Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-04-19

encamped In the gully for thrce days
and watching for me. Black Serpent
was doing just a' had reasoned ho
waiting for night intended
10 make an easy Journey OF it by rid
ing about forty miles and camping for
the night. He knew this would be the
way oiit. and no had no intention Of
attacking me during daylight.
! kept on at the same steady pace
during the afternoon, halting twice to
water my horse. Three times during
the afternoon got sly peeps OF my
pursucr. who kept at II respectful dis
tance, and doubtless chuckled to him
self at the thought OF being on my trail
and unsupported. had to make what
is called dry onvnp." That is with
no water at hand. There was scant
herbage for my horse, but | know he
would not wander far. and that no In
dian living could stampede him or ride
him away. knew from the actions
OF the animal as soon as dismounted
that there was another horse near by.
but built a fire and toasted my meat,
and had enough water in my canteen
TO make cup OF cofroc.
Black Serpent would not bo In n
hurry. When an Indian is trailing
you he likes to enjoy his triumph. lie
plays with you as q cat does with II
mouse. Ten o'clock would bo soon
enough for him, and l sat In plain
view OF my fire smoking until after
nine. Then ! smothercd the blaze for
FIVE minutes, and during this interval
rugged up my blankets to make n
dummy" When retreated into the
darkness and looked back, the figure
was good enough TO deceive any body.
Black Serpent would not approach on
my trail but from exactly the opposite
direction, and crept away in the
darkness until was fifty feet from tho
fire.
II was. as near as could figure II,
about an hour when the young buck
came creeping up from the direction
anticipated. I'll give him credit for
passing over the ground as noiselcssly
as n rabbit could have moved. He
had left his rifle behind. calculating to
use his knife on ms He was all OF
twenty minutes creeping his last
twenty feet. I'd sometimes doubted
II my eycsight had not deceived me.
He was within six feet OF the dummy
before he detected it, and then he
sprang high in the air and uttered his
death-whoop. knowing that was lay
ing for him. He came down in a heap
at the crack OF my rifie. and he was
dead when l got to him. l kept his
entire outfit, sending word TO his
friends what had happened. and that !
held myself an-werable 10 them. but
no one troubled mo about II, even to
lay claim to any OF the property.
A year later, when things generally
were moro settled. but with dissatis-
fed bucks break ng away from the
agencies at intervals to make raids.
an Indian qulr;cr-broel stole somo
things from Fort Turned aud I ran him
down aud cap.urcl him. lie was i'm
prsoned for several weelSs. and som
OF his buck friends declared that |
should pay for the "indignity' with
my life. IL was honorable enough In
their eyes TO steal. but great indig-
nifty TO pay the penalty OF thicving.
The three bucks whom had to fear
were called Rod Elrih. Halt Moon and
Cloudy Day. They drew rations at
the AGENCY. and were supposed to live
within tho limits, but as . matter OF
fact wore prowling over the country
most OF the time and rlpo for any dew
iltry.
wns then riding between two posts
about eighty miles apart took two
days TO go and two TO return. and.
then. after rest OF two days. | made
the trip again, This had been the
programme for Two months. and the
Indians knew II aud could count on my
whereabouts mt n certain date. For
twenty-five miles OF the journey ! had
stage road andtwas sure OF company
For twenty miles further tho country
was fairly safe, there being mnny
hunters and trappcrs and scouts out.
The dangerous part OF the journey
was confined TO about twenty-five
miles Tho route lay along the base ol
a mountnin-up valley-ovora sharp
rise, and across several gulches. lse.
lcctcd tha spot where the Indians
would attack mo II they held to their
threat. just rs tho trail left the base
OF the mountain TO take to the valley
there was canyon making into the
great mound. and the trail ran within
thirty fect OF its mouth before turning
to the left II the weather was good
always passed this point in going west
at ab ,utsniue o'clock in the morning.
In going the other way Inrrivcd about
sundown, and made my camp In the
bushes growing around a spring.
figured that the Indians would
shoot slie down as rode up to the
spring, or very soon after had dis
mounted. They would then drag my
body up the canyon and conceal 1t, and
lend my horse as far up rs possible and
then kill him. would be missed and
searched for, but II might be a week
before any trace was discovered. BY
that time the wolves and vulturcs
would have left nothing to identify,
and the assnssins would have beer
conspicuously present at the agency.
1t is still the unwritten law OF the
frontier that when man threatens
your lie, even II no is drunk at the
time. you are expected to protect
yourself by shooting him first l had
witnesses that these Indians had
threatened to wipe me out. ! was ex'
pected to shoot any one OF them on
sight. I'd have been called fool or a
coward to take any other course.
It was the cunning OF the red man
apainst the wisdom OF tho white. II