Wichita eagle., 1889-11-21
AVENGED HIS OWN DEATH
A MORTALITY WOUNDED SCOUT MAN
AGED 70 KILL NINE INDIANS.

He Knew the Red Mans Weakness and
Prepared for It-A Startling Tale of Ad-
venture in the Dangerous Apache Coun-
try-The Messengers Story.
Sully. both on the upper Missouri river, is
bee line of leo miles, but the distance as a
rider has to make it is fully 300 miles. It is
on record that the first dispatch passing be-
tween those posts was carried in my pocket,
and that at a time when hostile Indians al
most besieged both forts. 1t was on this
ride, and about forty miles above Sully, that
O strange incident occurred. From Fort
Union to Yankton, distance of 600 miles,
the Missouri runs along a chain OF noun
tails on the east, while on the west there is
scarcely hill to be found While the route
down the east bank is naturally more diff
cult, it is also more sheltered, and that is the
route l took on the occasion referred to.
While there were plenty Of Indians in the
mountains and in the mountain valleys,
there were none of them on the plains, and
my journey was considered such forlorn
hope that wagers were made at Fort Lincoln
that would never be 1ard of again
ABSER JoHNsON's MULE.
had a mustang which had travelled over
more of the country than any man living,
and in all matters pertaining to frontier life
he was as well ported as four men out OF five.
Armed with Winchester and revolver, and
rather proud to be the one selected out Of
five scouts to make the trip, left Fort Lin
coin Just at dusk one evening in July and
proceeded five miles down the river before
crossing over. A reconnaissance in force
day or two before had driven the hostles
back, but 1 might count on finding them
within seven or eight miles. / had scarcely
forded the river when q mule, which had evil
IDENTIFY been in hiding in a thicket near by,
came forward with a low whirry, and ap-
paared greatly pleased to see u.s.
A brief inspection proved that he belonged
TO scout named Abner johnson, who had
been dispatched from Fort Lincoln to Fort
Ransome, $50 miles to the east, ten or twelve
days before The saddle was in place,
blanket, coffee pot and other articles secured
as usual, and the bride was intact. I was
satisfied that johnson had been shot from
the saddle. Nothing could have induced the
mule to run away from him while alive.
The animal, es figured it, was making for
the fort, and was about fording the stream
when the noise of our passage alarmed him,
and he hid himself to see whether it was
friend or enemy. l sought to drive him into
the water and on his way, bat he was deter
mined to accompany me, and after finding
him obstinate, slipped the iron bit out Of
his mouth, that he might snatch at the grass,
and rode off, with him a close follower.
l did not intend to travel far that night,
the main object being to get beyond the hos
tile lines and take an early start next morn
ing. Up to the time OF crossing the river my
mustangs feet had been muff1ed with oas
sacks, SO that he could leave no trail. There
had been no rain for two or three weeks, and
no living Indian could have traced me.
Once across the stream | removed the bags.
l should leave plain trail, but must there
after trust to luck and my own sagacity. It
was starlight night, and as ! rode forward
l routed up a deer or other wild game every
fifty yards. This satisfied me that no Indians
were near, and l continued my ride until
midnight. By this time l was at least twenty
miles below the fort, and | went into camp
to wait for daylight. Going into camp con-
sisted of unsaddling the two animals, rolling
myself in blanket and Pumping down at
the roots OF a cottonwood l was asleep in
five minutes, and when opened my eyes it
was daylight.
HIGH OLD TINE.
The animals were close at hand, and each
bad his nose in the air and was scenting like
a dog. l was hardly on my feet before
smelled fire. There was light breeze blowing
up the valley, and the camp fire was below
me, or in the direction l proposed to go.
moved into the belt Of timber and began te
crawl forward for an observation, and after
going about quarter OF a mile l saw the
smoke. ] waited five minutes before advanc
ing nearer, but seeing no movement l crept
forward. l saw the body of white man ly-
ing on the ground under the trees. l knew
it was by the dress, and now, thinking had
come upon government scout or some white
hunter, rose up and advanced into the camp.
No man ever made more appalling dis
covery. 1t was the body of Abner johnson,
dead and terribly mutilated, and between
him and the river, distance Of twenty feet,
lay the dead bodies of nine Indian warriors
While glance sufficed to prove that they
were dead, it took me some time to satisfy
myself as TO the cause. finally found a stone
bottle holding about two quarts, which / re-
membered to have seen in Johnson's posses
sion. 1t had contained whisky, but was now
empty. The posture of sthe bodies was proof
that every warrior had died Of poison, but l
did not know until month later that John
son fixed up the dose before leaving Fort
Ransome on his return. he seemed to have
presentiment that he would be captured,
and he bought two quarts Of whisky and
dosed it with strychnine, knowing that it
would surely revenge him.
johnson had evidently been driven out of
his direct course. AS saw by scouting over
the ground he was well in the lead of his
nine pursuers when a chance shot from a
rifle struck him in the right hip and tumbled
him from his saddle His mule had gone on,
and the Indians had gone into camp to tor
ture the wounded man. They had cut of his
left ear, gashed his cheeks, severed three or
four toes and inflicted other cruelties, when
the poison which they had imbibed in the
whisky began to work
There must have been high old time
among them for half an hour, during which
interval the prisoner probably bled to death.
Johuson's eyes were wide open, and if the
eyes of the dead can reflect anything his
surely reflected exultation. The ponies of
mile away, and each was hobbed. 1t
seemed an awful wicked thing TO do, but l
approached each one in turn and drove my
knife TO his heart Then gathered up sad
dies and blankets and lariats and flung them
into the river. took the rifles, tonahawks,
knives, wampum and head dresses of the nine
warriors and made UP load for the mule.
and after covering Johnson's body with brush
and stones TO keep it from the vultures |
u-c,1f X wa