Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-31

WOulu nave ueU. W ucu SuuOc1ly Tic III.
ing ceased Pats gun had become SO
dirty and hot by such constant firing
that, horrible to relate, while attempt
ing to put in a cartridge. it stuck fast
and could be forced neither in or out.
The Indians supposed he was out OF
ammunition, and with savage yells
rushed into secure their great prize. Pat
met them with dubbed gun, and broken
heads and bones were plenty as they
came within sweep of his strong arms in
the death-struggle; but those behind
still pressed on, and he was soon over
powered and secured. Infatuated at
the loss of so many of their number,
they took poor Pat. tore his scalp from
his head, bound him to one of his own
wagon wheels, emptied sacks of oats
around him and set them on fire. just
as they commenced their devilish
torture and dance around their victim
they heard a shot echo from the dis
lance. The alarm was raised that the
soldiers were coming and stampede
at once began. Picking up the
wounded and some of their dead. the
Indians mounted their horses and
scampered of.
The evening shades gathered darkly
and all was still as the fire burned,
and the spirit of brave Pat passed
away and found rest in the land of the
hereafter.
There he was buried the next day by
some other fighters. The bodies of
thirty dead Indians were also found
and were afterwards removed by their
red brothers. Pat was known as
brave man. His friends have erected
a headstone, simply inscribed with
his name and date of his death. And
thus is marked the grave of a hero
and the spot on which occurred the
most remarkable fight of one man
against so many recorded in border
| annals.
And now comes, perhaps the most
wonderful part of this thrilling drama
in real life. Although John Korison
had been shot and scalped he still lived.
When fired at by the Indians he was
hit in the left shoulder severe but not
extremely dangerous wound, and as
the Indians rushed forward he simu-
lated death so well that they believed
him to be actually dead. Even when
the keen-edged knife cut round the
crown of his head and savage hands
tore off the bleeding scalp he neither
moved nor spoke. He became uncon-
scious. but only for moment. and al
though suffering the extreme of agony
himself the terrible fight between Pat
and the Indians was stamped upon his
mind so vividly as never to be erased
during life. Not until the savages had
been frightened away by the report of
the gun did he again became uncon.
scious.
Through the silent night. upon the
matted grass. under the merciful dews
of heaven. John Korison lowered on
the border between life and death. A
burning, scorching fever ran through
body, vein and artery like molten fire,
blotting out mind and reason. while
ever before his imagination danced
the horrible figure of painted
savage. As the earth rolled down
from the morning sun KorisOn had
sunk into stupOr which was very
close to the sleep of death. 1t was
only a short time later that he was
discovered by the freighters, and their
| establishment can not be described when
they found indications of life in the
blood-stiffened body. They had heard
of men being scalped who had sur
| vived the terrible ordeal. but never
had believed it.
| They set to work vigorously to re-
! vive and call back the fleeing spirit of
Korison. They dressed the wound in
the shoulder, washed his head and
bound it up. forced some strong
whisky down his throat, gave his body
a good rubbing, and in a short time
had the satisfaction of seeing Korison
open his eyes and stare wildly about
But to their questions he replied not
The mind still slept He saw without
seeing; he heard without hearing. The
dreadful nightmare of the past was
visiOned in those staring eyeballs. and
as the men looked they were chilled to
the bone. With the gentle touch of
woman these rough but kind-hearted
men placed Korison in one of the
wagons on a bed of soft hay and set
1 A. =
with their patient Korison was at
once placed in charge of the old
army surgeon at the fort, who was
much surprised that man was shot
and scalped and still lived 1t was the
opinion Of the surgeon that Korison
would die.
j The freighters returned to the State,
reported the whole matter. and it was
generally understood that the four UNI