the narrerest I ever he'd !
I was not long in leavin' of 'em behind
fact. do not think they tried Ter foier
me. I mgda Little Piney crsek bout |
O'Clock in the evenin', an STAGED thar till |
dark, ter git rested; then started fur the !
Fort, wantin', in course, fer reach thar |
arter dark. He'd rode eff p'raps half & !
mile, when a big party er Iniuns come |
swoopin' down on me-, a'mCst afore | |
knowd it Turnin' my boss | rid back !
ter the creek jest kitin', crossed it AID |
rid up onter q bluff bout two mile above |
it. FTum thar, there beiu' young moon |
l could see the Iniuus movin' bout near
the crossin', plainly tc fault. After a
while they crossed the creek back again !
an, rode straight Of towards the fCrt. 1 |
waited thar few minutes an then KEEP |
on, keepin my eyes skinned q sharp ez |
knowed how. Bout midnight come
Big Piney creek, On'y five mile from Phil
Kearuey, but couldn't find the crossih',
both sides of it bein' covered thick with
willows, an SO made Gp my mind ter
strike fur the regular cEcssin' down the
creek. l went DOM to it, an vas Jest
agoin'ter cross when 7 herd d gs ebark.
in and Iniuns yelliu' On theyo side, an
turnir' roun', rid straight up inter the
mountains, foI!0win' the course er the |
creek. The Iniuns. thought doubt
heerd ne czmin' do@G 10 the creek, an
followed me by thcr SCUM er my
boss feet Qike enough it IVES the
same party I see afore, tryir' Ter
head n of from the for.), an jest ez I
crossed the creek, at the cid aood road,
two or three guns flashed clus 20 me, an
the bullets come zip! zip! rouG' ny care.
The Tnjaus was in the open, beyon' lot
er Jagged rocks n the creek bottom, an
the way lit Cffea my hoss an scurried
down 'mong the rocks vas er caution ter
snakes-fUr 1 bnow'd afOre l could git