San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-16


peculiar gyrating movement known among
them as the moon dance. In it the dancers
wheel slowly about bow leggedly, lettering
first upon one foot and then upon the other,
and swaying the body from the hips in
snake like movement. The head is rolled In
imitation Of a lolling bear and the arms are
worked writhingly while the wriggling saw
age sings, in a most lugubrious, grunting
tone: "E-yungh, e-yungh! Hi-yee, hi-yerl
E-yongh, e-yongh!"
The prisoner kept his eye upon one OF the
Indians, whom he knew-for he knew them
all wellSto be the best runner among them
As this one swung around between himself
and the line Of retreat no had marked out,
Bat sprang up and with an agile jump
planted both heels of the army shoes he wore
in the 'small" of the dancers back.
The Indian went down with a screech of
pain and surprise, as the keen witted Cana
dian passed over him and shot away toward
the lake.
Certain that he had disabled their swiftest
runner, Bat felt chiefly concerned for the
moment in lodging bullets and arrows He
sprang this way and that at as sharp angles
as he could, and at the same time make good
Roadway.
The Indians caught up their guns instantly
upon seeing what had happened, but luckily
only few of their arms had been reloaded,
and the shots aimed by Indians, breathless
with the exertion of shrieking dance, missed
their target. Throwing down their guns the
whole party gave chase, yelling frightfully,
as is their fashion.
Bat glanced backward, and saw them
spreading out in pursuit, the swiftest runners
heading straight for the bayou on either side.
AS there was no longer any danger from bull
lets, the boy put himself down to his utmost
speed, and bent his head toward the nearest
point of rushes He was hampered by hav-
ing his hands tied behind, and the triumphant
wells, which sounded little louder at each
passing minute, caused him to fear greatly
that they would overtake him.
Over moved ground, through tall grass for
several minutes he ran like an antelope. He
had gained a nuDlber of rods the start of the
Indians while they were picking up their
guns and firing, and this advantage was what
saved his life He reached the low bank of
the inlet in advance of the foremost Sioux,
but so near were they that, as he plunged
among the rushes Ratchet thrown by one
of them swished past his Lead, and dropped
into the water in front.
He threw himself headlong into the water,
and dived amid the rushes. Then he pushed
himself along by kicking in the mud at the
bottom. When his breath gave out, he raised
his head out long enough to get fresh breath,
then ducked it and showed ahead.
In this way he was speedily out Of sight
and reach of the Sioux, who did not follow
him into the ruShes. His pursuers spread out,
and hurriedly surrounded the bayou in the
hope, no doubt, to catch him in the grass as
he attempted to crawl out upon the other side.
But had no notion of going out of the
BAYOU at present He found bottom shallow
enough to stand upon, and then began work
ing his wrists out of the thongs which bound
them This he was soon able to do, az the
water soaked buckskin stretched at every
strain.
He then waited and listened. Soon he
heard Indians talking upon the bank Of the
bayou opposite his entrance. They were
looking for his trail at the edge Of the water,
and asking each other if he had crossed, and
which way he would go. Finally one OF
them said, mo, he is in there; the dog will
not come out" Then all was quiet.
Bat would not stir again, for fear he should
he discovered by the rattling of the rushes.
The time wore on heavily. Toward night
mosquitoes rose out of the water, and pestered
him frightfully. He dared not thresk about,
Tor fear his whereabouts should be discovered
and fired upon by lurking Indians. Bullets
and buckshot were to be dreaded, even
though rushes, enough interviewed to hide him
completely, although the bank was only a
few rods distant on either side
As the vicious insects alighted upon his face
and neck in swarms, he discovered a method
of alternating his sufferings. Every few sec
onds, as his face became black with them,
and their stings began to make him vince, he
would quickly and softly lower his head under
the water, and hold it there as long as he
could keep his breath. The cool water seothed
tho irritation of their bites and gave him
refuge from them good part Of the time.
Darkness came at last, and with it a breeze
which ruStled the rushes, SO that he could stir
about without attracting attention by. noise.
He now speedily made use of his legs and arms
in working, his way down nearer the lake,
where, in thicket of tall cornstalk grass he
crawled out Of the bayou, feeling stiff and
waterlogged.
He lay in the grass resting and listening for
an hour or so, and then bending low in the
grass, made his way to the high LAID prairie
a mile or so distant. Not daring to attempt
to reach Fort Ridgely through the country
which he had learned from his captors was
overrun by the Sioux, he set out for st.
Cloud, nearly POO miles distant on the Missis-
sippi
He travelled three days and nights, occa-
sionally lodging war parties of Sioux. Dur
ing that time he lived upon roots and grass;
these he chewed and swallowed the juice
At length he walked into the streets of ST.
Cloud. There was large, gathering of set
tiers there, and the buildings, mostly Of