Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-03-03
ye shut ourselves up missed two ct the
70 nf rowder, Int to my query as to

uaO pluuQer OF some SOr6 ITOm Iu0 So6-
tiers cabins, and two or three ap.
peared much the worse for liquor.
They had probably seen US
enter the milk house, for they
rode right up to the cabin without fear.
We could see them very plainly, and
among the gang We picked out several
who had often been supplied with food
and ammunition. There were yells OF
rage from those who dismounted and
entered the house to find it stripped,
but presently council was held in the
one big room After few minutes an
Indian appeared around the corner of
the house with white rag tied to q
stick, and when he had waved it few
times he called out that he wanted q
"talk." Miller shouted to him to come
on, and he advanced to within fifty feet
of the fort before he stopped and called
out:
"All come out Indians no hurt
Dutchman.
lis there WARP" shouted Miller.
mo war-no war! Young men get
drunk and ride around. but no war. In.
dams all like Dutchman."
eff you like us then go away and leave
us alone!" shouted Miller.
will you come out!"
mo"
"Then we burn house and kill all
cattle!"
The Indians were too anxious to get
at their bloody work to waste much
time in parleying. The messenger was
no sooner under shelter than the gang
began to howl and whoop, and while
some opened fire on us from the win.
dows. others made preparations for q
bonfire. In about ten minutes the
house was on fire. and the Indians
crowded together on the far side. It
was log house, and the roof fell in be-
fore the sides were hardly ablaze. The
slight wind blew the smoke and sparks
over us, so that we could not
see five feet. The Indians continued
20 yell and dance for time, but sud-
denly there was a terrible explosion
and dozen screams of terror. I was
looking into the smoke cloud, which
now and then lifted for an instant, and
I saw the burning logs of the house
scattered to the four winds by the ex-
plosion. Miller knew the reds would
set the building on fire, and he had
placed one of the kegs of powder
where it would do the most good. We
five warriors killed or dis
abled by the explosion, and Miller
killed two others before the crowd got
out of range. The house was the best
shelter from which to worry us, and
they had lost by destroying it.
The strength of our fort could be
seen at a glance. The Indians were
wise enough not to attempt rush, and
the whole party were also impatient to
push on to the other scenes. Six or
eight more arrived soon after the ex-
plosion, and presently We saw them
making ready to move off A general
volley was fred at US, the war-whoop
was sounded, and the brief siege was
raised. It was half an hour before we
ventured out, and not an Indian was in
sight. We could, however, see tall
columns of black smoke whichever
way we looked, and it was plain that
the whole section was in the hands of
the Indians. We could not at first
make out why they had left us, but
Miller soon concluded that they knew
what they were about. The savages
we're on every side, and if we attempted
TO leave the neighborhood we should
fall into the hands of some of them. It
was quite safe to leave us there while
hey pushed on to butcher the defense
less ones.
An hour after dinner we were Joined
BY three young men, who had been hid
ng, lodging, and travelling since the
evening before, and who had come o
distance of twenty miles. They were
homesteaders, and all had
lilies, revolvers, and plenty of ammuni-
ion. It was welsome addition to our
party, for we now felt that we would
nave to stand a siege. Mrs. Miller
brought out the pots and kettles, and
cooked dinner on fire in the open air,
md after it was eaten she began to pre-
pare for the siege. Pork was boiled,
Jour stirred into cakes, coffee made
md put into jugs, and before night she
laQ 1000 enough w ldS6 b UoLou m0u
week. Meanwhile the rest of US had
lot been idle. Some large posts were
Junk in the earth before the door, leav-
ng space enough for only one person to
some at us at a time that way. -Four
more loopholes were made in the walls,
md then the planking of the roof was
oopholed by means of the anger in at
east twenty places. I now saw what
Miller had been up to the day before.
he had put in no less than three
powder mines in the vicinity, running q
to each one. The only
cover the Indians could have in the
was in the rear of the
ort, where we had mined the rock.
We had left big hole, which was .
natural rife-pit, and our loopholes did
lot command it. They would be sure
o occupy this place, and the men pre-
pared torpedo holding fifteen pounds
If powder, and hid it under the rocks
md d;rt On the brink of the NIT A