The Opelousas courier., 1889-06-29
THE OFFICERS STORY.
a Terrible Experience Among the
Fiendish Comanches.

1t was in a group of army officers,
lounging carelessly about a blazing
campfire, on a Northern Dakota prai.
RE. one chilly evening last fall, that
the following story was told by ar
elderly, gray-haired veteran of innu.
merable Indian campaigns:
ut was the same spring in which
you got into the scrape that you have
just told us about. Colonel, that | had
a pretty closes all as WE'LL" he began.
81 was a captain in those days, an[
was out on a scout with my troop o
cavalry. The Comanches and Kiowas
had not as yet declared war, but it
was expected daily that they would,
SO that it was not safe to trust any
wandering band of Indians met on the
plains. I had with me a couple OF
Usage scouts, most skillful trailers,
and brave enough fellows, as Indians
go, and when we went into camp one
day at about noon, / took one of them
Sly Fox by name-and rode off to
look for an antelope for supper.
Sly Fox didn't seem to relish very
much the idea of leaving the camp,
although. like all of his race, he was
passionately fond of hunting. Upon
questioning him, I found that he was
afraid that we might possibly run foul
of ONE Comanches. with whom his
tribe were constantly at war. He ex-
planned that whether the Comanches
had taken the war-path against the
whites or not his scalp would not be
safe if we should meet any of them.
and that in all probability mine would
suffer the same fate as his.
II laughed at him, and assured him
that two of us could hold any number
of Comanches at bay until help could
arrive from camp; and he seemed to
get the better of his fears. We had
ridden some distance without finding
antelope, when Sly Fox %discerned,
several miles away, three specks
which he pronounced buffalo. We ae
once rode toward them, and when
they discovered us we gave chase.
After half an hours hard riding we
overlook and killed a fine, almost full
grown calf, and givingsthe others up.
dismounted to dress it.
1--WE had been engaged in this for
maySes@sn hour. when Sly
Fox suddenly stopped work, jumped
to his feet. and shading his eyes
with his hands, grunted OFT the single
word:
"aComanche!' r
Looking in the direction that he
indicated, / saw coming around the
base OF a low hill, two horsemen-or
rather, ponies, for their riders were
out Of sight, hanging on the further
side of their steeds. The one in adj
vance halted, and was quickly joined
by the second, behind whom followed,
in quick succession, ten more, raising
the total number to twelve. All of
them were hanging out Of sight on the
other side of their ponies, and a mo-
ment's thought made it clear that they
had intended surprising us, hoping
that should we discover their approach
too soon, we would take them for a
herd of mustangs.
tsOur own horses we had turned
loose tograze, and they had wandered
q few yards away; but it was the work
of only a moment to re-catch them and
vault into the saddles.
"As soon as the attacking party saw
that they were eecognized, they 9
sumed upright positions, and came for
us at d run. uttering yells that reached
as distinctly. / knew that there was
little use in running, for u horses
we're already somewhat iaded from the
buffalo chase; and yet, the spot where
we were was the worst possible for de-
Tending ourselves. Back about three
quarters of q mile, / remembered. was
q butte. such as dot most of the prairie
land Of the Indian Territory. At its
top it was more than half an acre in
extent, but in three directions its sides
were almost as perpendicular as walls,
while on the fourth side. fortunately,
the one turned toward us, the ascent
vas much more gradual.
.sSly Fox remembered the butte as
well as I, and we had hardly reached
u saddles when, as by a common
impulse, we turned III horses heads
on the back trail. The Indians in
our rear, thinking that we were in.
trt,sta u safety to fight, increased
their yellsp Of exultant pleasure. The
race was D short but exceedingly
exciting d but we reached the butte
some minutes before the Indians came
IN range OF us. Mehobbled the horses
ina little hollow, and ~loosening our
cartridge belts. seated ourselves on