Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-09-21

lnllaOll.tlllS OF the Nllldge hflNn up III
two LONG lines extending out on the
plains. Even children 5 or q years old
were in line. each one armed with
stick or switch. was led To the head
Of the line between two warriors, and
in four or five minutes the doctor vas
brought out Red Moon had arrang-
ed this as a mental torture 10 both
of us. lie siguiiicd TO us that we
might speak, and | at once in
formed the doctor Of my errund and
its failure. He expressed his pleasure
that his friends thought SO well of him,
and his sorrow that had brought mis-.
fortune upon myself, and he seemed
TO have made up his mind TO die like a
man. | knew the Indians thoroughly,
and | told him what the programme
would be. After running the gaunt
let, he would DO tied TO a post and sub
mitted 10 the powder torture, which
consists in shooting charges Of powder
into the flesh, with the muzzle OF the
gun only "A foot or two away. After
that would come cutting and mutilat-
ing, and he would not be tied to the
fire stake until pretty thoroughly ex-
hausted. advised him to do rs | in
tended to do-leap upon some warrior
as he ran down the lines, grab his
knife or tomahawk, il possible, and
then fight until they would have 10
kill him then and there. He calmly re-
piled hat ho should adopt the plan,
shook me by the hand, and then all
was ready.
AS we talked / had been getting the
lay Of the village. 1t was only quar-.
ter of Il mile back TO the broken
ground. and not over a half mile 10
the foothills. l had made upmy mind
10 make a break for liberty, and had
my plans all laid before tine doctor
started. Red Moon commanded me to
tell him that he was 10 ran straight
down the lane and back. and That If
he made a good run he would not be
much hurt. | gave Linn tAc informa.
ton, and advised him 10 make his
break about two-thirds of the way
down, as he came To the last of the
warriors. When ] stepped back my
elbows touched a guard on either side
and | saw that they were deeply iu-
tcrcstrd in the scene before them.
When | dropped my left hand down
il was close 70 the Tilt Of the warriors
knife, and then ] was rs ready as ]
could be. The doctor was a powerful
big fellow and was entirely naked.
He was TO start al the report Of a rifle
fired in the air, and when the signal
came he bounded away like a deer.
The lines closed up and every one
tried 10 strike ut him, but the climax
came when he made his bolt. With
a leap TO one side he seized a toma-
hawk, and at that moment | got hold
Of the knife without being detected. A
great Cry arose and one of my guards
started forward. | bent down and cut
my thongs ut q single sweep, and
then, by back hand blow, drove the
knife SO far into the body of the other
guard, who had given me no atten-
ton that 1t was wrenched from nv
grasp as he fell. Then | bounded
away down the river, and | believe |
had a start of twenty rods before pur.
suit began.
1t is not braggadocio TO assert that in
those days | had the speed aud bottom
of a thorUughb bred. | hadn't the least
fear of being overtaken after | got that
start by any one on foot, and rs ] at
once made for the broken ground their
ponies had no advantage. | looked
back only once. and that WAS rs | got
clear of the village. At least fifty In
dams were pursuing me On foot. and
a few minutes later u score Of Others
had mounted, The pursuors were 50
strung ont that no one dared shoot,
and when / got settled down 10 the
pace ] ran for my life. In five or six
minutes ! was in the foothills, and in
ten | had gained the shelter of the
scrub pine. At hat moment twenty
rifles turned loose on me, but none of
the bullets came near enough TO make
me dodge, and | contriyed TO put in
my best ticks. They followed me for
about four miles, losing groundall the
time. and then drew of TO return TO
the doctor. II was five days before ]
got back to the fort, my clothes in tat
ters, and my strength almost gone,
and il was two years before | learned
the particulars of the doctors fate. He
made a gallant fight when lac got pos.
session of the tomahawk. killing a
warrior and a boy aud wounding an.
other warrior aud an old man, but he
was oyerpowered and disarmed, and
thenthedevils glutted their vengeance.
Some idea of his suifcrings can be i'm.
agined from the fact thathc was under
some sort of torture for three days and
nights, and there was life still left in
him when he was given up to the
fangs Of the village dogs. The Co.
manche who gave me the particulars
was then "a ward Of the government. "
drawing his ratiOns, ammunition and
blankets from the very men whose
scalps he hHd hunEGrcd for, and he
could not bC punished. he identified
himself as tho warrior who was guard
ing me on the right when ! made my
break, and for hIs carrlnssncss ON that
occasion the chef stripped lin Of all
his worldly possessions and gave the
goods 10 the widow At the warrior !
had slain.-Ncw York Sun,