Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-10-25

wound in the neck of one of the mules.
Not so, however, as it regarded the
Indians, for one of the frontiersmen drew
bead from his Spencer upon Com
anche warrior, and put an ounce of lead
through his heart, while another shot
pony from under his rider. The red
skins made hasty retreat, leaving dead
pony on the plains and carrying off their
dead comrade.
The train was not halted at all, but
kept steadily on its way. However, the
Indians had learned lesson of caution
for the future. As was afterward
known, they had lost one of their best
chiefs in this useless attack, and though
they had the additional incentive of re-
venge added to that of cupidity, yet
they were held back by wholesome
fear of the Spencer rifles.
Still day after day they followed the
train, almost wearing out the whites by
the incessant watchfulness which was
necessary for protection, and oc-
casionally, when some favorable in
equality of ground occurred, they would
get near enough to launch their arrows
and to send few rifle shots into the
ranks of the whites. One or two of the
men and animals had thus been slightly
wounded, but nothing more serious oc-
CURED until the train had reached the
ford of the Little Blue River.
By this time, the ninth day, the In
dians had increased IN numbers so that
the whites made out some fifty or sixty
of them, and. trusting to the disadvan-
tage necessarily encountered in getting
the animals and wagons over the narrow
but somewhat swift little stream, the
enemy here attacked the travellers in a
very persistent manner, partly sheltered
by the belt of cottonwood trees which
| line the banks of the Little Blue at this
point.
But Captain Goss, who was train mas
ter, had anticipated this, and while the
drivers were getting their teams across
the ford he stationed eight of his best
marksmen to keep the Indians at bay.
Each of these men sought the cover of
the underground and the body of sons
cottonwood tree of good size, and from
thence kept up such steady and effec-
tive fire that the redskins dared not make
the charge which the had planned.
Five or six of the Indians had been
sent to their long home, and several had
| been wounded by the time the last wagon
crossed the ford. One mule and one
white man had been killed by the enemy,
and two of the drivers slightly wounded.
But the train was soon again winding on
its way, having fairly repulsed the pur
suers for time at least Crossing the
ford was hard work for the animals, and
halt was ordered mile beyond the
river and the teams coraled.
Here another of the wounded mules
gave out and soon after died, leaving but
two animals to drawthe rear wagon.
The Indians had been severely pun
ished, but they were very persistent, and
on the following morning they were seen
lowering about the rear of the train,
which was now compelled to make fre-
quent halts on account of having but two
mules in place of four attached to the last
wagon. The load was lightened and
divided among the rest to a considerable
extent, but still it was heavy work for
the two animals to keep UP with the rest
Of the outfit.
The Indians watched this rear wagon,
hoping that the train-master would
abandon it in his efforts to escape from
them, and they were encouraged by this
prospect of booty, pressing as closely as
they dared upon the rear of the train.
Now and then the best marksmen among
the whites would get good shot at one
more venturesome than the rest, and
would wound him or shoot his pony, and
an Indian upon the plains without his
| horse is of no account
1t soon became evident to Captain Goss
that he must sacrifice the last wagon, and
he, therefore, ordered halt, and, shift
ing everything of value into the other
teams, took the two mules and placed
them as additional leaders upon the
heaviest wagons. Tossing into the
wagon about to be abandoned 10. of
comparatively valueless articles, he left
in the centre heap of blasting powder,
for sharp idea had occurred to the Cap
tain.
Something must be done to get rid of
i these banditti of the Drarie or they would