The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-11-26

SaVageS. w neE rc1Cncu heeu = Std
ton, on the Carson river, / found nc
change of horses, as all those at the
station had been seized by the whites
to take part in the approaching battle.
/ fed the animals that | rode and
started for the next station, called
Buckland's. afterward known as Fort
Churchill, fifteen miles further dow n
the river. This point was to have
been the termination OF my journey, as
/ had ridden seventy-fiye miles, but, to
my great establishment, the other rider
refused TO go on. The manager. w.
c. Marley, was at the station. but all
his persuasion could not prevail on the
courier, Johnnie Richardson, to take
the road. 4
Turning then to me. Marley said:
Bob. | will give you fifty dollars if
you will make this ride l replied: Il
will 60 you once Within ten min
utes, during which l adjusted my
Spencer rife-a seven-shooter-and
my Colts revolver with two cylinders,
ready for use in case of an emergency,
i had started.
From this station onward was q
lonely and dangerous ride of twenty
five miles. without change, to the sink
of the Carson. / arrived there all
right, however, and pushed on to
Sand Springs through an alkali bot
tom an sand hills, twenty-five miles
further without a drop of water all
along the route. At Sand Springs 1
changed horses and continued on to
Cold Springs, distance of twenty
miles. Another change and a ride of
twenty-six miles more brought me to
Smiths Creek. Here was relieved
by J. w. Kelly, who is now chief en-
gineer of the Southern Pacific rail-
road and resides at New Orleans, La.
/ had ridden 166 miles, stopping only
to eat and change horses.
'After remaining at Smiths Creek
about nine hours / started to retrace
my journey with the return express.
When / arrived at Cold Springs to my
horror | found that the station had
been attacked by Indians. the keeper
killed and all the horses taken away.
What course to pursue deci ded in a
moment would go on. | watered
my horse and started for Sand Springs.
twenty miles away. 1t was growing
dark and my ROAD lay through heavy
sage-brush high enough in some places
to conceal a horse. | kept a bright
lookout and closely watched every
motion of my poor horses ears. was
prepared for fight, but the stiffness
of the night and the bowling of the
wolves and coyotes made cold chills
run through me at times, but | reached
Sand Springs in safety and reported
what had happened.
Before leaving | advised the sta
tion-keeper to come with me 20 the
sink of the Carson, for | was sure the
Indians would be upon him the next
day. He took my advice, and so prob
ably saved his life; for on the follow
ing morning Smiths Greek was at
tackled. The whites. however, were
we'll protected in the shelter of stone
house. from which they fought the
Indians for four days. At the end o
that time they were relieved by tn
of about fifty volunteers
from Cold Springs. These men re-
ported that they had buried the mas
sacred keeper of that station, but not
before he had been nearly devoured
by wolves.
when | arrived at the sink of the
Carson found the station men badly
for they had seen some
fifty warriors decked out in their war
paint and accommodating the station.
There were fifteen white men here,
well armed and ready for fight. The
station was built of logs and mud, with
a rock corral. and was large enough for
the men and ten to fifteen horses, with
a fine spring of water within ten feet
Of it. rested here an hour, and after
dark started for Buckland's, where
arrived without mishap, and only
three and a half hours behind the
schedule time.
Il found Mr.. Marley Il BuckAand's,
and when J related 10 him the story OF
the Colo Spring tragedy and my sue
cess he raised his previous offer of so |
for my ride to 500. Twas rather tired, |
but the excitement OF the trip had
rather braced me up TO withstand the !
fatigue of the journey. After rest of
1ne and half hours proceeded over
my own route, from Buckland's TO !
Fridays Station, crossing the western |
summit of the Sierra Nevada | had |
332 miles within a few hours
Of scheduled time and surrounded by |
oerils on every hand. chicago !
Journal