The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-03
A PERlLOUS RIDE
Experiences Carrying Dispatches.

San EraEcisco Exhlniper.

lures.
oval, mister" he said, putting vigor.
ously at short, black pipe, II hev had
some toi'a5le tough times and 30 mis-
take. The wust on 'em was In '6S, when
the Sioux IVES on the warpath. | 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. II was allowed ter be q mighty
resky job, fer Red Clouds war parties
was jest tn MIN themselves loose, ani
he'd killed no end er dispatch. ca rriers
and COW .punchers thet spring; but he
greed ter me so lib'rai eff / made ouj ter
do it, thet l cold him fin'ly thet was his
huckleberry; I'd make a try fer it, any
how. / he'd my pick er the hosses at the
fort, an took rattlsr-eZ fine n piece ev
hoss flesh ez ever draw'd breath. Know'd
morn man! II was q bright mornin'
when tux leave on 'em nj the fort
reckon they didn't ever 'spect ter see me
agin-an' sot out on my trip. Jest back
ev my saddle / packed little chuck an a
canteen ev ~a,er, rolled up in q Navajo
blanket; an kerried Springfield rifle
an n elk shooter.
LAadC pDub klHcS aEDTe sunset
'thout seein' no lnjun Sign an made
camp at Alkali Springs, in little arroyo
or gully, what folks calls coalee in this
part ev the country. WGl, hedn't more'n
TUX off my saddle an staked out my hoss,
when two Iujuns, all paint and feathers,
wha. he'd been hid in ahe tail grass on the
other side ev the arroyo, popped mp their
heads an begin cuttin loose on me. It
E.naAr ruttl.I + tali ;t
dint; but / throwd myself down benin
my saddle, brnng my gun to bar on 'em,
and let 'em have il. They dropped ont ev
sight quicker'n HI ever scorched
feather an cra~ied away, for could see
the grass movin' like snakes was a goin
through it. | waited bout half a minute
to see If they showed up ag;n, then sad
died up an lit out fer Crazy woman's
Fork. Bout two honrs' ridin' bringed IL
ter the foot er the hill, jest this side of it,
an thar-in course II was plumb dark
| run right on Ter a big Iniun camp
bout 75 lodges of 'em, reckon-not
more'n 500 yards from me. Their dogs
begin to bark, an turned an rid back 20
the top er the Hill ter make a try at
roundin' the bluff. A few hundred yards
from thar, in the creek bottom, some
Injnns what had run ont from the
camp aioot begin yellin' an FIRM
c!us to me, an l give my hoss the
cusr an KEEP along clus ter the bluff,
jist a sailin', some er the varmints
follerii.' me five miles or mere, | shud
say, KEEP on 10 or II mile more, [ reckon,
afore stopin' more'n 80 mile I'd rid since
leavin' the fort-then staked my hoss
'.hout takin' off the saddle; stretched ont
on the bar groun' an slep' till daylight.
The sun was jest a comm rp when sot
out agin, eatin' my chuck-bread and
dried venison-ez / rid along. Nothin'
wuth speakin' of happened that day, an
bout 10 o'clock in the evenin' / rid inter
Forth Reno. The people at the fort he'd a
idee thar WAS sev'ral er Red Clouds war
parties 'twix thar an Phi! Kearney, an
the commander would not let me start
on ag'in till O'clock the next day. [
knoGed my scalp rested in my hoss bein'
good trim, an bout Is mile from
Reno, comm ter fine putch o. buff
faler grass, cluster deep ravine, | made
camp. l hedn't been thar but a few
minutes when six Injuns-a Ute huntin'
party, Ireokon they was rid up ont er
the ravine, an begun maxim signs that
tn ~ was friendly. II 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 l could not un-
derstan' jest what they said. / made out
thet I'd better look sharp ar.er my scalp,
ez thar was lots er bad Injuns bout.
/ felt toPable sartin in my own
mind they was right, and in a Few
minutes after they left, saddled up on an
KEEP on. rid kinder modrate till day
light, an then made camp, my hoss show.
in signs er bein' tuckered. EE fur myself,
! was plumb wore ont, an stakin' nv
hoss, lair down on the open per. airie-I
dursent camp near water--ap' was asleep
less n no time. The sun was pooty high
bout 10 o'clock, rekon-when / rous-
ed an sadded up. Long bout noon |
he'd ter climb a high butte--it nd hev tnk
me consid'able out er my way ter go
roun' it--and jest ez / come ter the too
/ come in sight er six Injuns bout n mile
away, chasin' q 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. /
sent my hoss down the steep hill ez lively
eZ | durst-lt was all covered with bowl
der an loose roeks-8nd 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 / was comm ter
Il little bluff covered with scrub pine-the
three fnjuns what had gone roun'
the bluff come right out in front or
me. / couldn't turn back an motion
ed frr 'em ter keep off, but they
made break fur me with their
guns skinned. When they was within
about 80 feet er me, let 'em have il, twict
with my -shroter, wingin' one on 'em
think, ar checkin' 'em up little. Then
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 hoss' foreshoulder with lance,
e2 went by. 1t was narrer saueal,
you hear me-the narrerest / ever he'd.
was not long in leavin' of 'em behind
fact, do not think they tried ter foller
me. | made Little Piney creek bout 6
O'Clock in the eyenin', an stayed thar till
dark, ter git rested; then started fur the
Fort, wantin', in course, ter reach thar
arter dark. He'd rode Off p'raps half
mile, when big party or Injuns come
=