The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-21

fully determined to cut his throat if he at
tempted to geeup. | sat facing the west,
and all at once heard the gallop Of horse.
Next moment an Indian warrior appeared
TO view. He turned to the right to avoid
the sink, half encircled me, and disappeared
in the east. saw him look me full in the
face, but he came and went 80 suddenly
that was dumb with establishment. Isup-
posed l was discovered, but the thud of his
pony's feet grew fainter, and finally died
away in the east. With rife in hand
crept to the top If the sink, and could see
the savage mile away, riding to join a
small band. l stood looking after him,
head and shoulders above the sink, when
seven other Indians, coming from the west,
passed me not over twenty rods away. My
heart stood still for the moment, for it
seemed that all were looking straight at me,
but they galloped on after the Others and
left me undisturbed. Several years later /
met the one who almost rode into the sink.
His name was Man-Afraid-of the Water,
and he assured me in the most solemn man
ner that | must have been dreaming, as he
would have been certain to sea even rab-
bit in the washout | also met one of the
other warriors, and he had the politeness to
hint that l must have been drunk. Still,
everything happened just as l have
described.
koNO OLC I'LL uOul w ECO Ouo "a
sight, and then abandoned the sink and rode
down to the station. The house was still
burning, aud at that time, as | could see
nothing of the men, l supposed they had
been carried off. After l left several set
tiers reached the spot, found the bodies and
gave them burial My mission was accom-
plished, and my orders were to return to the
fort. Between me and the post was full
band of bloodthirsty Indians, and an at
tempt at progress in the daytime was fool
hardy. / secured water for myself and the
mustang, and then struck off to the north
for a mile and descended into a dry gulch
filed with sage brush. Here was pretty
fair shelter if we lay close. but had not
been there five minutes when | discovered
the corpses of four Indians, all still warm,
who had been killed in the fight No at
tempt had been made to bury them, but
they were rolled under the bushes, legs
Strengthened out, arms folded across the
breast, and all their weapons left with them.
In inspecting their rifles, which were new,
l made the discovery that the maker of the
weapons wanted to accommodate the
savages without doing the white folks any
particular injury. The front sights were so
far out of true with the hind sights that no
one could have hit a COW ten yards off.
Each one of the Indians had received ball
in the breast, and each one was of middle
age. l made bundle Of their weapons to
carry to the fort, and although four corpses
are not pleasant company to one in hiding,
| was obliged to put up with them for the
rest of the day.
Just before sunset seven Indians passed
on the stage road going west, aud from the
terrific pace Of their ponies l judged they
were after a reinforcement. Assoon asnight
had fairly set in led the mustang out of the
ravine and mounted and set OF, not daring
to go near water for fear of an ambush l
planned to keep to the left of the road about
a mile, and got along without incident
until about midnight. l was then riding at
a lope, using eyes and ears to the best adj
vantage, when the mustang suddenly
stopped. 1t could mean only one thing. |
slid out Of the saddle and put my ear to the
ground, and after minute | heard human
footsteps. They came from the east, and
knew they were made by a white man hav-
ing boots or shoes on. | stood at the mus
tang's head, when out of the gloom of mid
night human figure walked directly up to
us. was satisfied that he was white, and
uttered bist which halted him scarcely
five feet away. He uttered groan as he
came to stop, and l softly inquired:
"White or redF
"Whitew he eagerly answered.
Then come on"
1t was q settler named George Robinson,
whose wife and children had been butchered
and his buildings burned. He himself had
been wounded by Indian bullets in the hand
and shoulder, and had been three days try
ing to get to Fort Hays. Pain and fright
had so unnerved him that he had lost mis-
bearings, and had the fort been only mile
away he would have missed it, He was
suffering from hunger and thirst as well as
his hurts. We soon found water in hole,
and / spent half an hour getting him in
shape to ride. Then took the lead and he
followed on the mustang, and kept pace
which brought us to the post just after sun
rise. We did not see nor hear anything
to alarm us on the way. A fog came
on just before daylight, and hung thickly
over the country until after sunrise. We
made the last three miles under cover of
this fog, and as we reached the sentinel and
we're challenged the corporal who came
hurrying up gasped out:
"Good heavens! But how did you do itF
"WhatF'
"Why, there are 200 redskins around usP
The fog had no sooner lifted than the
savages were seen riding about, haunting
and defying us. We had come through
their lines unframed, never suspecting how
cloSe wa were to CAPTURE and death.