Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-02-08


canon and conceal it, aud lead my
horse as far up as possible and
Their kill him. | would be missed
and searched for, but it might be
a week before any trace was dis
covered. BY that time the wolves
and vultures would have left moth.
ing to identify, and the assassIns
would have been cOnspicuously
present at the agency. 1t is still the
unwritten law of the frontier that
when a man threatens yonr life,
even If he is drunk at the time,
you are expected to protect your
self by shooting him first. | had
witnesses that these Indians had
threatened to wipe me out. was
expected to shoot any one of them
on sight. I'd have been called a
fool OF a coward to take any other
course. 1t was the cunning OF the
red man against the wisdom OF the
white. If I was wrong in my con-
clusions then my life would pay
the penalty. | knew they would
not act upon their threat at once,
as they would expect me to be on
my guard and perhaps have an es'
cort, aud so | waited until my
second trip before carrying ont my
own plans. The Indians would
reach the canon III the afternoon.
A lookout could see me five miles
away. Halt a mile from the spot,
however, there was a wooded ridge
to hide my Immediate approach,
and this ridge ran around to the
canon. | moderated the pace OF
my horse to suit my plans, and ap-
preached the valley half an hour
ahead OF my usual time. When
three miles away I dlsmOunted,
tied a string tightly about my
horses right knee, and then ad-
vanced, leading him. The cord
caused him to limp as if he had
gone lame, through accident. l
felt 1 that was under the eyes OF
one of the Indians, and that before
| reached the timbered ridge he
would rejoin his friends in the
canon. sloucbed along as care
lessIy as possible until reached
the ridge. Then sent my horse
forward alone, knowing that he
would halt at the spring and wait
for me. AS soon as he was gone l
struck into the timber and circled
around to get as close to the mouth
of the canon as possible. The last
two hundred feet of the distance
crawled upon my hands and knees
My horse had stopped by the
way to catch up monthful el
grass here and there, and | got my
first look into the mouth OF the
canon just as he approached the
spring. For a moment | was ready
to acknowledge that was beaten
at nv own line of reasoning, as
could see nothing of the redskins
but while the horse was drinking,
the would-be assassins, who were
crouched in the semi-darkness,
moved forward into view. Yes
the three of them were there and
each had his rife, aud they had
come to kill me. Their actions
proved it. They waited three oI
four minutes to see why ! did not
come up, and were then about tC
move forward when I opened fire
| dropped Half Moon in his tracks
tumbled Cloudy Day over as he
sprang for shelter, and fred upon
but missed Red Earth as lie dodgeC
behind a great boulder. Had h'
Jumped backward into the canon
he would have had all the advan
taee, but IN his sudden surprise ht
made three or four leaps, and tool
shelter between me and the spring
should not have fred upon hin
had he run off, and if he haG asked
for truce l should have granted It
But he was determined TO have my
life. He had a good Winchester
and he got such secure cover tha
| | was obliged TO lie low and lie
him do all the shooting. Heyellet
out to me that he bad me dead t
rights and would soon lift IN!
scalp, and he called out, as II Il
other Indians, to get in behind me
He did this to rattle me and MAKE
me expose myself to his aim, but
saw through his game. l do no
know how ] would have come on
had we been left undisturbed, bu
my horse presently came to my aid
The firing had excited him, and b
had been trained to look upon al
Indian as an enemy. He saw th
red skin down behind the rock an
charged him savagely. The fello'
sprang up and exposed himself
and | was waiting for the oppol
tunity.
, The three Indians had come t
the ambush on horseback. l too
their ponies, rifles and other true
: to the post with me and turGe
l them over to the commandant. ii
I sent word to the head men of tn
D tribe at the agency of what ha
happened, and chief named Lam
70 Deer, accompanied by three buck
? came afte the things. 1t was e.
l planned to him that the men ha
8 threatened my life and we're