The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-09-06

1
hand to Reed when he came to him
self, simply saying: "rm done; you're
better man than thought Let's be
friends"
The next trip to Grand river brought
Reed and his men in contact with old
Bull Ghost, through the efforts OF Dill
Ion, who was after revenge. Reed had
stationed his herd in a fertile valley,
IN the center of which was u big spring
where the cattle We're watered. 1t
was the only place for an area of fifty
miles where there was the necessary
water supply. One night Reed had to
visit another agency. He returned the
next morning to find Bull Ghost and
his tribe encamped around the spring
and his cattle driven out of the valley.
whats the matter?" he asked of
his assistant, young man named
Franks.
Bull Ghost has issued an order that
the cattle must be kept out Of the val
ley, away from the springs" said
Franks.
He says his ponies must have the
grass. Dillon is back Of this you can
gamble on that"
Reed found that Bull Ghost had sta
toned guards along the valley with
orders to shoot any of the cattle that
came back on the grass plat. Reed
rode up to the first guard. The young
buck ordered him to halt. Reed had
a row with the buck, and ended the
parley by knocking him down. Then
ne dispatched the redsl1in to Bull
Ghosts camp with instructions to tell
the chief that he wanted to see him at
Reeds camp within an hour. or there
would be trouble. He sent the six re-
naming sentries back to camp without
| difficulty. with the same instructions
to Bull Ghost. Tom Reed went
back to camp and told his men
that he had made a big bluff
at the Indians, and that he iu-
tended to win by it or lose his scalp.
There was a daredevil colOred cock
with him who could talk the Indian
language, and Reed appointed him in
terpreter. An hour later Bull Ghost,
together with all the Indian finery
from his tepee village, appeared with
his five hundred braves. Then came
the pow wow,' which lasted for half
a day. The young buck who had been
knocked down by Reed returned with
a rifle, having previously threatened
that he would shoot Reed. Reed kept
n close eye upon the Indian, and made
up his mind that he would begin his
bulldozing tactics upon the Indians
with this young buck.
Coin to shoot me with that long
gun, are YEP" said Beod, and without z
weapon he sidled up to the Indian.
The buck glared sullenly at the white
man, and made move as if to bring
the gun to his shoulder. This was
enough for Reed. His right fist shot
out. 1t smashed up against the In
dams left ear The buck grovclod on
the green sward for some time amid
the derisive yells of his five hundred
brother bucks. Then Reed opened up
his parley with Bull Ghost, He
called the Indians all the vile names
in the border category; he Of
fered to fight the chief and five of
his best braves single handed without
weapons; he suggested the utter ami
hilation OF the tribe by the Great Fa-
theirs soldiers, and ended the pow
WOW" by telling Bull Ghost that he
must move his tepee village at once,
as he (Reed) proposed to water his
cattle at the spring in question before
sundown. Then he strodc through the
crowd of Indians, brushing them aside
like flies, and returned to his camp.
Bull Ghost and his five hundred war
riors watched Reeds departure with
Open-mouthed wonder. The Indians
moved their camp that afternoon Aft
er that Bull Ghost considered it fa-
vor to take r eed by the hand for a
lengthy shake, muttering the while:
'Buckskin Joe heap brave white chief;
me like 'im."
The sobriquet given Reed by Bull
Ghost still sticks to the border vetcr-
an. He wore handsomely beaded
buckskin suit at the time of his blood
less encounter with the old Indian.
Colonel Reed had u very lively matt
nee with the Cheyenne Indians at the
agency near Fort Sully about two years
later 1t was upon q certain ration
day. The cattle were driven into IN
immense coral, where they were
slaughtered. Colonel Reed was super
intending affairs for the contractors,
The cattle had all been shot by Indian
marksmen, as was customary. Hun
dreds of bucks with rifles in their
hands sat upon the railing around the
stockade watching the slaughter. One
steer had not been killed, and he raised
his head up and beloved loudly.
you've got your gun, Reed" re-
marked the boss farmer, who stood by
Reed S side, "let er flicker at that stcer
and finish him."
Reed raised his gun to his shoulder.
Bang!
The ball crushed into the steer and
his head fell back. At this instant
there was an ear-splitting yell from
the stockade railing. A piece OF bone
from the steers skull had been torn
out by the bullet and it glanced up
ward, striking buck on tho check.
There was rapid flow of blood from
the wound. The Indians on the rail-
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