Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-13

we OF the NTH had a clear and commanding
lead. Every now and then Carr would signal
walk, to let the poor horses blow. Then on
we trot again, through mud, mist and rain, and
soon after 10 see white cleaning crags among
the buttes to the ight-front, and, at half-past
We of the fifth are
EXCHANGING SHOTS WITH THE REDSKINS
and congratulations with Mills in the very
midst of one Of the richest Indian villages
ever saw. Clusters guidons, cavalry uniforms
and trappings in lodge after lodge, all assure
Us we have got at last the very fellows we were
after. Mills had whirled in upon them to their
utter surprise at dawn, Schwatka leading the
charge; scattered the occupants to the neigh
boring heights-'Slim Buttes'' by name; ''cor-
rallied at least 400 of their ponies, and. though
he had lost several men and poor Won Lucttwitz
| had lost his leg, and the Indians had quickly
rallied and, seeing his small force, had attacke
In turn. he had managed to get back word to
US. and to hang on to his prize like bulldog
until We got there
JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME.
1t was the village of American Horse" and
| only an outlying band of the great force of the
Sioux under ''Chunka Witko' (Crazy Horse,
who was over toward the Little Missouri. Two
hours more and he, with all his warriors at his
back. came tearing over to retake the village.
but meantime We had ''got there" and pro-
posed TO stay. Late that afternoon Crook
NHOlt IOTCe was on tne ground. ana tueu crazy
| Horse gave battle. the most beautiful Indian
combat have ever seen. for there were thou
sands engaged on the two sides, but it is of an
intermediate incident have TO tell. There is
no room in letter like this to describe the
battle of Slim Buttes.
BUFFALO BILLS ''PARDNER."
In last weeks article 1 spoke of Cody's
''pardner." His real name was James White.
but for years he had been Buffalo Bills shadow
thing Bill wore or did. was the most simple
minded, hOnest-hearted frontiersman l ever
met and as he had ridden day after by my side.
it seemed to me that | had got to know him
well. Sometime before he had allowed" that
having been Cody's ''pardner" for years he
ought to have some distinctive title, and grim
old quartermaster dubbed HIM forthwith
Buffalo Chips and the name stuck White
didn't seem to mind. l met him first at Fort
Mcpherson in II. when he came with horse
and message from Bill. l saw him last at
Slim Buttes on the 9th of September in '76.
As we rode into the village Major Mills
pointed to a ravine that struck in among the
bluffs to the south. Look out for that place, >
said he, there are some wounded Indians up
near the head of it and they've knocked over
some of my men"
DISASTROUS FUN.
We were too busy just then to bother with a
few Indians in hole. We could get them when
they were wanted. Meantime we had to throw
out our skirmish lines and drive the surround
ing warriors well back where their shots would
not disturb our wounded in the village. A little
later, however, some scouts and packers
thought they might as well have little fun on
their own account roasting out them InjunS,
and the next thing l heard was arattlIng vUlley
from the ravine and saw the scouts and pack
ers scattering like sheep. One fellow who WAS
IN kneeling posture near the brink did not
move at all. Neither did he for an hour after
ward. He was shot dead All at once it be-
came apparent that not two or three but a
dozen Indians were lurking in that hole. Then
the move to get the mout assumed proportions.
and Lieutenant Philo Clark, OF Crooks staff
carbine III hand, jumped in to take the lead.
while a number of scouts went crawling along
either bank peering warily over into the cave
like darkness at the head.
THE LAST OF "CHIPs"
Just as l was running thither from the west
ern side a second volley came from the hole,
and three more of our men dropped bleeding
in their tracks. when everybody seemed to
wake up all at once and the attack became a
fusillade. | could see Chips" on the opposite
crest. crawling ont on hands and knees to a
point where he could peer over into the depths
below. He reached a stunted tree that grew
NJ the edge of the gorge, raised his riie lifted
himself slowly to his feet; a quick. eager light
shone in his face as he caught sight of the Turk
ing foe. when there was sudden bangl a puff
Of white smoke from the head of the ravine
Chips gave an agonized cry, "Oh. my God!
boys" and plunged heavily forward, shot
through the heart
1t took less than two minutes after that to
wind up the affairs at the head of that ravine,
and one of the diving warriors proved to be
American Horse" himself.
CHARLES KING, L. S. A.