New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-15
xpwvoRK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY JULY 49, -sxTEEN PAGES

close TO the ground order given upon MS near
jng them cock their guns Just before they h'cd ;
which order given at the imminent FISK oi MS
own life, but II saved ours, which was always 'ho
aim at his big heart any risk; and as Fortune SONIC
fines favors tho brave I'm this Instance she dld
nim for the dead horses furnished him with a com
pcte barrIcadc from which he whispered his orders to
u.s. On reaching him, asked in suppressed Whisper
how many men we're killed " Don't know; You are
the third man that has reported he said GIcat
God. Jim. this is awful" / cried:
Never mind" said he, Z" It IS rough. but VIC Will
Give them game yet. Yon and Underwood crawl
towards the rlvor about fifty yards don't fire until
You can punch your guns against them. Wait; there
will be a general rush for us before morning. Re
member don't shoot until the rush Is made, and you
can touch them with your guns II you fire sooner
tho fash of your gun will direct hundred shots TO
you. Keep cool and stand them on'
So Underwood and dragged ourselves over rho
horses and for the distance indicated. requiring no
further orders keep the ground for the whz of the
arrows made lie latter than cvcr possible. And
there lay face downward. for three long hours with
cooked rifle in one hand and revolver in the other
IN the terrible suspense expecting every moment
that they would renew their ycs and rush upon
With every nerve strained We watched and
waited. with nothing TO relieve our suspense except
the gratitude felt at being stll alive and the hope
Of succorng our wounded comrades whose dying
groans were perfectly hcartrcndlng Add TO this
the audible whispering of what We Thought 10 be th7
directions and preparations of the final charge ana
the peculiar ncvcrto be forgotten sound OF the arrows
which VIC heard but could not sec each one 50 close
that We felt that the next must strike us. Yet we dare
not fire in return-only wait for what seemed newt
able Heath. In this way hours passcd-honrs that
seemed weeks-when. to my utter surprise our cap
tain came, WALKING erect. and almost stumbling over
me- In a whisper, I said: "What arc You "alhhs
for1 Why don't you got down and crawl lou
will be killed. To which in tho same whisper he
replied:
Oh I'm going around TO sec how tho boys arc. and
got some water for Bell and Bostwick There are
enough of us left TO give the brucs live rattle In tho
morning, At this moment an arrow camo so close
VIC actually feel the wind Of IT, again Appealed 10
him TO crawl His answer was. 81 was not born 10
be killed by these red Devils and he calmly walReu
down to the river and got a cup of water ana TOOK
# to the wounded men. and TO tihs day Goa Only
knows why hs wss not pierced by dozen arrows
and It seems almost a miracle that he was not
Underwood WAS not more than four feet from me-
and vet he never dared to speak; only watched anu
tried 10 see through the darkness and prayed for morn
ing and light enough to see 10 shoot Yet "hat "co
we TO hope for with the coming daylight! We knew
that they were ten TO ono against u.s. s'll' IL
would be better than the great disadvantage at which
they had us And tho uncertainty; anything was
better than that.
Tbcrc was poor Watkins, shot through the temple
end unconscious but crawling around on his elbows
and knees Bostwck shot all TO pieces but SIN ave.
and five others wounded; the men scattered ali
about the camp ground, face downward with cooked
rifles and rcvolvcH I'm hand, eagerly watching inc
bushes and ravinc from which the fatal fire came
Eve horses were dead and six or seven Others had
arrows sticking In them. On the SIDE OF the mountan'
in plain sight were the Indians, moving around among
the rocks and trees With the approach Of day the
cowardy wrctchcs had rctreaicl up the ra'ine TO
the mountain side, out OF danger, yet keeping IN
sight so as TO watch our every movement. We were
In most trying and desperate situation, surrounded
by mercllcss Indians, hundreds OF miles from the
nearest white men, with the whole tnbo between
us and our homes and with seven of our little band
woundcd-two fatally and three others severely.
We gathered into iitle knot to talk over The events
of the night and ascertain the extent OF our wounds.
This DONE asked Jim, captain was faIniliary
called among us what we had better do.
lie answered: Have a hot cup of coffee first; we
Will all feel better, and then we Will decide" l
forgot 10 mention that Just the break Of day when
We were about rising 10 our feet, an Indian sent
a last arrow right into our midst, but from greater
distance I'D the ravlne. Jim ms anty seized his
rife and started 10 him off from the mountain, by
getting between him and those above, but he proved
too quick and escaped. According to Instructions
we proceeded TO make fire and prepare some coffee,
although none Of us felt Ike eating or drinking any
thing Within a radius of thirty or forty feet OF
whore Underwood and l were lying, l plchcd up
forty-cight arrows, and the tents were completely
riddled Probably three hundred balls and arrows
passed through them. After drinking our coffee, we
held council of war; or rather got together to hear
what jim suggested, which was that It would DO
hopeless to try to return TO hammock the way VIC
had come as we would not only have the bioodhounds
I'D on one side of the mountain after u.s. but the whole
Of the Crow Nation that We had passed three weeks
before. Therefore, would have TO return by the
way Of the South Pass and Fort Brldgcr, although
IT was some ten or twelve hundred miles, and part
of It wholly unexplorcd country, inhabited by the
hostile Sioux which fact jim said would prevent
the rcd devils up there from following us more than
seventy-fvc or a hundred miles, and we might by
a scratch, miss the others
The route being decided upon, we determined to
walt til noon or later to the last Of poor Watkins
Bostwick and Bell, by which time, we thought they
would breathe their last The o'her wounded, we
thought, could all ride. We also decided that We
would throw away all tho outfit but five six days
raons to ghiel up the packs so that VIC could ride
our horses seventy five miles Ihs first twenty Il ur
hours. The object TO get the indians following
us too far from their main camp TO return Tor re-
Inducements, should they succeed in surrounding
ne and compclIlng us TO cntrench ourselves Jim
then said II was important to show the Indians that
we hdd gOOd hlculcllic' anu 'l@' ""' NM
not on the ground by challenging them then ana
thcre for a fight, stating that ne dluh
know whether thcy would fcht not that If II was
Eannocks or Snakes. they would give us brush' bn'
that he was not familiar enough with tho Crows TO
know whether they would or not; II they did, We
might as well fight them there as anywhere, and 1t
wonld have a good effect them in their future al
taciS"
We then proceeded TO throw away all but six days
raons and few other necessary articles, and being
all ready start, prepared for the fight But on
going out, Gccry, Underwood and l. who belonged To
the fraternity had little side ;alk which resulted
I'm each one declaring that If he got MORALLY wounded
he would reserve shot that would prevent unneccs
sary sacrifice of tho party by remaining TO defend
man who must soon die anyhow, and also TO prevent
torture II captured. In order to ascertain when VIC
were MORALLY wounded, agreed to have Jim OK
amino and decide On the other hand. agreed TO