The Opelousas courier., 1889-06-29

u laps anu READY ZOE service.
1.-The Indians halted about a thou
sand yards away, and seemed to be
discussing the situation. They were
evidently pretty mad, and I began to
fear that they would forget their usual
prudence and charge us. An Indian,
as a rule, is brave, but he lacks the
courage that comes of discipline. If a
party of Indians know that there Is an
almost certain probability Of n or
more of their number losing life in a
certain venture, it is seldom that they
will undertake it, each believing that
he is to be the unfortunate one. When,
therefore, a certain object can be
obtained by either cunning or bravery,
the former course is almost always
adopted.
sour pursuers recognized the fact
that we were n OF tenderfeet, and that,
should they charge, at least two of
their number would have to drop, and
SO very wisely decided to besiege US
and trust to strategy to get u scalps.
Several times one OF two of the ras-
Gals would try to approach us by
wriggling through the high grass. but
each time Sly Fox's sharp eyes de-
tected them, and a bullet in their i'm
mediate vicinity caused a sudden re-
treat upon their part. We waited
very anxiously for darkness to set In,
and then breathed more easily, for we
knew that we were safe until moon
rise, at least. The Comanche's reli-
gion teaches him that the spirit of all
braves who die in the dark go to the
Happy Hunting Grounds, to wander
on in a~ssndless night; in consequence
of which night attacks, except in the
moonlight, are very rare.
"As soon as it grew dark enough for
us to feel comparatively safe, we
lighted a fire of bushes and buffalo
chips, and tried to think a way out of
u scrape. After discussing every
plan that seemed at all feasible, we
finally decided upon what appeared to
be the best. the moon would rise at
about midnight and until that time
we could consider ourselves free from
attack; but if the first moonbeams
found US on the butte, there was a
strong probability of its last beams
falling on u scalpless bodies.
1.-THE three sides of the butte not
guarded by our enemies were entirely
4nn c@aao IN yrarrn;+ ~ horooo 3aSoopd-
ing them, and to attempt to escape on
foot would have been folly. for after
moonrise the Indians would have run
us down before we were half way to
camp. The only safe plan was to
escape mounted, and we were deter
mined to do so if it was possible. So
piling a fresh supply of fuel on
the fire. we rolled as silently as
possible over the edge of the butte, and
scampered down to the plain beneath.
We then made a long detour until we
were in the zeal of the Indians camp.
According to our calculations, they
would. about eleven o'clock. begin to
creep up on our supposed position in
order to be ready for the attack when
the moon rose. 1t was possible, how
ever, that they would postpone the at
tack until daylight, trusting to the de-
ceptive moonbe~.ns to v their APP
proach. Their ponies they had hobbled
and turned loose, and from them we
proposed, when the proper time should
come, to select the steeds to bear US
back to camp.
when eleven o'clock came, Sly Fox
stripped himself to the skin, and then
crept off to get the horses. This part
of the plan / left entirely to the scout,
both because of his superior skill in
slipping unseen through the grass, and
because q white mans presence among
the ponies would have at nee been
made known by their actions.
81 had been waiting probably three
quarters of al hour, when ] / heard him
approaching and 1eading the ponies.
He informed me, in a whisper, that he
had cut the lariats ST all of the ponies,
selecting for our use what seemed to
be the best two. Just as the moon
rnse, we mounted. and, not at all fear
full of pursuit, set off at a canter.
SIN hobbling their ponies, the In
G1ans had used side lines, joining the
left front and hind feet of each pony.
Sly Fox, in freeing them, had simply
cut the line, and before we had gone a
rod my mount tripped on the piece
still dangling from his fo~re-foot, and
came down with a broken leg. The
noise that he made attracted the at
te65ion of the Comanches, who had
evidently postponed their attack until
daylight, as they 0uere still in their
camp, Sald they anne running toward
us, howEing and yelling like demons.
| quickly disentangled myself from my
fallen steed and vaulted up behind the
scout, and,of we started again. But
the treacherous little pony had not
gone a Gozen yards before he stopped
in his tracks and began to BUCK. In
vain ! jabbed my spurs into him. and
in vain Sly Fox slashed him with his
knife. The only response was q some
what more vicious buck.
.'Our attention was SO fully taken
up with the little brute that we did
not appreciate how rapidly our ne-
mics were gaining upon us until they
were actually around us. The scout
had dropped his rife, and the first
to arrive grabbed mine, and