Wichita eagle., 1889-06-18
gh aaaiehta 1au Eagle: Tnesday gorng, guu H. 1883.

UebWeeu Tue CWO IOTU WunOQb running
against a party Of hostiles was not one in fifty.
At such perilous times government rider Is
not commanded to go He Is asked certain
questions, however, In q manner which de-
cides him TO make the attempt. left the
post at Q o'clock at night Of an August even
ing, perfectly satisfied that should be dead
or a prisoner before midnight.
had bronco Of tireless gait, rifle and
revolver, and carried only five or six pounds
extra weight Before setting out l went In
to see young Black Cloud and say good-by.
had spent much Of my time in his company,
and we had become pretty good friends
When / told him Of my journey be took from
his neck buckStdn string, to which was at
tached the tooth Of a grizzly bear, and handed
it to me with the remark:
"You cannot get through. You VIII be
captured or killed. If not shot down show
this to my people They will know who it
belongs to. They may trade you for me, and
shall thus get back to my tribe"
A thunder storm was coming up as took
my departure. Instead Of holding due north
on the direct route, rode to the east for five
miles and then held away for Concho direct
The storm now broke, and for full hour /
rode ahead at steady gallop, one moment in
darkness SO black that could not see the
ears of my horse, and the next In blaze OF
light so brilliant that it blinded me. BY the
time the storm had passed was q good ff-
teen miles from the fort, and as / had seen
nothing to alarm me began to hope that
would get through all right It was between
10 and II o'clock, and had pulled my bron-
co down to a walk for the first time, when he
suddenly uttered snort Of alarm and start
ed Off with wild jumps. Three or four rifles
cracked, and as the reports reached me the
horse fell in a heap and flung me far over bis
head ! was momentarly stunned by the
fall, and before had made move to get up
l was seized by at least three Indians, who
were not minute in binding my hands and
feet
When got clear head once more it was
to realize that the Apaches had me secure
prisoner and that there were six or seven
warriors about me. The moon came up in a
clear sky little later, and then made out
that l had run directly into temporary
camp. The shots fired after me had brought
down my horse, and he lay grooming and
foundering few yards away.
The Indians knew that was a white man,
but they didn't know who they had got hold
l lay on the wet ground guarded by two
Of the warriors, and almost Immediately
after my capture two men were sent off in
different directions with news OF it party
of twelve Apaches arrived Just before day
light and ten more at sunrise, and among
the latter recognized Black Cloud, father
of the boy. One Of the men had recognized
nle as Observation-Disclosures, as the
government riders were called, and as being
in the party who captured the chiefs son.
No one ever saw such a mad lot OF redskins
before or since They wanted to torture me,
and yet they realized that through me the
boy could obtain his liberty.
The chief at first declared that he had dis
owned his son, and that he might rot in con-
f1nement before he would exchange white
prisoner for him. When / called his atten-
ton to the charm young Black Cloud had
given me, the old man pretended to believe
that it was a sign the boy was dead, and
he ordered my immediate torture. | was
jerked to a sitting position, my boots cut OF,
and the devils were about to use their knives
on my feet when the old man changed his
mind and restrained them. The sight of me
before them was the same as pail OF fresh
blood placed before ravenous wolves, and
expected to be knitted or tomahawked every
moment for the first half hour. When they
had cooled down little Black Cloud de-
manded the particulars Of his boys capture
saw that he felt degraded over the event,
end was ready to disown the youth. and l
made out a strong defense for the little chap
to save my own scalp.
1t was finally decided to spare my life for
few days, and was conducted to a camp in
the foot hills between the two forts. Here
council was held, and had close shave Of
r. While Black Cloud wanted his son back,
Some of his advisers contended that he should
wait until securing some cheaper prisoner.
They insisted ON making me out a very inn
portant parsonage, and it was well known
that had killed or wounded several of the
tribe in different scrimmages. Another thing
that bothered them was how to make the eX-
change and not get beaten. Treacherous and
deceitful to the last degree themselves, they
would not credit the whites with having any
honor 1t was argued, too, that the COM
mander of the fort would exchange the boy
for private soldier or any sort of prisoner,
and that had done them too much damage
to be set at liberty.
There were three days in which ley fate
was undecided, and during the last day
stake was driven and fagots collected for
fire to torture me. / had no voice In the
council, being bound and under guard, but
it was at length decided to make the ex-
change So cautious and fearful were the
Indians that it took a week to effect what
might have been done In a day. | wrote q
note to the commandment explaining the situ-
alton. This was carried in by squaw, who
was permitted to see and converse with young
Black Cloud. He replied that he would e1-
change The Apaches then wanted the boy
turned loose before they released me, but
this would not hear to, knowing they would
murder me- 1t was finally arranged that he
was TO be escorted mile outside the fort and
turned loose on his horse. was to be taken to
within mile of the fort and turned loose on
foot The parties were to occupy erninenoes
half a mile apart, and the hour was to be 9
o'clock In the morning. This plan was car
ried out. Twenty soldiers came out with the
boy and about the same number Of Apaches
escorted me.
The treachery Of the copper faced devils
was soon exemplified. They had posted five
warriors in dry run to shoot me down as
made for the fort. The boy doubtless sus-
pected some such move, for as soon as re-
leased he came galloping straight for me, and
and after show how" and hand shake be
insisted that walk beside his pony until we
reached the gate Of the fort. When l was
safe he waved his hand and rode away to be
received with yells and cheers, and it was
then we saw the treacherous rascals creeping
out Of the cover where they had been sta
toned. a year later, after fight In which
over forty OF the bravest Apache warriors
had gone TO earth, l found young Black Cloud