Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-22
"When eleven o'clock came, Sly Fox afrinned himSalH fa fha okin and fhox,

stripped himself to the skin, and then crept off to get the horses. This part of the.plan left entirely to the scout, both because of his superior skill in slipping unseen through the grass, and because white mans presence among the ponies would have at once been made known by their actions.
 II had been waiting probably three quarters of an hour, when heard him approaching and leading the ponies. He informed me, in whisper, that he had cut the lariats of all the ponies, selecting for our use what seemed to be the best two. Just as the moon rose we mounted, and, not at all fearful of pursuit, set off at a canter.
 tIn hobbling their ponies, the Indians had used side-lines, joining the left front and hind feet of each pony. Sly Fox, in freeing them, had simply cut the line. and before we had gone rod my mount tripped on the piece still dangling from his fore-foot, and came down with broken leg. The noise that he made att tracted the attention of tho Comanches, who had evidently postponed their at tack until daylight, as they were still in their camp and they came running toward us. bowling and yelling like de- mons. l quickly disentangled myself from my fallen steed and vaulted up be- hind the scout. and off we started again. But the treaoherous little pony had not | gone dozen yards before he stopped in his tracks and began to buck. In vain | jabbed my spurs into him, and in vain Sly Fox slashed him with his knife. The | only response was 0 somewhat more 1 vicious buck.
 "Our attention was so fully taken up | with the little brute that we did not ap- preciate how rapdly our enemies were gaining upon us until they were actually around us. The scout had dropped his rifle, and the first Comanohe to arrive they grouped themselves about us, and gave expression to their evident enjoy ment of the scene in low chuckles and appreciative grunts. Had the situation been less serious I should have laughed myself, for we must have presented a truly ludicrous appearance.
 ''Sly Fox gave a sudden leap off of the pony, but before he had gone two steps was seized, and his knife wrestled from his hand. The Indians led us cap ttves back to their camp, and gathering in the now scattered ponies, started with us toward their village. I was allowed to ride my horse, but Sly Fox had to foot 1t, his right hand tied to the saddle of one of our captors.
 "About noon the next day we neared the village. Groups of bucks and squaws came out to meet us, and welcomed us most warmly, the former with brutal con- gratulations for our captors, and the latter with graphic descriptions of the pleasure that they would have in tortur- Ing us.
 "Our hands and feet were tied. and the throng made fast to a wooden post plant ed in the ground, and here we were com pelled to lie in the hot sun, without @ drop of water, during that long after noon. After dusk, we were both con- ducted to an open place near the center of the village, wi here huge fire had been kindled. Just what the fates had in store for us we could not tell; something hor- rible, we knew.
 "Just back of the fire rude cross had been erected, so that the ruddy glare fully illuminated its surface The Osage was at once bound to the cross, his arms extending along the horizontal piece, the hands open and the fingers extended.
 ''The whole population of the village, including the women and children, had assembled to witness the sport. When all was ready twelve bucks stepped for ward, decked out in savage ornaments, and with faces and bodies painted bril- liant colors. Ten carried ip their hands gayly ornamented tomahawks, while the two on the end were armed with rifles. The word was given, and one after an- other the tomahawks were thrown with merciless accuracy, each ono cutting of finger or thumb The two bucks on the end then raised their Etdes, and simultaneously sent two bullets through the already mutilated hands.
 During all this time no expression ol pain escaped the Osage. He reviled his tormentors in the most scathing Ian guage, and when one tomahawk carried away only half 0 finger he taunted the marksman with his lack of skill; and after tho double shot he glanced at the remnant of one of his bleeding hands and, in disgusted tone, grunted
 .''Poor shot. Not near tho centre. Al Osage woman could do better
 "You can imagine my feelings during this brutal exhibition, knowing, as did that would be the next to suffer. But the poor scouts torments were not to enc here. The squaws now advanced anC scared his wounds with hot coals to pre- vent his bleeding to death. A great quan tity of cedar silvers were then produced and divided into two piles, one for Sly Fox, and one, as I shuddered to realize for me. Tho squaws went industriousl, l to work sticking the silvers into th' scouts quivering flesh, he meantime re wiling them, and, if they came nea enough, trying to bite them. In fact, h. his head, in biting quito through an ol, hag's ear.
 "When the preparatory work was fin ished, a brand was brought, the sliver lighted, and the whole party. with tn exception of the two bucks guarding me formed circle around the blazing column Sly Fox still bore his horrible suffering , l without complaint, and to show his die | regard for the torture, sang 6 weird 1n dian song. But his voice grew weahe , and weaker; his horribly burned hea.
 dropped forward, and the brave fellow sufferings were over. With yells of e1
 ultation the demons still danced aroun
 him, until a squaw dashed bucket C
 water over him to extinguish the fix
 which was injuring the cross.
 "Then all attention was attracted t me. The. scouts burned remains wer removed, and my guards cut my thong to put me in his place. A horribly faint sickening feeling stole over me at tn prospect fof the fatei in store, and tn
 guards had to almost drag me toward tn
 cross.
 F .They had taken hardly step whe 7 the attention of all was transfxed by tn
 clear notes of a cavalry bugle soundin the charge. In a moment there was tn , greatest confusion; bucks running fc | <hniv opA Y,lo f