The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-01-27

appeared to have some kindly feelings
for his captives, for now and then he
would speak good word in English to
encourage them. But ut an early hour
next morning the party was signaled
By squad of young bucks to halt. In q
few moments three young bucks came
dashing up to them with wild glee.
Some of their number had been killed
in the fight and they did not take kind
ly to the prisoners. but began to scowl
at them with rage. Chief Joseph beg
ged the young bucks to desist from in-
iuring the prisoners. and, keeping the
latter far out of sight as possible. gave
| Mrs. Cowan an old broken-down pony.
and set all the prisoners at liberty.
! urging them with wave of his hand to
| go, and make haste rapidly. They
started. but within less than fifteen
minutes after the departure of the
Chief the war-whoop again resound-
| ed in the tourists ears. On looking
| around. to their horror. they saw the
vcung bucks mounted on ponies and
with guns in hand. bearing down upon
them. There was no chance for escape
and the captives reluctantly waited for
what seemed their inevitable fate. Two
of the party were at once shot dead
and scalped. and as several of the In
dians approached Mr.. and Mrs. Cowan.
they began firing. One of the shots
took effect and Cowan fell. Mrs Cow
an, determined to save her husbands
life if possible, threw herself in front
of the Indians. thus covering his body.
A severe struggle ensued, but one of
the young bucks dragged her away for
moment while the other held
a revolver close to Cowan's head and
fired, the shot apparently crashing
through Cowan's skull. He fell back
lifeless, bleeding profusely. and the In
dians. after removing a piece of his
scalp. put Mrs. Cowan on one Of their
ponies, and hurried away. for fear they
might be oyertaken by the Govern
ment tOoops. Mrs. Cowan remained a
prisoner with Joseph band until the
capture of the tribe, nearly two weeks
after the shooting of hei. husband, all
the time. supposing from what she had
witnessed, that he was surely dead
But he was destined for another strange
adventure and still greater suiferings
az the hands of another member of the
tribe. In few hours after the Young
bucks left him. Cowan recovered con-
seriousness, but was extremely weak
from the wounds on his head and
thighs. He was making efforts to sit
up. when an Indian, probably one of
the rear guard. and whom he had not
noticed, fired. the ball striking him
near the right lung. Cowan the sec
ond time dropped lifeless- The Indian
came up. and on seeing him so bloody
believed him dead. and after hit
ting him with n stone and taking an
other small piece of scalp. went away.
No doubt the savage coniectured his
white subject was not even worth mu-
tilating.
How long Cowan remained in that
position. and the second time in an I'M
conscious state, he does not know. But
when he came to again it was the next
morning. and he was lying on the up
Per side OF a log, perfectly ignorant of
how he got there. Too weak TO get
up, his efforts caused him to relapse
into a comatose state. and on being
reawakened he was seized with an in
tense thirst. Finally he succeeded in
raising himself up on his elbow. and
then for several hours he dragged him.
self YEARLY along until he reached Wa
ter and obtained a drink. This re-
yived him still more. and he began |
searching for something to appease his !
appetite. There was nothing except |
roots and herbs in that vicinity. yet he
devoured all that Ike could obtain read
lily. With these roots and herbs. and |
by checking the loss of blood from his |
wounds. he sustained life until discov-
cred by one of General Towards |
scouts, three days after being wound
Ell. On being moved to camp. and re- |
ceiving medical care, he was sent |
home, and when Your correspondent |
last saw him at Radersburg. not long /
since. he was the very picture of |
hea Tin. and the only scars visible were |
two barren spots on his head. from
whence the scalp-locks We're taken. To |
add still more 20 the satiSfac- ,
ton of his own perilous es-
cape from death Mt the hands |
of the Indians, his wife and sister-in- |
law were both restored to him unharm-
ell and he now has an interesting fam
lily of children and enjoys a lucrative
law practice. He is probably the only
attorney who has been twice dead to
all intcnts and purposes, and yet still |
lives. His neighbors regard him As a
sort of supernatural alibi--Hslena
(Aontaaa) Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer.
.