The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-09
AMERICAN PLUCK.
From the New York sun.

From the New York Sun.
The man who should attempt tn argue
that the native American had lost any of
his pluck since the days OF the Revolution
would soon find himself sniothered under
volumes of proof to the contrary. In war
soldiers have shown their pluck by
brigades, regiments. and companies. In
peace peril menaces individuals alone,
and gives "a mans nerve fair trial. i have
seen the American. as an individual, i'm IL
good many ight places. and IL has been
q rare thing to see One show the white
feather, no matter what the odd were.
In the year 1si1. while ! WAS acting as a
scout, I had tai pass between
two military stations i'm western Kansas.
The Indians were out on the warpath, and
were never so malignant and cruel. They
could see the beginning of the end. hut
were determined to- fight il oil as long AS
possible. I left camp at midnight for "a
ride of forty miles. 1 could have made IL
by daylight. hut at = o'clock I'm the mOrii-
ing my horse slipped ON "a stone and went
dead lame. ] was then ON the right bank
of the Smoky Hill fork of the Kansas
River, following il down, and 10y leading
the horss. half "a mile I got tine shelter of u
grove Of cottonwoods. I knew 1 must re-
main there for the day. and ! made the
hest arrangements ] could for defence.
There was "a large tliorn-applc tree i'm the
with "a grapevine. Under this shelter
dug out "a rifle pit, land when IL was finished
knew l could stand any small party OF
slept from 4 O'Clock until y. ut which
time ~ whimper from my horse aroused
me-. I heard the reports of rifles To the
north aud the cast. mingled with the faint
whoop~ of Indians. and AS soon as ] could
get u look i'm that direction the cause was
headed for the grove. coming from the
north. He was followed by "a dozen In.
would have made the grove all right. hut
~ party of four Indians were coming down
from the east to head him oil. He had
cut oil. and those behind were fast rom
ing up. He took i'm the situation in a
minute. He was ON q knoll covered with
himself from the saddle u~nbiickled and
pulled il off; aud gave the horse slap
with me and when ] got il out and got the
hearings the man was So hidden on the
knoll that l could only guess his location
by locating the saddle.
All the Indians had come up and halted
just ont of rifle ranXe. 1hers. were. fifteen
of them. and from the appearance. of their
ponies i know they had a long chase. The
white mans hor>s. came down to the
stream above me. drank his I'LL. and then
began grazing as il in his own pasture. l
wanted to mix i'm at once. but they were
not only out of range, but my horse was
un,ii hn, 10 o.. ,n,x,mim, my In. way
There WAS every chance thai l might have
tn tight them singic-handssi later on. The
white mans actions proved that he knew
how To take care of him-cif.and l must let
him do so for the time being. lclimbtsl into
one OF tine cottonwoosis. got an elevation
of about thirty feet. ana now nay glass
served me better. The man was digging
in the earth with his hunting knife to scoop
ont "a riffs. pit. While he worked the rcd
skins rested and planned. They gave
linn about twenty minutes. and at the end
of this time he was well hidden. even from
my sight. He had turned up several large
stones, and tltcss, made a brcastwork.
When the Indians moved II was To cir
Gle around him and keep mp "a fire to rat
lie him and waste. his .aIllnltlOll. NhlIss
they were at long range u" made no
answer. hut as they narrowed the circle "A
pull Of smoke suddenly l,;ipea from his
pit. and one of the warriors fell from his
horse like a log. A second dashed i'm to
through. The bullet hit the rider i'm the
opposite leg, and I could follow him as he
crspt away through the grass. Another
consultation was held. and il resulted in a
general disIuouut. Then each warrior
began creeping forward ON his own ac-
count; firing a, Will. They had the man
cool. When he finally got "A SURE. thing he
fired. and shot an Indian so dead that the
he killed "a second. This Was three killed
and one wounded. and they were losing
their sand. All crcpt out of range aud
consulted again, and ! knew how il would
end. III the eleven warriors let oI. white
man beat them off they would bc dis
Hraced forever. The ground was favorable
for charging him on horseback. and the.
were soon ready. Six went tn the east and
five To the south, and at "a signal they pu,
aANAA iDhAt.' VII M sht"A MI, wi tss
knoll. Up jumped the man, his rifle at hi,
shoulder. and he fired twelve shots int
the two sections faster than could count
He killed two ponies and wounded two al
three warriors, and this stopped them
They broke back and headed for the grow.
TO make new repairs and study up new
d~eveltry. let them come. within pisto
shot and then opened on them with m!
Winchester, and il is recorded i'm militar!
reports that 1 killed two and wounded 4
third. The living went of down the rive
SO badly ratified that AN old woman couls
hnyn LHpne Nlnautn snon rIa. rlnn with a. ls. 49,
stick.
II didn't take the stranger more than
minute Ia catch OH. and he came down &
me. To my great surprise he turned on
10 be "a bsardless hoy of ~. who had beeI
out searching after lost stock. The In
dians had ran him all night long, making
"A ride OF almost fifty miles. He didn'
pretend TO he even "A cowboy. and when
praised his courage he biushcd like "a girl
He said lac expected to he wiped out Il
the end. b.it he was bonnd To give the RED
skins the best he had before he wen
under. IL was n lucky fight for both u
ans. There were four dead Indians o
the ground, and we found on each a buck