Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-04-16

OF game-the house when the men
were at home was an arsenal of guns
they had such abundance as three good
hunters, with ample opportunities,
could secure. Even Mrs. Gleason was
provided with a gun, a short, flint
lock towliug piece.
Briggs and Ellery were often away
upon trapping and hunting excur-
sions. In September they rode away
upon their ponies 10 the west TO shoot
buffalo, and walked back at the end
of the hunt leading their ponies heav-
lily laden with hides. They had TO go
only a three days journey from the
river 10 strike the buffalo range"
now dwindled from its former vast
proportions to the limits of the Ma
tional park in Wyoming, where a
Struggling band of butfaloes still ex-
lists, protected by United States soldiers.
These isolated settlers lived in con-
slant danger, for the country all about
them was the common hunting ground
Of bands of Winnebagoes, Potawat-
omies and Musquakies, and OCCASION
ally Sioux. These last were far more
to be dreaded than the others, as Black
Hawks war had given the lesser and
nearer tribes a wholesome fear of the
soldiers, stationed at various posts
throughout the region. No Indian
was trusted, unless thoroughly known
TO the white mans friend, and OF
the three men living at the Little Pin
nicon, one always remained near the
cabin. When the trappers were away,
Gleason stayed close at home, busying
himself with the building of stables,
yard and fence, or with improvements
upon the cabin. To the latter headed
in time a bedroom for himself and
wife, and a general storage room for
p%rovender of all sorts.
Flour, coffee, sugar aud other nee
essaries were got at Prairie du Chen
by Briggs and Ellery, who made the
trip in their bateau.
Early in autumn struggling bands
of Indian hunters sometimes stopped
atthe Pinnicon cabin 10 beg for ''to-
bac" and ''sug," which, as the sup
plies were limited, had TO be denied
them.
Winter came and passed without in
cident 10 the settlers, save such as
their hunts afforded. These were Of
ten stirring or amusing, and their re-
cital served to make the evening pass
pleasantly before the cracking back
logs Of the fire place.
Thus time passed until planting
time" came and went, and still the lit
tie band remained unmolested. About
the first of June Briggs and Ellery,
with the bateau well loaded with the
.'spring catch" set out for Prairie du
Chen.
They had been gone twelve days,
and their return was momeutarily and
somewhat anxiously looked for by the
GleIsons, who were out of flour and
some other necessities. II was Oh the
morning of this twelfth day that Bill,
as his wife and the others called Glea-
son, came h~urrying TO the cabin.
''Sallie, said he, with much excite.
ment, there's a big band Of elk bout
a mile up creek, am I'm goin' after
emf Won't be gone long"
Go ahead, Bill" said his wife. Il
can take care o. myself a few hours
He snatched down his rifle from its
pegs and hurried out.
He had been gone not much more
than an hour when a young dog
chained near the door began TO bark.
Mrs. Gleason looked out. and saw
coming down the river, half a mile
away, a string Of horsemen whom she
knew at once to be Indians.
She watched them a moment.
Whether it was the manner in which
they rode, or the fact hat she was
alone that alarmed her, she did not
know, but accustomed though she was
to the lonely life of the frontier, she
was frightened. She Immediately shut
and bolted the door, and with table
and stools hastily barricaded the two
small openings which served as win
dows, leaving a corner Of the one at
the front open 10 serve a. a port hole.
Then she looked to her gun and fresh
ened the printing.
BY this time the sound of horses
hoofs had drawn near the cabin and
halted. Sally G~leason's face was very
pale at this moment, and her hands
trembled, yet she did no. hesitate, gun
in hand, TO take her place at the open
ing in the window.
She saw enough at her first glance
TO warrant all the prccaution she had
taken. Naked, hideously bedaubed in
paint and evil eyed, such n villainous
looking lot Of savages she had never
before seen. There were seventeen of
them drawn up in n squada few yards
distant, and they were surveying al.
ternately the cabin and the growing
dog.
The Indians were armed with bows
and arrows and lances, with but two
guns in the crowd. Mrs. Gleason saw
at once that they were Sioux. Stand.
ing far enough back in the darkened
cabin TO prevent them from seeing her,
she looked through her portfolio direct
~ into the eyes Of these dangerous Wis.
itors.
For a few moments they sat their
ponies silently, giving no hostile sign.
Presently ono Of them, with n cultural
word OF command, turned his animals
mead and with n vicious cut of his
9nirt set OIL at q gallop, and the whole
troop followed him.
Sallic Gleason brcathed more freely
as she watched tho galloping squad
o the creek and ride out Of sight
beyond a point Of bluff some half mile
below: She thought of her husband,
but felt certain he was mott in the direc.
ton they had taken. She opened the
door md MInlnIya md nonAl r.