Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-01
A PERlLOUS RIDE
Experiences Carrying Dispatches.
Jack B0b's Thrilling Narrative Of
Hairbreadth Escape.
San Francisco Examiner.

"Wal, mister" he said, putting vigor-
ously at a short, black pipe, II hev had
some toPable tough times and no mis-
take. The wust on 'em was IN '68, 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. It was allowed ter be a mighty
| resky Job, fer Red Clouds war parties
was Jest tUZnin' themselves loose, and
he'd killed no end er dispatch-carriers
and COW -punchers thet spring; but he
greed ter me so lib'ral eff I made out ter
do it, thet told him fn'ly tibet / was his
huckleberry; I'd make try fer it, any
how. he'd my pick er the bosses at the
fort, an took rattler-ez fine a piece ev
hoss-fesh eZ ever draw'd breath. Know'd
morn man! It was a bright mornin'
when | TUX leave on 'em at the fort
reckon they didn't ever 'spect ter see me
agin-an' sot out on my trip. Jest back
ev my saddle I packed a little chuck an a
canteen ev water, rolled up in a Navajo
blanket; an kerried Springfield rifle
an a six-shooter.
"I made bout 55 miles afore sunset,
camp at Alkali Springs, in little arroyo
or gully, what folks calls coalee in this
part ev the country. Wal, / hedn't more'n
tux off my saddle an staked out my boss,
when two Iujuns, all paint and feathers,
what he'd been hid in the tall grass on the
other side ev the arroyo, popped up their
heads an begin cuttin' loose on me. It
kineer ratified me, tell yo, it was so sud
dint; but [ throwd myself down benin
my saddle, brung my gun to bar on 'em,
and let 'em have it. They dropped out ev
sight quicker'n hi ever scorched a
feather an crawled away, for could see
the grass movin' like snakes was goin'
through it. I waited bout half minute
to see if they showed up agin, then sad
died up an lit out fer Crazy Woman's
Fork. Bout two hours ridin' bringed m
ter the foot er the hill, jest this side of it,
an thar-in course it was plumb dark
L run right on ter a big Injun camp
bout IS lodges of 'em, [ reckon-not
more'n 500 yards from me. Their dogs
begin to bark, an turned an rid back to
the top er the hill ter make try at
roundup the bluff. A few hundred yards
from thar, in the creek bottom, some
Injuns what had run out from the
camp afoot begin yellin' an firm
clus to me, an 1 give my boss the
cuisJ an KEEP along clus ter the bluff,
jist a sailin', some er the varmints
folleriL' me FIVE miles or mere, I shud
say, [ KEEP on 10 or II mile more, reckon,
afore stopjn' more'n 80 mile I'd rid since
leavin' the fort-then staked my boss
'thout takin' off the saddle; stretched out
on the bar groun' an slep' till daylight.
The sun was jest comm Up when 1 sot
out agin, eatln' my chuck-bread and
dried venison-ez rid along. Nothin'
with speakin' of happened that day, an
bout 10 o'clock in the evenin' rid inter
Forth Reno. The people at the fort he'd g
idee thar was sev'ral er Red Clouds war
| parties 'twix thar an Phil Kearney, an
the commander would not let me start
on ag'in till 4 O'Clock the next day. L
knoWed my scalp rested in my boss bein'
good trim, an bout Is mile from
Reno, comm ter fine putch o. buff
faler grass, cluster deep ravine, I made
camp. / hedn't been thar but a few
minutes when six Injuns-a Ute h1ntin'
party, Ireokon they was rid up out err
the ravine, an begun maxim signs that
tn ~ was friendly. 1t was terrible lucky
for me they was, fur they wasn't more'n
so yards away when just ketched sight
of 'em, an if they'd been hostile I'd he'd
hard work gettin' clear of 'em. [ let 'em
come up, an though I could not un-
derstan' jest what they said. I made out
tibet I'd better look sharp AFTER my scalp,
ez thar was lots er bad Injuns bout.
1 felt tol'able sartin in my own
mind they was right, and in few
minutes after they left, saddled up on an
KEEP on. [ rid kinder mod'rate till day
| light, an then made camp, my boss show
| in signs er bein' tuckered. Ez fur myself,
l was plumb wore out, an stakin' my
boss, / lair down on the open per-airie-I
dursent camp near waterman was asleep
less N no time. The sun was pooty high
bout 10 o'clock, 1 rekon-when L rous-
ed an saddled up. Long bout noon I
| he'd ter climb high butte-it I'D hev TUX
me a consid'able out er my way ter go
roun' it-and jest ez I come ter the to 0
| come in sight er six Injuns bout a mile
away, chasin' herd er buffaler bulls.
| They kitched sight er me ter onct, an
sep'ratin', three on 'em went round the
| bluff an three come straight fur me. I
sent my boss down the steep hill ez lively
ez I durst-It was all covered with OWL
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 a
mile from thar-jest ez 1 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. | couldn't turn back an motion
| ed fur 'em ter keep off, but they
made break fur me with their
guns skinned When they was within
about so feet er me, let 'em have it, twict
! with nv six-shrOter. HinpiD' one on ,em
think, ar checkin' 'em up little. Then
1 give my hoss the spurs-I meant it,
you bet yer sweet life!-an' went by 'em
on the dead jump, one on 'em Jest mis-
| SIM my boss foreshoulder with q lance,
| ez | went by. 1t was narrer squeal,
| you hear me-the narrerest I ever he5
l was not long in leaviu' of 'em behind
| fact, do not think they tried ter foiler
me. made Little Piney creek bout
O'Clock in the evenin', an stayed thar till
dark, ter git rested; then started fur the
Fort, wantin', in course, ter reach thar
arter dark. He'd rode of p'raps half a
mile, when a big party er Iujuns come
| swOopIn' down on me, Almost afOre I
knowd 1t. Turnin' ny boss 1 rid back
ter the creek jest kitin', crossed it aud
rid up onter bluff bout two mile above
it. Frum thar, there bein' young moon
could see the Injuns movin' bout near
the crossin', plainly to fault After a
| while they crossed the creek back again
an, rode straight off towards the tort. 1
waited thar few minutes an then KEEP
on, keepin my eyes skinned 81 sharp ez I
knowed how. Bout midnight l come
Big Piney creek, only five mile from Phil
Kearney, but couldn't find the crossin',
| both sides of 1T heinz covered tbict with